My Watch Epared Host Analysis

Have you ever stopped to think about how other cultures may behave and act differently? What would one do if they were thrust into a completely different way of life? One would be surprised with exactly how different other societies act. People may understand the basics of a culture, but there are a lot of unexpected differences. There is more to a culture than what language they speak, what kind of food they eat, and the kind of people they are. The small things are what really tie a society together, and what really makes one culture discernable from another. People get so tied up in their own way of life and society, that they don’t spare a thought that another culture may be completely different from theirs. The essay, “My Watch
Researcher Edward Hall goes as far to say our concept of time is a “...silent language” (Maximos 64). What Hall means by this is that the perception of time is just as important of a cultural trait as an actual spoken language. He continues to explain that there are two different types of orientations of time, monochronic and polychronic. Monochronic refers to a very time oriented culture, and view time as a resource of sorts. According to Maximos, “To them, time is money, and can be spent wasted, budgeted, saved, and invested” (Maximos 65). This type of culture tends to use check lists and prefers to get tasks done one at a time. Examples of the monochronic orientation are: American, Japanese, Anglo Saxon, and North European. Polychronic is a much more time fluid type of society. A polychronic culture tends to do multiple tasks at a time and is more productive in doing so. Maximos states that, “Scheduling and Punctuality mean nothing.” (Maximos 65) Both orientations have pros and cons. Monochronic are far more productive and organized, but Polychronic cultures tend be more satisfied with their work since the focus more on the quality rather
This essay’s targeted audience is essentially anyone who reads it, because Maximos’ claim applies to the entire population. Maximos seems to have written this piece to emphasize the point that if people understood how each other’s cultures worked, then much more could be achieved in this world. The whole essay mainly just covers the topic of the difference of the perception of time between societies, as this is the main piece of evidence that Maximos has. This point is made relatable, by using the pathos informal fallacy “appeal to pity”. The author describes how she and her friends moved from the polychronic Egypt, to the monochronic United States, and experienced a lot of trouble trying to adapt to the new surroundings. The essay probably would of benefitted more if Maximos had included at least one more piece of evidence to further her claim that there are many differences between cultures. Just presenting the difference in the perception of time is not enough on its own, but her arguments and extensive use of scholarly sources make up for it. More examples of pathos are used in the essay; one of which is the “appeal to ignorance”. Maximos states, “We are so enwrapped in our own cultures that it is difficult to understand other people's’ way of living, as well as understanding how they perceive ours” (Maximos 64).