Abstract
If there was ever a perfect time for a book to be published about race and culture for educators, scholars, and students, this would certainly be it. Damion Waymer, an assistant professor from Virginia Tech’s Department of Communication, assembles an exceptional group of colleagues and students for a look at culture, class, and race. Waymer not only serves as an editor but also contributes three articles. The book is divided into three sections: “Theoretical Discussion of Culture, Social Class, and Race in Public Relations”; “Questions of Pedagogy and Practice: Exploring Topics of Culture, Social Class, and Race in Public Relations Education”; and “Culture, Social Class, and Race in Public Relations: Applications and Implications.” Overall, the book offers outstanding analysis, extensive research, and various cases that delve into the issues of race and culture, as well as perceptions and lessons learned. The book explores the role of diversity and culture in a changing world, and also how to prepare the students we teach to serve this world.
In his introduction, Waymer both dissects the core words of the book’s title and their impact: culture, social class, and race. “Culture ‘is’ and ‘permeates’ all levels of public relations and activity” (p. 2). Culture, therefore, can be a simple workplace or a public that belong to a specific culture group. Social class, Waymer continues, is
explored . . . because of the determining role that social class status has on persons’ life chances. If organizations via public relations activities have the potential to address large social issues and achieve other social goods, then it appears reasonable to expect that these organizations address at least a portion of the needs of lower-class citizens—who tend to be some of the most vulnerable publics in any society. (p. 5)
In sum, “if society is going to become a better place to live and work, issues such as social class disparities must be addressed by these organizations in a meaningful and impactful way (Boyd & Waymer, 2011)” (p. 7).
On Race, the author states, Regardless of how one approaches race and ethnicity in this book, all of these works seek to illuminate inequality in public relations based on these cultural differences (broadly defined) . . . I consider those works as exploring “cultural challenges in public relations” while still recognizing that some of these works are addressing issues of ethnicity more explicitly than they are matters of race. (p. 8)
Many sections of the book include, as mentioned, extensive research and strong analysis. In Section 1, Josh Boyd, associate professor of the Brian Lamb School of Communication at Purdue University, explores Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Class. States Boyd, “One potential answer to the growth of CSR activities is that the corporation-as-person happens to inhabit the middle class” (p. 46). Boyd takes a close look at the middle class and their mind-set, their influence on society, and the “American dream” (p. 49). It is a very interesting chapter and truly examines the popularity of corporate social responsibility.
Perhaps one of the strongest chapters was “Human Trafficking in the PR Classroom—Teaching Diversity, Activism, and Empathy” (p. 99) by Sarah H. VanSlette, an assistant professor in the Department of Speech Communication at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. VanSlette shares that she has found that the best way to change the current reputation of PR is “by making social responsibility and social justice core concepts of {my} PR class” (p. 99). VanSlette felt compelled to educate her students about the issues of sex trafficking and child slavery. She mentions that a colleague of hers returned from a trip to Nepal after volunteering for a nonprofit. Upon his return, he started his own nonprofit, and VanSlette and her class were passionate to help his cause. This collaboration was invaluable. Students were involved in various PR activities to help the nonprofit, and VanSlette states it also provided a component of service learning. Students in her class raised around $3,800 through four separate team campaigns (p. 108). She concludes, “To make a difference in a child’s life is an unbelievable feeling—a feeling I had the opportunity to share with my PR students that semester” (p. 108).
As mentioned, the book is a collection of strong pieces by eleven academics, including Waymer. Others worth noting include Lee Edwards with the University of Leeds, the United Kingdom, who discusses “Critical Race Theory and Public Relations” and the work by Marlo Goldstein Hade, a doctoral student at the University of Missouri, and Rebecca J. Meisenbach, also from Missouri who in their “Higher Learning: Rethinking Crisis Communication in Response to Racial Incidents on Campus Missouri” explore the role of universities and their responsibility to “openly address social problems such as racism” (pp. 131–32). A very compelling chapter, it cites two racial incidents that occurred at their university during Black History Month. It begins with, Despite decades of affirmative action and diversity initiatives, stories of anonymously hung nooses, parties with racial stereotype themes, and racially charged vandalism continue to plague universities across the country (Archibold, 2010; “Hate Crimes at UIUC: Native American art vandalize for fifth time,” 2009; Kahn, 2010; Levister, 2010; Schmidt, 2008; Vitchers, 2011). (p. 131)
And finally, the chapter “Decolonizing Occupy Oakland—Listening for Native American Voices in a Struggle Against Social Inequality” by Linfield College’s Jackson B. Miller, a professor, and Janelle Davis, an undergraduate, provide a glimpse of the Occupy Wall Street Movement that hit Oakland, its effects on Native Americans activists to raise awareness, and their mission to ultimately change the language of the movement (p. 165).
Culture, Social Class, and Race in Public Relations—Perspectives and Applications should be required reading not just for PR educators, academics, or students. It should be read by practitioners to help them understand our changing and diverse world. Because this book was published before the Trayvon Martin case, there is no doubt that Martin’s story would have filled not one but most chapters of the book. Secondly, I would be remiss if I did not include the Troy Anthony Davis case, a black Georgian who was executed by the state of Georgia in 2011 for killing a white police officer despite strong support and very little evidence. I cite Davis since I became interested in his case as an educator and later saw students approach me to help him as his execution drew closer. Many of my students went on to write law briefs, opinion pieces, articles, and award-winning projects.
My hope is that Damion Waymer and his colleagues will continue to explore all these issues in a second edition.