Culture and Public Relations: Links and Implications

Culture and Public Relations: Links and Implications Public relations can be described as an industry which builds bridges and maintain relationships with an organization and its intended public. At its very core, public relations it about connecting people, making it a very human oriented industry. Because it is so human oriented, it results in a PR person having to interact with many people, who may come from several different cultures. Culture, as explained by Thwaites, is the ensemble of social processes by which meanings are produced, circulated, exchanged (Thwaites, Davis, Mules, 1994). In short, it is simply the production of meanings by people. It is especially important for PR activity in terms of its role in the meaning-making process. Culture is multi-discursive and can be contested. It is also dynamic and historical. This means that culture is not stagnant and can evolve over time. This essay seeks to explore the relationship between culture and public relations in depth, especially the importance of intercultural competence in relation to a PR practitioner’s work. In order for a PR practitioner to properly carry out their work, cultural research is essential. To do so, they can adopt the use of anthropology and ethnography. According to the American Anthropological Association (n.d.), anthropology is the study of humans, whether past or present. Sociocultural anthropology explores the social patterns and practices across different cultures, especially how people live, organize, govern and create meaning. Traditionally, the anthropology approach treats culture as predictive, static and a casual variable (Bardhan Weaver, 2010). However, it is still useful to examine cultures in different contexts as they offer alternative ways of thinking about public relations. On the other hand, ethnography can help PR practitioners understand public relations and its effects in different ways. As one come across research from the 1990s and 2000s, they will realize that many of these researches drew on Hofstede’s extensive studies, mapping four dimensions of national culture. These four dimensions of national cultures are: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity versus feminity and individualist versus collective. Although extensive, Hofstede’s studies show only a static understand of culture, and is focused on understanding the culture of others in order to perform business functions more effectively. In spite of that, public relations should focus more on building and maintaining multicultural relationships and communities. In this increasingly globalized world, PR practitioners are crossing borders more, whether online or offline. Effectively, PR practitioners can be said as culture workers. Because of this, PR practitioners need to have more understanding of different cultures and the cultural differences. By developing an understanding for cultural differences, they may come to realize that one approach may not work across all cultures. As such, intercultural competence is very important for a PR practitioner. Developing intercultural competence will allow for a PR practitioner to come up with better approaches when working with different cultures. One example will be the difference between PR in America and China. Using Hofstede’s dimensions, one will find that the Chinese culture is very different from the American culture. The Chinese society in China firmly believes that a wide power distance is acceptable and that inequalities are acceptable; whereas the Americans are more open and there is a very narrow power distance between the higher and lower ranking members of an organization. PR in Singapore is also vastly different to practices in China. To the Chinese, because China is such a relationship-rooted society, networking and PR activities are expected to include gifting, as well as having to â€Å"wine and dine† a client before discussing official business. In Singapore, this is not widely-practiced, and doing so may seem like one is accepting favours or bribes. Such are examples of how difference in culture may affect a PR practitioner’s approach. Cultures may also be split into three areas, namely: occupational, organizational and education and research. In occupational cultures, research has to be done as cultural concepts are key to understanding public relations â€Å"as an occupational culture as well as a form of culture-worker† (Edwards Hodges, 2011). The various roles of public relations in culture highlights many different practices, which can be applied to many aspects of client handling. PR in occupational cultures can also be said to comprise of more than one culture such as â€Å"consultancy culture† and â€Å"in-house culture†. These cultural constraints, if understood, can help explain the relationship between PR and society. On top of that, it can also shine light on how cultural and societal conventions influence the industry in different