The diffusion of racial validation panels in public universities - institutions and organizational change

Abstract

This article draws insights from the literature on institutional isomorphism and social movements theory to explain the diffusion in Brazil of procedures for validating the self-identification of candidates for admission to federal universities through racial quotas. The diffusion of these procedures has transformed how the right to affirmative action is understood and how it has led to organizational challenges. By analyzing documents and interviews, this article identifies the coercive, mimetic, and normative mechanisms at play. It shows that they derived from interactions among Black university students, staff, faculty members, and organizations of the black movement and state agencies, all engaged in protecting racial affirmative action. Implications for studying change in Brazil’s higher education and race relations are also discussed. Higher education and race relations in Brazil are also discussed.