While interning at Focus: HOPE, I have become aware of a few cultural norms throughout the past few weeks. The one norm that has been the most prominent to me is the role of religion within this organization. Focus: HOPE was founded by a priest. Day to day, I notice the aftermath of this when my coworkers all say grace together before we eat. I think that this is reflective of a predominant culture within the city of Detroit. Religion seems to be a large staple within many of the communities in this city. This contrasts sharply from Ann Arbor, the city that I grew up in. In Ann Arbor, we could not play “Sleigh Ride” at our winter orchestra concert in fear of it portraying an influence of Christianity to the audience. Religion did not play a large role in Ann Arbor or in my life. If anything, public spaces and groups of people generally tried to avoid religion there. Meanwhile, in Detroit, a pancake breakfast community event at the local high school starts with a prayer from a local pastor. This seems expected to Detroit and Highland Park citizens as almost second nature. This is a custom I never grew up with, and it throws me off every time. I am always the only one in the room with my head not bent and with my eyes open.
There also have been cultural cues through how employees are expected to dress and present themselves at my organization. Based on the instructions I was given during my orientation, it is clear that Focus: HOPE holds pride in presenting itself professionally. It is expected that not only all employees will dress formally everyday, but that they will also wear a Focus: HOPE button – I assume to show their commitment to the organization. One Friday a month employees are allowed to wear jeans only if they also donate a certain amount of money to the organization. This ties in closely with expectations within the organization about how much money the employees have.
Finally, I have noticed a large Black/White racial dynamic within my office. While the Hope Village neighborhood that surrounds the organization is predominately Black, the organization itself includes many White staff members. However, I have yet to see any staff members that are any race besides White or Black. I have seen no one of Eastern or Southern Asian decent, for example. Again, this is very different than what I experienced while working in both Ann Arbor and Washington D.C. previously. I expect to find many more cultural cues as I continue to be immersed into this community.
Below is a cute group photo from this past week:
Ashley-
Your observations are interesting. Coming from a rural, predominantly christian area, I had always observed such public religious practice. I expected this to be different at the university, but I didn’t know that this extended to Ann Arbor as a whole. I think that the racial dynamics and assumption of money to spare are both important to note. Thanks for your observations!