Week 4: Culture at DFA – Detroit Community-Engaged Research Program

Week 4: Culture at DFA

image (1)Culture’s one of those things that is hard to define, but you live it.

Being black and in Detroit, you are from Detroit, even if you aren’t from Detroit. I’m not from Detroit. But people interact with me as I am from Detroit, which has it positives and negatives, it more just is. I think it has helped me to have a more realistic idea of the culture here, just because people expect me to be from here so sugar coat less (it makes sense in my mind).

The end of this week was orientation for the Detroit Food Academy Summer Academy and it was interesting to see how culture influenced them. There was different cultures within different Detroit high schools and you could see that in how the students interacted with each other, there was definitely like 4 groups (the three schools and the staff). I’m excited to eventually start talking about these different cultures and how to make our own DFA culture this summer.

And even the age culture, I look like a high schooler and students thought I was (especially cuz we aren’t really doing anything currently at orientation since we have no role yet). And it was cool to see how i fit into some cultures better than others when I was a student like them and they didn’t really need to accept me as much. But then when students found out that I was a senior in college not high school, it was different, probs a little more necessary to accept me. I think just interacting with them helped too.

The culture of the academy right now is chill, but still a job, easier than other work that they could be doing. Its going to be interesting when work actually starts to see the culture shift (and once everyone is here). Also its really open especially when we do check ins people share really freely and I really appreciate it as opposed to saying im ok when i feel like crap. I’m glad the culture is open enough that students can do that.

Even the staff culture, pretty much all of the staff is black and I think due to that there is a mutual understanding and a little bit more open (like instead of starting on level one, all starting on level 2). I like it, its cool to feel like i can get like advice from some of my bosses.

Lastly this picture was done by one of the students mapping out the process that occurs to make butter, SOOOOO TALENTED!! I was amazed so got a pic!

2 thoughts on “Week 4: Culture at DFA”

  1. I hope that more people realize that someone’s appearance isn’t always an accurate indication of the type of culture or upbringing they’ve had. Keep being you!

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