contexts, and shape expectations and generate stereotypes or caricatures (Edwards Hodges, 2011). On the other hand, PR in organizational culture approaches research very differently and for different purposes. Anthropological concepts can be used to decipher the role of public relations in order to establish dichotomy of a manager-technician (Edwards Hodges, 2011). Because the nature of a PR practitioner’s work is necessarily cultural, research is instrumental to show that they are doing more outside of what is commonly perceived of them. In educational and research cultures, PR research can be useful to provide insights into â€Å"the existence and origin of resistances and negotiation over the curriculum† (Edwards Hodges, 2011). Ethnographical research can also be used to look into the cultures of professionals and those who are involved in the education industry. Because of the diversity of cultures, a PR practitioner has to develop a set of intercultural skills which are crucial to their work. Some examples of such skills will include knowledge of the different cultures, having an open mind as well as having empathy. Intercultural skills are important to a PR practitioner simply because of the number of different cultures that they will interact with in the span of their career. More often than not, a PR practitioner will find that a single approach will not work across all cultures, that â€Å"one shoe does not fit all†. As such, honing their intercultural skills is a must in order for them to come up with cultural-appropriate approaches. Intercultural competence involves both intrapersonal and interpersonal skills. Intrapersonal competencies mostly involve cognitive skills, which is altering one’s perspective to see from another person’s perspective. It also involves self-reflection, problem solving, as well as culture-detection (Stier, 2006). In addition, it also deals with understanding why people feel certain ways as well as the implications of these feelings and how people cope with them, which may be triggered by unknown cultural settings (Stier, 2006). Interpersonal competencies, however, involves interactive skills. Skills such as being able to â€Å"detect and interpret non-verbal cues, subtle signals and emotional responses† (Steir, 2006), as well as how to respond to them fittingly. The most important aspect of intercultural competence that a PR person has to possess is arguably empathy. Empathy, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is the act of understanding and being sensitive to the feelings, thoughts and experiences of another. Being a â€Å"culture worker†, a PR person’s work spans many cultures. One have to understand that imposing their own thoughts and culture on another will not go down well, and that the right approach is to instead take the time to first understand how the culture functions and produce meaning. Culture plays a very big part in a PR person’s work. It is closely related to the way a PR practitioner is able to carry out their work, and PR practitioners have to do adequate research in order to prep themselves for the different cultures they will come across. Common research methods include the anthropological and ethnographical methods. Other than research, intercultural competence is also very important to a PR person. Because we live in an increasingly globalized community, it is inevitable that we will interact with many different cultures. Understanding of these cultures and one’s own will help one to understand the differences in each other’s cultures, so as to come up with better approaches when working with them. In conclusion, PR work requires cultural competence as it negotiates cultures, crossing boundaries online and off. Practitioners have to be flexible and understand the cultural values which are the foundations of the industry, as well as understand their cultural heritage. PR work also requires global and local knowledge, so as to facilitate to different cultures. Most of all, PR people should focus on building positive multicultural relationships and communities, as well as maintaining them. References What is Anthropology? (n.d.). Retrieved May 26, 2015, from http://www.aaanet.org/about/whatisanthropology.cfm Bardhan, N., Weaver, C. (2010). Public relations in global cultural contexts (p. 298). London, Abingdon, Ox: Routledge. Definition of â€Å"Empathy†. (n.d.). Retrieved May 27, 2015, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/empathy Edwards, L., Hodges, C. (2011). Public relations, society culture: Theoretical and empirical explorations (1st ed.). New York, New York: Routledge. Stier, J. (2006). Internationalisation, intercultural communication and intercultural competence. Journal of Intercultural Communication, (11). Retrieved May 27, 2015, from http://www.immi.se/intercultural/nr11/stier.pdf Thwaites, T., Davis, L., Mules, W. (1994). Tools for cultural studies: An introduction (1st ed.). South Melbourne, Melbourne: Macmillan Education Australia.

