Hot v. Cold: The Cultures of the World part 1

As a child, I was under the impression that everyone around me was about the same. Of course, some people had different opinions or different beliefs. But my understanding of these differences was quite limited. When I was in elementary school, that paradigm started to shift when my church decided to sponsor some refugees from Nigeria. Not only did I realize that English was not the first language of this family, but I found out just how different they were to anyone else I had ever met. My family taught them about proper food storage and other sanitation concerns, proper treatment of electricity, and how to drive a car. These were things I had taken for granted...assuming every adult in the world knew these things. Beyond simple exposure and knowledge of things that I felt were commonplace, their values and worldview was significantly different as well.

My church family with the Nigerian families

As more families joined my church family from Nigeria, one event stands out in my mind about just how different we were. One of the women was about to have a baby, so a couple of the ladies of the church organized a baby shower for her. Half an hour to an hour before the time of the event, a few of the white ladies of the church had arrived to prepare. They set up the treats on a table-clothed table, hung streamers, and prepared games. As the event got closer, other women started to show up. Fifteen minutes before the event, women came and brought gifts for the pregnant woman and the baby. More women began to trickle in up until the time the event was supposed to start. As women began to eat the snacks provided, it became obvious to everyone at the event, none of the African women, not even the guest of honor, had arrived at the event. As five minutes turned into ten minutes and then 15 minutes, people started to get restless. Did we communicate the right time? They looked at the announcement for the event again to double check. The organizers started to call the women they expected to be there. I don't remember if anyone was reached on their phones, but since this was before cell phones, it is possible no one got a hold of any of the women. The African women started to arrive 30 minutes to 45 minutes late to the event was intended to only be an hour long. Many women, especially the organizers, where very upset by this turn of events. It felt like the women did not value the time of the others. But when the African women arrived, they did not realize that there was a problem at all. They were ready to party.

I knew these African women well. They were not intentionally being rude or disrespectful. In fact, they did not feel that their actions were rude or disrespectful. I didn't fully understand at that point why this conflict happened, but one thing that became very obvious to me... not everyone in the world thinks the same things. And what I have learned since then...my way of thinking is not necessarily the best or most prevalent way to think in the world.

When I moved to Peru many years later, I had an awareness that people were different, and I had an open-mind that I was not always right when these differences became apparent. I learned a lot through observing when I lived in Peru, some things I could put my finger on and some things I couldn't. After a time of living in the US again, I decided to go to Ethiopia for extended trips. My leaders provided me with a suggested reading list before I went. One book that I read that was so eye-opening to me was called, Foreign to Familiar: A guide to Understanding Hot- and Cold-Climate Cultures by Sarah Lanier(2000).

Lanier's(2000) theory is that the world can really be separated into two categories, the regions that are predominately hot and the regions that are colder or have a colder season. The hot climates are predominately driven by relationships and the cold climates are driven by tasks (Lanier). Middle eastern, African, Latin, and many Asian countries are hot climate cultures, whereas, Northern Europe, Canada, and the northern portions of America are all cold climate cultures. Since these cultures are generalizations, it is not true for every person or even every region. For example, any culture that is based in agriculture shares more similarities with the hot culture climates such as Russia or native Alaskans(Lanier). But this distinction is still worth making. Why? Because if we can understand how we are different from others, we can prevent a lot of frustrations and better handle conflicts we might face. Let's look at one particular aspect of culture to better understand the differences between the two.

TIME

COLD: One big part of culture, how we see time, is one example of the differences between hot and cold cultures. Traditionally, in cold cultures, punctuality is highly valued. Just like my story above, being on time or nearly on time is not only a practical way to organize life and be efficient...to get the most tasks accomplished as possible...but it is also a sign of respect. When you are late in a cold culture, you might be communicating, "You are not important, so your time is not important. I don't respect you or think you have anything more important to do then wait for me" (Lanier, 2000, p.115). In cold climates, being late might even cost you your job, even for infractions of five minutes or less. When you are on time, you are both respectful of those that are counting on you and you are also demonstrating that you are responsible and dependable.

