Disruptive diversity: Exploring racial commodification in the Norwegian cultural field.

Abstract

Scholars have suggested that the heightened focus on diversity in Western cultural fields may drive forms of racial commodification, impacting cultural representations of 'race'. However, few studies apply Bourdieu's theory of cultural production to understand how racial commodification may also disrupt field dynamics. This article aims to explore how racialised minority cultural producers in Norway experience the intensified focus on diversity within the cultural field. Drawing on Bourdieu's theory of cultural production, critical diversity studies and the cultural industries approach, I analyse fieldwork and interviews with 41 Norwegian cultural producers. This analysis reveals three key diversity-related changes participants experienced: (1) a transformation of racial identities into commodities, (2) a shift towards racial self-commodification, and (3) a change in the value of 'diverse stories'. The findings suggest that the increased focus on diversity encourages a form of racial commodification, with a dual impact on racialised minorities' artistic freedom. While it restricts their potential for aesthetic recognition, it also creates a platform to redefine what counts as legitimate culture. This offers insights into an under-researched aspect of diversity efforts and racial commodification, revealing how this commodification can instigate change within the cultural field.