Week 4.1 – Detroit Community-Engaged Research Program

Week 4.1

The main reason I wanted to be placed in the Southwest Detroit Business Association was because of the kind of impact I wanted to make. I wanted to help in anyway that I could to make the neighborhood a much better place to do business and prosper. I get that impression as well from my coworkers at the organization. However, one key observation is what it means to help. Many people create a distinction between help and aiding. To many people, helping means to do a task that complements makes doing other bigger tasks easier. What most people, specifically business owners, want is to be aided. That is, to have someone provide resources that they otherwise would not have.

To many people, this may sound prideful but it points to an important aspect of business culture. That is personal sovereignty in decision making.

This is all  part of business culture that was new to me and I felt can be applied to the type of community work I and my peers are embarking on this summer.

lsa logoum logo