Public Relations in Britain : A History of Professional Practice in the Twentieth Century

In this book the author asks a big question: how did public relations develop in Britain and why? The question is answered through a broad ranging narrative which links the evolution of British public relations in the early twentieth century to key political, economic, social, and technological developments. Drawing on oral history interviews and extensive archival research the book highlights some of the sociological issues relevant to a study of public relations and foregrounds the professionalisation of the occupation in the second part of the twentieth century.

This study examines the history of the professional practice of public relations in Britain in the twentieth century. Drawing upon interviews with those who practiced public relations in the 1940s and 1950s, L'Etang (Stirling U., Scotland) places the evolution of the profession within the context of key political, economic, social, and technological developments. Particular attention has been paid to the sociological concept of professionalization and the shortcomings of the field in this area despite its exponential growth. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

The author asks: how did public relations develop in Britain and why? The question is answered through a narrative linking the evolution of British PR in the early 20th century to political, economic, social, and technological developments. The book highlights sociological issues and foregrounds the professionalisation of the occupation This title on British public relations contains chapters on establishing the profession (1945-60), the emergence of consultancy (1948-69), codes and regulation (1948-98), and educational developments (1948-98)