Challenging the Pipeline: Structural Solutions to Cultural Racism in Faculty Hiring

• In Event: Broken Promises in Higher Education: The Hidden Costs of Diversity, Development, and Institutional Support

Abstract

This study examines how cultural racism prevails in organizational responses to faculty diversity challenges in higher education, focusing on the "pipeline problem." Using a comparative case study approach, we analyzed a Social Sciences and STEM department at a public research university. Drawing on Ray & Purifoy's (2019) theory of colorblind organizations and Ahmed's (2006) model of nonperformativity, the study reveals values in structural interventions. Although both departments cite the pipeline problem as the primary cause for lack of diversity, the Social Science department structurally addresses underrepresentation within their field, while the STEM department remains uncompelled to change, leaving cultural racism unchallenged. This study provides insights for rethinking diversity efforts, emphasizing the need for structural interventions beyond acknowledging the pipeline problem.

Authors

• Jada Sims, University of California - Los Angeles

• Deborah E. Southern, University of California - Los Angeles

• Gabriel Lê Espiritu, University of California - Los Angeles

• Mitchell J. Chang, University of California - Los Angeles