Abstract
Racial diversity remains the vision promoted by universities in spite of permeating inequities in America. Julie J. Park’s ethnography tracks the effects that Proposition 209, a 1996 affirmative action ban in California, has on the interaction between students. Previous studies which have explored the effects resulting from affirmative action ban policies generally reflect changes in the students who are accepted to universities, with a marked disproportionate decrease of blacks and other minorities. These macro-level studies present only a part of the picture. Park’s case study of the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) at a university in California identifies the process behind successfully building ethnic diversity through displacement and intentionality, as well as subsequent setbacks after Prop. 209.
The author’s compelling ethnographic work in When Diversity Drops showcases how broad-scale structural conditions interact with organizational culture. Following Edgar Schein’s three levels of cultural phenomena—artifacts, values, and underlying assumptions—we first are presented with the historical changes of IVCF from a predominantly white fellowship to one fostering positive interracial contact and friendship. The leadership efforts within the organization led to the incorporation of race and racial reconciliation into a true core value in the pursuit of faith. Ultimately, shifting demographic patterns brought about by Prop. 209 collided with IVCF’s commitment to diversity and decreased the likelihood of crossing racial divides.
As race- and class-conscious admission policies continue to be contested, Park’s work attests to the multilevel effects that structural diversity has on enabling or limiting the cultivation of ethnic diversity. Scholars investigating the intersection between organizational structure and culture in subpopulations will certainly find Park’s work useful, as will those interested in contact theory, evangelism, and race.