Abstract
This chapter analyzes the antecedents, springboards and restraints that have shaped the development of public relations (PR) in more than 70 countries. Based on data from chapters in the preceding five books in the series, it proposes three common antecedents of PR activity — early corporate communication, governmental information and propaganda methods and cultural/religious influences. The springboards for PR’s growth have been professionalization and education, along with the opening of economies and political plurality. The restraints have been political and economic, such as one-party states, dictatorships and closed economies. PR’s historiography is also explored, and the chapter identifies periodization as the primary method. Future research should move on from the current discovery stage into more analytical and critical processes.
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References
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© 2015 Tom Watson
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Watson, T. (2015). What in the World is Public Relations?. In: Watson, T. (eds) Perspectives on Public Relations Historiography and Historical Theorization. National Perspectives on the Development of Public Relations. Palgrave Pivot, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137404381_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137404381_2
Publisher Name: Palgrave Pivot, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-56864-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-40438-1
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