To combat social inequality, organizations develop and implement initiatives that seek to improve the status of disadvantaged groups (e.g., women, racial/ethnic minority groups). Such diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies are controversial, because people disagree about whether they are necessary and what their (positive and negative) consequences may be. Opposition can be particularly fierce from people who belong to advantaged groups that benefit from the status quo (e.g., men, racial/ethnic majority groups). Given the power wielded by advantaged groups, their opposition can undermine the successful implementation of DEI policies, thus resulting in continued inequality, wasted resources, and potential for tension in the organization. In this paper, I draw on theory and research to consider three types of threat that can explain advantaged groups' opposition to DEI policies: (1) resource threat, or concern about losing access to outcomes and opportunities; (2) symbolic threat, or concern about the introduction of new values, culture, and expectations; and (3) ingroup morality threat, or concern about their group's role in perpetuating inequality. I review strategies identified by the literature to mitigate these threats, and discuss their potential negative consequences. The final section takes stock of the literature and considers directions for future research.

中文翻译：

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了解优势群体对多样性、公平和包容 (DEI) 政策的反对：感知威胁的作用

为了与社会不平等作斗争，组织制定并实施旨在改善弱势群体（例如，妇女、种族/族裔少数群体）地位的举措。这种多样性、公平和包容 (DEI) 政策是有争议的，因为人们不同意它们是否有必要以及它们的（积极和消极）后果可能是什么。来自受益于现状的优势群体（例如，男性、种族/族裔多数群体）的人的反对可能特别激烈。鉴于优势群体拥有的权力，他们的反对可能会破坏 DEI 政策的成功实施，从而导致持续的不平等、资源浪费和组织中的潜在紧张局势。在本文中，资源威胁，或担心失去获得成果和机会；(2)象征性的威胁，或对引入新价值观、文化和期望的担忧；(3)群体内的道德威胁，或担心他们的群体在长期不平等中的作用。我回顾了文献中确定的减轻这些威胁的策略，并讨论了它们潜在的负面后果。最后一部分对文献进行了评估，并考虑了未来研究的方向。