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Anthony Giddens and public relations: A third way perspective

Falkheimer, Jesper LU (2007) In Public Relations Review 33(3). p.287-293
Abstract
In the article, the main theories of Anthony Giddens (structuration and late modernity theory) are presented and applied upon public relations. A review shows that there have been few attempts to use these theories in public relations. The analysis states that using Giddens leads to a questioning of the dichotomy between instrumental agency-oriented theories that neglects power structures as well as critical theories that only views public relations as hidden strategic action used by elites to dominate the public sphere. The conclusion is that there are two major arguments for applying Giddens to public relations: (1) the theory of late modernity may enhance our understanding of public relations as an evolving practice in socio-historical... (More)
In the article, the main theories of Anthony Giddens (structuration and late modernity theory) are presented and applied upon public relations. A review shows that there have been few attempts to use these theories in public relations. The analysis states that using Giddens leads to a questioning of the dichotomy between instrumental agency-oriented theories that neglects power structures as well as critical theories that only views public relations as hidden strategic action used by elites to dominate the public sphere. The conclusion is that there are two major arguments for applying Giddens to public relations: (1) the theory of late modernity may enhance our understanding of public relations as an evolving practice in socio-historical and spatial terms; (2) the structuration theory enhances the holistic understanding of how public relations communication, interpreted as a process, may be used both as a reproductive and a transforming social instrument. Giddens theory may in other words be used as a "third way public relations theory". (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. (Less)
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author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
structuration theory, Anthony Giddens, social theory, public relations, late modernity, reflexivity
in
Public Relations Review
volume
33
issue
3
pages
287 - 293
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000249268600008
  • scopus:34547394448
ISSN
0363-8111
DOI
10.1111/j.1468-2885.2000.tb00197.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a1f0619c-4b8b-4cac-9c64-423a913512bd (old id 656939)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 17:08:40
date last changed
2022-02-20 18:53:24
@article{a1f0619c-4b8b-4cac-9c64-423a913512bd,
  abstract     = {{In the article, the main theories of Anthony Giddens (structuration and late modernity theory) are presented and applied upon public relations. A review shows that there have been few attempts to use these theories in public relations. The analysis states that using Giddens leads to a questioning of the dichotomy between instrumental agency-oriented theories that neglects power structures as well as critical theories that only views public relations as hidden strategic action used by elites to dominate the public sphere. The conclusion is that there are two major arguments for applying Giddens to public relations: (1) the theory of late modernity may enhance our understanding of public relations as an evolving practice in socio-historical and spatial terms; (2) the structuration theory enhances the holistic understanding of how public relations communication, interpreted as a process, may be used both as a reproductive and a transforming social instrument. Giddens theory may in other words be used as a "third way public relations theory". (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Falkheimer, Jesper}},
  issn         = {{0363-8111}},
  keywords     = {{structuration theory; Anthony Giddens; social theory; public relations; late modernity; reflexivity}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{287--293}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Public Relations Review}},
  title        = {{Anthony Giddens and public relations: A third way perspective}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2885.2000.tb00197.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1468-2885.2000.tb00197.x}},
  volume       = {{33}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}