Pathways to Public Relations: Histories of Practice and Profession (Routledge New Directions in PR & Communication Research)

by JacquieL'Etang (Editor), Margot Opdycke Lamme (Editor), Burton St . John I I I (Editor)

New
Illustrated
2014
$155.83

Over the centuries, scholars have studied how individuals, institutions and groups have used various rhetorical stances to persuade others to pay attention to, believe in, and adopt a course of action. The emergence of public relations as an identifiable and discrete occupation in the early 20th century led scholars to describe this new iteration of persuasion as a unique, more systematized, and technical form of wielding influence, resulting in an overemphasis on practice, frequently couched within an American historical context.

This volume responds to such approaches by expanding the framework for understanding public relations history, investigating broad, conceptual questions concerning the ways in which public relations rose as a practice and a field within different cultures and countries at different times in history.

With its unique cultural and contextual emphasis, Pathways to Public Relations shifts the paradigm of public relations history away from traditional methodologies and assumptions, and provides a new and unique entry point into this complicated arena.

Synopsis

Over the centuries, scholars have studied how individuals, institutions and groups have used various rhetorical stances to persuade others to pay attention to, believe in, and adopt a course of action. The emergence of public relations as an identifiable and discrete occupation in the early 20th century led scholars to describe this new iteration of persuasion as a unique, more systematized, and technical form of wielding influence, resulting in an overemphasis on practice, frequently couched within an American historical context.

This volume responds to such approaches by expanding the framework for understanding public relations history, investigating broad, conceptual questions concerning the ways in which public relations rose as a practice and a field within different cultures and countries at different times in history.

With its unique cultural and contextual emphasis, Pathways to Public Relations shifts the paradigm of public relations history away from traditional methodologies and assumptions, and provides a new and unique entry point into this complicated arena.

$155.83

Save:$11.70 (7%)

Quantity

5 in stock

More Information

Format: Illustrated
Pages: 392
Edition: 1
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 14 Feb 2014
ISBN 10: 0415660351
ISBN 13: 9780415660358

Media Reviews

Pathways to Public Relations: Histories of Practice and Profession sets its scope broadly to examine what its authors document as the historic presence of public relations. It goes beyond the notion that one model defines the practice or that research should be limited only to practices that are defined specifically as public relations. Readers are left to decide those matters for themselves, given the abundant documentation and definition that the authors bring to bear on the matter. Pathways, in that regard, gives insights into a discourse practice that seems inherent in the human condition.

Robert L. Heath, University of Houston, USA

What more needs to be said about public relations? Well plenty, if you want to understand how it critically influences society. Pathways to Public Relations is an edited volume that is rich with fascinating new viewpoints and historical research. By revealing PR's often hidden and complex relationships with religion, civil society, government and corporations - and its own professional project - this book provides compelling evidence that PR's socio-cultural significance is 'only just beginning to surface'.

Kristin Demetrious, Deakin University, Australia

Pathways to Public Relations rips up the standard historical narrative of public relations and rids it of a narrow focus on corporations, professionalism and biographies of father figures. The result is a wildly diverse and fascinatingly rich volume.

Oyvind Ihlen, University of Oslo, Norway

Pathways to Public Relations: Histories of practice and profession' builds on the success of the International History of Public Relations Conference and offers a broad range of recent scholarship from around the world. It is a very welcome scholarly addition to the expanding field of public relations history.

Tom Watson, Bournemouth University, UK

Author Bio

Burton St. John III is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at Old Dominion University, USA. Margot Opdycke Lamme is an Associate Professor in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Alabama, USA. Jacquie L'Etang is Chair of Public Relations and Applied Communications, Queen Margaret University, Scotland.