Abstract
Our opening article takes us back to territory explored in our first ever issue 3 years ago. Duhring explores what she sees as the fragmentation of the public relations discipline (although she notes that the term itself is becoming taboo and being replaced by the anodyne terms ‘communication management’ or ‘strategic communication’) and a gradual absorption into business and management that implies an abandonment of communications. While she is encouraged by increased diversity, she regrets the lack of a consistent and unique ‘body of knowledge’. She outlines the historical development of theoretical approaches prior to exploring the interstices of varied nomenclatures to argue that public relations as a discipline is broken up into several sub-disciplinary subfields to suggest that public relations is ‘on its way to postdisciplinarity’.
Our next two articles contribute to debate concerning stakeholder theory. Maier discusses the relatively low impact of Freeman’s stakeholder theory on public relations and cites De Bussy’s (2010) comment that ‘the stakeholder concept remains shrouded in definitional ambiguity and handicapped by poorly conceptualised measurement techniques’. Maier argues that the potential of stakeholder theory, which has heavily influenced the management discipline (and also managerial perspectives on corporate social responsibility), has been under-analysed within public relations. His article serves as a corrective, using the pragmatic philosopher Richard Rorty to provide a new reading of Freeman’s work that provides distinct insights for public relations thinkers. Maier’s intervention highlights humanistic and therapeutic visions of social hope that offer an insightful and reflective alternative to instrumental interpretations of stakeholder theory. Rorty’s response to contingency leads him to propose a way of viewing the world that retains personal perspectives, simultaneously exploring and appreciating the dissonance that results from understanding other ways of looking at the world. Thus, Maier argues that Freeman’s stakeholder theory and Rorty’s pragmatic philosophy imply a new vision for public relations as humane conversation. Mundy’s contribution is contextualised by stakeholder theory, relationship management theory, and social movement theory. His historically inflected empirical project draws to queer theory to explore Gay Pride activism over a 40-year period during which time the collective identities within the movement became more clearly acknowledged.
Place’s empirical research examined how the essentialising of gender shapes the public relations industry and explores gendered tensions evident through analysis of the ways in which women define gender. She notes multiple sources that indicate gendered stereotypes and sexism within public relations, and she draws on gender and feminist theorists, intersectionality theory and race. Her analysis shows that ‘heteronormative, masculine-based systems of gender socialization [are] embedded in our organisations, the public relations industry and society’.
Tilley’s empirical research explored public relations ethics across 13 organisations using poststructuralist feminist discourse analysis ‘to examine organizational public relations practitioner’s testimony about ethical practice in their day-to-day working lives’. The research also incorporated an action research strand employing an iterative methodology to develop models relevant for the workplaces that had elected to take part in the second stage of the research. Several key themes emerged, but perhaps of greater significance was the elaboration of reflexive critical consciousness of participants.
Our final article explores discourse relevant to nation building in the context of a study that explored speeches delivered by Singapore government leaders. Lee’s study employed a critical metaphor analysis focused on political speeches and builds on nation building and public diplomacy research in public relations.
Finally, we welcome additional editors to strengthen the existing team – Magda Pieczka and Lee Edwards – and a new books review editor – Clea Bourne. We look forward to their combined contributions as Public Relations Inquiry consolidates its exploratory and interdisciplinary scope.