Balancing Time and Relationships in Moroccan Culture

In Morocco, a large part of the culture and community is a relaxed, more relationship-based approach to time management and productivity. This is what is considered a polychronic approach to time where time is considered flexible and intangible in the context of prioritizing the fostering of relationships over rushing to somewhere else or reaching somewhere on time (König, 2010).  Moroccans lean heavily on this type of approach in their daily life, including in the workplace, whereas other cultures are more monochromic approach based with valuation on stricter deadlines, plans, and higher priority placed on respecting times that are set. Oftentimes times and plans are cast aside in Moroccan culture in favor of being present and creating a space to interact with others organically that is not affected by time constraints. With this said, personal connection through this approach to time is something deeply intertwined into Morocco and its culture. 

 Ahead of this trip, I knew that time and plans would be approached differently in Morocco than in the U.S. however I didn't realize the extent that relationships play into balancing time in Morocco until the past few days when I actually was able to experience it myself. In the U.S. I have always appreciated being on time to events or plans, even sometimes getting there intentionally early. While I've never been a stickler and tend to go with the flow pretty easily, I like to be in the know of when this is happening or what the next move is. In Morocco however, it is all about creating a relationship with others with less expectations on being somewhere at a certain time or moving quickly through plans. This encourages being present in the moment, fosters engagement with new people, and the idea of allowing space to simply enjoy a moment instead of constantly looking ahead to the next thing. I thought I might struggle with this initially but actually since being here, I've really enjoyed simply letting go enough to be present and in the moment with all the places and people we've met since the start of our trip. Sometimes we end up eating lunch several hours later than thought or arriving somewhere later, but if we had focused on time then we wouldn't have received the same experiences with the people we met and the things we've seen thus far. With that said, i'm excited to continue 'going with the flow' while in Morocco and letting go of the need for set timelines in appreciation of generating connection with others and the community here. 

These contrasting approaches to time management of monochronic vs polychronic often are viewed starkly to each other or are approached as foreign concepts for one type of person to be able to immerse into the other. I think if a little more grace and open-mindedness to the idea of how time is a very culturally based structure, those exploring and immersing themselves into other cultures would be able to receive more from the culture than if they stick to their own cultural approaches to time. 

Photo caption: A snapshot of a group of us with bartenders who spent a long time conversing with the bartenders the other night!

References used: 

König, C. J., & Waller, M. J. (2010). Time for reflection: A critical examination of polychronicity. Human Performance, 23(2), 173–190. https://doi.org/10.1080/08959281003621703