Abstract
The Critical School of public relations was born on the last decade of the 20th. Its formation has been guided by its desire to study the discipline from a broader theoretical framework than the one proposed by Grunig, taking a socio-cultural approach to the phenomenon. However, his impact on the specialised literature on public relations has been limited and it remains on the fringes of the reference books. Given the wide variety of contributions made by the Critical School, which are often scattered, this article reviews those that best demonstrate the fracture that the emergence of this school represents for the dominant theoretical paradigm of public relations. Special emphasis is placed on the historiographical question and the critique of the four models, on the inclusion of the concept of "power" in the study of public relations and on the school's rejection of the discipline’s "modern" focus. It concludes with a short digression on the future of the discipline after the pillars that sustained it have been called into question.
References
Bernays, E. (1923) [1998]. Cristalizando la Opinión Pública. Gestión 2000.
Botan, C. H. y Hazelton, V. (1989). Public Relations Theory. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Brown, R. (2003). A matter of chance: the emergence of probability and the rise of public relations. Public Relations Review, 29, 385-399. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2003.08.002
Brown, R. (2012). Epistemological modesty: Critical reflections on public relations thought. Public Relations Inquiry, 1(1), 89-105. https://doi.org/10.1177/2046147X11422641
Castillo, A. (2010). Introducción a las relaciones públicas. Instituto de Investigación en Relaciones Públicas (IIRP). Recuperado de: https://www.uma.es/media/files/libropr_1.pdf
Compte-Pujol, M. (2016). Revisión y clasificación de los paradigmas científicos de las relaciones públicas del s. XXI. Opción, 32 (9). 371-386. Recuperado a partir de https://produccioncientificaluz.org/index.php/opcion/article/view/21742
Cuenca-Fontbona, J.; Matilla, K. y Compte-Pujol, M. (2019). Análisis bibliométrico de la producción científica de las relaciones públicas a través de las tesis doctorales (2006-2017) y de los programas de doctorado españoles (2017). Anàlisi. Quaderns de Comunicació i Cultura, 60, 97-117. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5565/rev/analisi.3166
Dühring, L. (2015). Lost in translation? On the disciplinary status of public relations. Public Relations Inquiry, 4(1), 5-23. https://doi.org/10.1177/2046147X14563564
Edwards, L. (2006). Rethinking power in public relations. Public Relations Review, 32, 229-231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2006.05.013
Edwards, L. (2012). Defining the 'Object' of Public Relations Research: a New Starting Point. Public Relations Inquiry, 1(1), 7-30. https://doi.org/10.1177/2046147X11422149
Edwards, L. (2017). An historical overwiew of the emergence of critical thinking in PR. En J. L'Etang, D. McKie, N. Snow y J. Xifra, The Routledge Handbook of Critical Public Relations (pp. 16-27). Routledge.
Edwards, L. y Hodges, C. E. (2011). Public Relations, Society & Culture. Routledge.
Ewen, S. (1996). PR! A Social History of Spin. Basic Books.
García Nieto, M. T., Viñarás-Abad, M. y Cabezuelo-Lorenzo, F. (2020). Medio siglo de evolución del concepto de Relaciones Públicas (1970-2020). Artículo de revisión. El profesional de la información, 29(3), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2020.may.19
Gower, K. K. (2006). Public Relations Research at the Crossroads. Journal of Public Relations Research, 18(2), 177-190. https://doi.org/10.1207/s1532754xjprr1802_6
Grunig, J. E. y Hunt, T. (2003). Dirección de Relaciones Públicas. Ediciones Gestión 2000, S.A.
Hallahan, K. (2002). Ivy Lee and the Rockefeller's Response to the 1913-1914 Colorado Coal Strike. Journal of Public Relations Research, 14(4), 265-315. https://doi.org/10.1207/S1532754XJPRR1404_1
Holtzhausen, D. R. (2000). Postmodern Values in Public Relations. Jorunal of Public Relations Research, 12(1), 93-114. https://doi.org/10.1207/S1532754XJPRR1201_6
Hoy, P., Raaz, O. y Wehmeier, S. (2007). From facts to stories or from stories to facts? Analyzing public relations history in public relations textbooks. Public Relations Review, 33. 191-200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2006.11.011
Ihlen, O. (2005). The power of social capital: Adapting Bourdieu to the study of public relations. Public Relations Review, 31(4), 492-496. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2005.08.007
Ihlen, O. (2007). Building on Bourdieu: A sociological grasp of public relations. Public Relations Review, 33(3), 269-274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2007.05.005
Ihlen, O. y Frediksson, M. (2018). Public Relations and Social Theory: Key Figures and Concepts. Routledge.
Ihlen, O., van Ruler, B. y Frediksson, M. (2009). Public Relations and Social Theory: Key Figures and Concepts. Routledge.
Lamme Opdycke, M. y Miller Rusell, K. (2015). Removing the Spin: Una nueva teoría histórica de las Relaciones Públicas. Editorial UOC.
L'Etang, J. (1998). State Propaganda and Bureaucratic Intelligence: The Creation of Public Relations in 20th Century Britain. Public Relations Review, 24(4), 413-441. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0363-8111(99)80109-X
L'Etang, J. (2004). Public Relations in Britain: A history of professional practice in the 20th century. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
L'Etang, J. (2008). Writing PR history: issues, methods and politics. Journal of Communication Management, 12(4), 319-335. https://doi.org/10.1108/13632540810919783
L'Etang, J. (2009). Relaciones públicas: Conceptos, práctica y crítica. Editorial UOC.
