ABSTRACT
Resistance to diversity is not a new or emerging issue. Every society and culture has confronted resistance to new immigrants, diverse ideologies, and simply different ways of being. The arguments against the abolition of slavery, voting and civil rights (Van Buren, 1996; Dass & Parker, 1999), and continuing debates about domestic partner and immigration legislation suggest that even in the twentyfirst century, the United States still struggles with issues related to race, color, culture, language, and sexual identity. In fact, despite increasing explicit pronouncements of tolerance for diversity, actual accounts of workplace discrimination are on the rise (Wooten & James, 2004). In contrast to the past, instances of resistance are not as vocal nor as transparent, thus making them more difficult to decipher and confront. Our discomfort, anxieties, fears, stereotypes, and anger persist and derail attempts at creating an inclusive society and culture, both inside as well as outside organizational life.
