The DNA of DEI in public relations research: Critically confronting the field’s capitalist constitution and ideological foundations

Consistent with critical public relations’ attention to power relations and aim of transcending the limits of dominant perspectives, we trace epochs of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) scholarship in public relations to examine disciplinary parameters and historic punctuations, while acknowledging dynamic and ongoing research trends. Our review of these epochs reveals how business case rationales and capitalist ideology continue to transform and reconstitute across time and space to meet sociohistorical moments, suggesting a ‘chameleon effect’ and resilient schema for conceptualizing DEI in the field. We contend that critical research on DEI and public relations can trouble or disrupt underlying ideologies of exclusion embedded in capitalism by addressing central tensions and contradictions such as essentialist vs. processual, episodic vs. systemic transformation, and harmony vs. dissensus. Addressing such tensions situates DEI as a multidimensional struggle in public relations research and practice rather than an idealized end state. We further elucidate a critical DEI approach that balances internal and external communication, academic and applied contexts, as well as historically informed and contemporary communication approaches.