Public Relations

PRO285 Public Relations in Society

Introduction

Lecture objectives

• To discuss the scope and focus of PRO285

• To introduce the key concepts of globalisation and culture, which underpin PRO285

• To introduce new ways of thinking about public relations

• To establish public relations as a ‘cultural activity’ which demands new ways of thinking about the field.

• To outline the assessment requirements for PRO285

Social theorists versus the functionalists

Public relations

• Radical shifts in public relations scholarship in 21st century mean we are moving away from the dominant paradigm and exploring a range of diverse voices and approaches—there are new understandings of public relations, with a focus on the social impact of public relations.

• Is public relations 1. a profession; 2 a communicative practice; 3. an occupation; or 4. an industry?

• PR is a cultural practice: practitioners create meaning through the construction and transmission of knowledge.

• Critical scholars consider ‘the social structures, political processes, economic interests and ideologies through which knowledge is articulated and practised’ (Pal & Dutta, 2008, p. 160).

Globalisation

• ‘The intensification of worldwide social relations which link distant localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events occuring many miles away and vice versa.’ Giddens, A. (1990). The Consequences of Modernity (p. 21). Cambridge, England: Polity Press

• ‘the widening, deepening and speeding up of worldwide interconnectedness’ Baylis, J., Smith, S. & Owens, P. (2011). The Globalization of World Politics (p. 16). Oxford, England: Oxford University Press

• ‘the world as a single interactive system, rather than an interplay of discrete nation-states. Its focus is on transnational processes, interactions, and flows, rather than international relations’ Appelbaum, R. & Robinson, W. (2005). Critical Globalization Studies (p. xi). New York, NY: Routledge

Why is globalisation significant for public relations?

• Recognition that relationship building, culture, communication and industry are interdependent, fluid and dynamic

• Research into international public relations tends to treat nation-states as separate categories (e.g. see Geert Hofstede’s work)

• “West-to-rest” – whose values underpin and frame the field?

Culture and public relations

• Culture is dynamic, fragmented, fluid, contested…

• Practitioners communicate with people from different cultures in both multicultural societies and in transnational settings.

• Public relations is a cultural activity Banks, S. (2000) Multicultural public relations. Ames, IA: Iowa State University Press

• The PR industry struggles to negotiate culture in a globalising and multicultural world Sriramesh, K. (2007), The relationship between culture and public relations, in Toth, E. (Ed.), The future of excellence in public relations and communication management, (pp.507-526). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum

• Industry research conducted in Singapore and Perth identified ‘gaps’ in graduate and practitioner knowledge Fitch, K. (2012). Industry perceptions of intercultural competence in Singapore and Perth, Public Relations Review, 38(4), 609-618; and Fitch, K. & Desai, R. (2012). Developing global practitioners: Addressing industry expectations of intercultural competence in public relations graduates in Singapore and Perth. Journal of International Communication, 18(1), 63- 78.

Learning objectives

On successful completion of the unit you should be able to:

1. Critically evaluate the relationship between culture and public relations, and between globalisation and public relations

2. Recognise the links between socio-cultural contexts and public relations practice

3. Understand the need for intercultural competence in public relations practice

4. Demonstrate awareness of specific cultural contexts in relation to public relations practice.