HOT: This is not how the whole world thinks, though. In hot cultures, relationships and being in the moment is more important than a number on a clock. Hot cultures live a more free life, living in an unplanned, spontaneous, and event oriented way. A church service in Ethiopia is a good example to help you understand. First, most people in Ethiopia do not have alarm clocks and many do not have clocks at all. They wake up to the roosters and start preparing for their day. They might have to gather water from the river or walk to the nearby shop to pick up breakfast. The beginning of their preparation might start taking place when the church service was scheduled to start. When they get the morning chores done and have on their Sunday best, they start to make their way to church. All or almost all of them walk to church in the morning. The sound of the loud drum has let them know that service has already started, but since the entire church service might last 3 or 4 hours, they are in no particular hurry to get there. If they see someone on the road that they know, they will stop and have a conversation. It would be rude not to, especially if that person is their elder. If it starts raining, they will duck into a shop and wait for the rain to stop. No one will think anything of it. When they finally get to church, they might be 30 minutes to an hour late...maybe even longer. No one bats an eye. In fact, worship time will continue on for another 30 minutes or more. Throughout the entire service, people just trickle in and find an open seat. Sometimes some rearranging even happens in the middle of the service so everyone can have a seat. The pastor keeps on preaching right through it all.

CROSS HAIRS: As someone who has lived in both cultures, I see pros and cons to each. Of course, the pro to the cold culture is efficiency and getting things done. There were times that I couldn't leave the house because I had a meeting scheduled. 2-4 hours later, the person would show up. This was frustrating when I had errands to run or other things to do. When I was ready to give up on the meeting, they would walk in the door. So frustrating! But at the same time, a bit looser concept of time is freeing. You can get ready at your pace and know that no one is waiting for you. You can truly engage in the conversation that you are in without the tension between what else you have to be doing right now. The priorities of hot cultures are the people in their lives which most people would agree is more important than getting a "to do" list done in the grand scheme of things. Some tourists recognized this dilemma when visiting the hot cultural city of Naples, Italy. Tourists were pleased by the leisurely pace of the 'Mediterranean Lifestyle' but wished that the shops were opened longer and became frustrated at the lack of punctuality (Moccia, 2000). Which one is right? Neither. They are just different. But knowing about the differences is really important. If I know that someone is from a different culture and shows up late, I have started training my brain to see that they have just embraced a free and spontaneous lifestyle that relishes seizing opportunities as they present themselves and building strong relationships. Learning how to communicate expectations is also really important in the process.

APPLICATION:

EVERYONE: So, what is the point? You are probably never going to move to Africa or Peru, or any other country for that matter. But because you live in America, the land of immigrants, understanding the different types of cultures in the world is important to avoid conflicts whenever possible. First, take a look at your mindset. Do you feel like the way you look at the world is the only right way? Or you open to others having a reasonable way as well? Try to open your mind to recognize that your way is not the only way or may not even be the best way. Now, as a Christian, I believe there is a moral standard of right and wrong. Whatever aligns with that standard, I can accept and whatever goes against that standard, I can reject. It is not just my opinion or my own perspective, I am holding myself and the world to this standard outside myself. And Christianity is not inherently American or cold cultured. If it does not go against the Christian moral code, I try to open my eyes to accept it as another option, even if it is not how I choose to live my life. Second, have you ever had a conflict with someone about time? Did you feel like it was a personal attack against you? Try to go back to that memory and reinterpret that situation. If new situations pop up surrounding time, be willing to be flexible and/or communicate with the other person effectively to help them understand where you are coming from. It just might save your relationship.

TEACHERS: First, it is easy to judge others based on our own view of right and wrong, good and bad. Take a step back...learn about your students' cultures. How are they different from you? Can you help them to better fit in in America by educating them about our culture? Can you accept what they have chosen as a valid choice? Whenever possible, try to see the children and parents from their perspective and not your own. Second, being on time is important in America, especially for official things like work and school. It is valuable to teach children and parents, why we find it so important. If parents and children continue to arrive late to school or other events, at the end of the day, it is beyond your control. Try not to judge them for their actions, realizing that the goal of freedom and quality relationships probably trump punctuality in their mind. Those aims are not bad, just different. Educate, empower, and let go. And do not take it personally or let it ruin your day.

References

Lanier, S. Foreign to Familiar: A guide to Understanding Hot- and Cold-Climate Cultures. Hagerstown, MD: McDougal Publishing.

Moccia, F. D. (2000). Planning time: An emergent European practice. European Planning Studies, 8(3), 367–375. https://doi.org/10.1080/713666408