When Diversity Drops
Race, Religion, and Affirmative Action in Higher Education
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2246482 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Kim (0000-0003-2291-5896), Seong‐Eun Kim (0000-0002-6310-5366, California State University System, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2014 |
| Volume | 75 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 341-343 |
| Publication date | 2014-06-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Sociology of Religion (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1069-4404 • E-ISSN: 1759-8818 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1093/socrel/sru032 |
| OpenAlex | W1994198299 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
In her book, When Diversity Drops, Julie Park presents an intriguing and compelling case study of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) at “California University” that transformed itself from a predominately white group into the most racially diverse Christian organization at the university. However, with the passage of Proposition 209, the enrollment of Black and Latino students at CU plummeted, which negatively impacted IVCF's ability to sustain their multiethnic community. Well-documented and interestingly written, When Diversity Drops explores the relationship between an organization's mission and the context in which that mission is pursued. In the case of IVCF, Park cogently argues that, “Individuals often assume that they have a great deal of control over whom they associate with and why. However, patterns of social relations are deeply shaped by demography and the availability of diverse peers” (128). Whereas most evangelical Christians embrace colorblindness as the dominant perspective on race, IVCF intentionally brought race to the forefront in their discussions, identity, and mission. Communicating to their students that colorblindness was incompatible with racial reconciliation, the leaders of IVCF aimed to construct and provide a faith-based lens through which their students can view race and racial reconciliation. Park persuasively argues that by framing racial reconciliation as a biblical concept, IVCF effectively “challenged students to step outside of their comfort zones, portraying racial reconciliation as an almost non-negotiable part of Christian faith” (141).
Affirmative action · African american · Black church · Context (archaeology) · Diversity (politics) · Faith · Framing (construction) · Race (biology) · Racism · Sociology · Theology · Academic Freedom and Politics · American Constitutional Law and Politics · Anthropology · Gender Studies · Race, History, and American Society
| Citations per year | 0.3 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2016 - 2021 (6) |
| Highly cited | No |