Timpul: universalie culturală vs. viziune etnolingvală [Articol]

Abstract

The conceptualization of time is directly related to people’s culture since it is formed as a result of practical cognitive activity and has national specific traits determined by historical, religious, natural, geographical and social peculiarities. Time is measured and used totally differently on different continents and in different countries. Depending on this, nations are classified into monochronic and polychronic. To determine the place of Romanian people in this classification, we conducted a survey involving 242 young people of Romanian origin. While punctuality is self-evident in Western society, in Romanian society, in which the Oriental influences are felt, punctuality and discipline are not so rigid. As for the attitude to the value of time, Romanians are pluri-active, i.e. time is interpreted by them as goods that can be manipulated, shaped, expanded or as something you can do without, no matter what the clock shows.