L'Etang, J. (2013). Public Relations: A Discipline in Transformation. Sociology Compass, 7(10), 799-817. https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.12072
L'Etang, J. (2017a). Introduction: Jacquie L'Etang: memories, experiences, reflections on becoming a critical PR academic. En J. L'Etang, D. McKie, N. Snow y J. Xifra, The Routledge Handbook of Critical Public Relations (pp. 5-8). Routledge.
L'Etang, J. (2017b). History as a source of critique. En J. L'Etang, D. McKie, N. Snow y J. Xifra, The Routledge Handbook of Critical Public Relations (pp. 28-40). Routledge.
L'Etang, J. y Pieczka, M. (1996). Critical Perspectives in Public Relations. International Thomson Business Press.
L'Etang, J. y Pieczka, M. (2006). Public Relations: Critical Debates and Contemporary Practice. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
L'Etang, J., McKie, D., Snow, N. y Xifra, J. (2017). The Routledge Handbook of Critical Public Relations. Routledge.
Macnamara, J. (2010). Four gaps in public relations scholarship and practice: The need for new approaches. Australian New Zealand Communications Association Annual Conference. Australian and New Zealand Communications Association (ANZCA). Recuperado de: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336639663_Four_gaps_in_public_relations_scholarship_and_practice_The_need_for_new_approaches/citations
Mickey, T. J. (2002). Deconstructing public relations. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Motion, J. y Weaver, C. K. (2005). A Discourse Perspective for Critical Public Relations Research: Life Sciences Network and the Battle for Truth. Journal of Public Relations Research, 17(1), 49-67. https://doi.org/10.1207/s1532754xjprr1701_5
Murphy, P. (1991). The Limits of Symmetry: A Game Theory Approach to Symmetric and Asymmetric Public Relations. Public Relations Research Annual, 3(1-4), 115-131. https://doi.org/10.1207/s1532754xjprr0301-4_5
Otero Alvarado, M. T. y Pulido Polo, M. (2018). Planificación y técnicas de las relaciones públicas. Síntesis.
Pearson, R. (1989). Beyond Ethical Relativism in Public Relations: Coorientation, Rules, and the Idea of Communications Symmetry. Public Relations Research Annual, 1(1-4), 67-86. https://doi.org/10.1207/s1532754xjprr0101-4_3
Pieczka, M. (2006). Paradigms, System Theory, and Public Relations. En J. L'Etang y M. Pieczka, Public Relations: Critical Debates and Contemporary Practice (pp. 331-359). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Pineda, A. (2006). Elementos para una teoría comunicacional de la Propaganda. Alfar.
Roper, J. P. (2005). Symmetrical Communication: Excellent Public Relations or a Strategy for Hegemony? Journal of Public Relations Research, 17(1), 69-86. https://doi.org/10.1207/s1532754xjprr1701_6
Sadi, G. y Méndez, V. (2015). Una aproximación histórica al dominio intelectual de las relaciones públicas. Tensiones paradigmáticas en su construcción disciplinar. Revista Internacional de las Relaciones Públicas, 5(9), 47-66. http://dx.doi.org/10.5783/RIRP-10-2015-04-47-66
Sánchez, J. J. (2001). Introducción. En T. Adorno y M. Horkheimer, Dialéctica de la Ilustración: fragmentos filosóficos (pp. 9-46). Trotta.
Tarín, A. (2018). Comunicación, ideología y poder: Anotaciones para el debate entre la Teoría de la Propaganda Intencional y la Teoría de la Reproducción Espontánea de la Propaganda. Comunicación y Sociedad, 32, 191-209. https://doi.org/10.32870/cys.v0i32.6794
Toth, E. (2002). Postmodernism for modernist public relations: the cash value and application of critical research in public relations. Public Relations Review, 28, 243-250. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0363-8111(02)00130-3
Toth, E. (2007). The future of excellence in public relations and communication management. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Toth, E. y Heath, R. (1992). Rhetorical and critical approaches to public relations. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Wehmeier, S. (2006). Dancers in the dark: The myth of rationality in public relations. Public Relations Review, 32, 213-220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2006.05.018
Wilcox, D. L., Cameron, G. T. y Xifra, J. (2012). Relaciones Públicas: Estrategias y tácticas. Pearson.
Xifra, J. (2011). Manual de Relaciones Públicas e Institucionales. Tecnos.
Xifra, J. (2017). Jordi Xifra: a personal journey -coming to PR from Catalonia. En J. M. L'Etang, N. Snow y J. Xifra, The Routledge Handbook of Critical Public Relations (pp. 12-13). Routledge.
Xifra, J. (2020). Public Relations and Corporate Propaganda. En P. Baines, N. O'Shaughnessy, y N. Snow, The SAGE Handbook of Propaganda (pp. 137-152). SAGE Publications Inc.
Xifra, J. y Castillo, A. (2006). Forty years of doctoral public relations research in Spain: A quantitative study of dissertation contribution to theory development. Public Relations Review, 32, 302-308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2006.05.004
Xifra, J. y Heath, R. L. (2015). Reputation, Propaganda, and Hegemony in Assyriology Studies: A Gramscian View of Public Relations Historiography. Journal of Public Relations Research, 27(3), 196-211. https://doi.org/10.1080/1062726X.2015.1024247
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2023 José Manrique Reyes