D.H Lawrence’s “Tickets Please” Essay

In tickets there are two main characters, these are John Thomas and Annie. Annie works on the trams and girls are only chosen to work on the trams of they have a confidant nature and a certain no-nonsense approach to men. And this affects her relationship with John Thomas. There are many ways how Lawrence shows how Annie and John Thomas are attracted to each other. The first example of this is on page eighty three paragraph two. † She could tell by the movement of his mouth and eyes, when he flirted with her in the morning in the morning, that he had been walking out with this lass, or the other, the night before. A fine cock-of-the-walk he was. She could some him up pretty well.† The part where she says she could tell by the movement of his eyes and his lips show that she must have some interest in him because she must have studied his movements; this shows at the very least she is interested in him. Another example that shows that they are attracted to each other is the fact that Annie says that she keeps John Thomas at an arm length away from her but John Thomas keeps coming back to try and win her over. Just to show that John Thomas is attracted to her he goes out with another girl after she turns him down as if just to spite her. This also shows more than a passing interest in Annie. On page eighty three we see how Annie and John Thomas react to each other. In paragraph three Lawrence shows and tells us how they react to each other † In this subtle antagonism they knew each other like old friends, they were as shrewd with one another almost as man and wife.† This tells us that when they flirt with each other they are like old friends, it is almost like a routine they both know of-by-heart but carry it on none the less. An example of how John Thomas reacts to Annie is on page eighty four where Annie meets John Thomas at the fair. The example is on the fourth paragraph. â€Å"John Thomas made her stay on for the next round. And therefore she could hardly for shame repulse him when he out his arm around her and drew her a  little nearer to him, in a very warm and cuddly manner. Besides he was fairly discreet, he kept his movements as hidden as possible.† This shows us that John Thomas is reacting to Annie less in the capacity as her friend but more as her boyfriend. We can also tell how Annie reacts to John Thomas in the extract above. In the quote above Annie tells us that John Thomas puts her arm around her and she says he did it in a very cuddly manner and that he was fairly discreet. It is almost as if Annie is trying to convince herself that there is nothing wrong with what she is doing and feeling. Annie is rapidly forgetting that she has a boyfriend and is becoming ensnared in John Thomas’s ploy. In the end Annie decides to get her own back on John Thomas for rejecting her and she goes round her work place subtle suggesting to the other girls that he had dumped that it would be a good idea to get their revenge on him. In the end I think John Thomas â€Å"wins† because he is completely humiliated by been beaten up by the girls and yet when he is forced to choose which one of the girls he is going to stay with he chooses Annie. Annie seems horrified by this because the very thought revolts her due to what he is. In John Thomas’s humiliation it is almost as if the humiliation that has been inflicted upon him has been traversed to Annie as she begins to realise the full consequences of hat she has done. She has cheated on her boyfriend and she herself also feels humiliated by inflicting pain and taking her revenge too far.

Cohabitation and Its Effect on Rise in Divorce Rate

Effect of Cohabitation on the Rising Divorce Rate The rise of the divorce rate seems to be due to the lack of commitment or understanding of love and longevity in a marriage. Cohabitation can be defined as an arrangement whereby two people decide to live together on a long term or permanent basis in an emotionally and /or sexually intimate relationship (Brannon 2008). Cohabitation is seen as the best way to understand a prospective mate in terms of living and financial stability. Also many couples tend to â€Å"slip† into this arrangement without much decision making about it being long term, but tend to just â€Å"live in the moment†. The cohabitation of couples whether they be heterosexual or homosexual seems to lack the†¦show more content†¦The need for long term commitment and devotion to their mate is part of their biological makeup. On the contrary, the testosterone of the male partner seems to be more aggressive which would cause them to be very territorial over their personal belongings and earnings. T he influence of the male hormone may help explain the need for a man to cohabitate with his partner in order to manipulate the requirements of marriage without financial or complete emotional attachment. So the differentiation of brain development causes a conflict of views, ways of relating and expressing emotion between married couples causing early divorce. The act of living together in a common place during a relationship can also cause the illusion of marriage, decreasing the importance of the constitution of marriage itself. This can cause psychological repercussions to both male and female (Bradbury 1987). The endearing part of the woman longs for marriage whereas the man sees this as the next best thing to marriage without the commitment to their mate. But contrary to the belief of both partners, this can only cause conflict between them. â€Å"First, a spouse locates the cause of a problem in the partner; second, he/she decides that the other partner is responsible; and fi nally he/she assign blame to his/her partner.†(Bradbury 1987) So when newly married couples have participated in the cohabitation phase, many believe that their lives are closing in on them after the marriage license isShow MoreRelatedThe Reasons for Changes in the Patterns of Marriage, Cohabitation and Divorce in the last 30 Years845 Words   |  4 PagesChanges in the Patterns of Marriage, Cohabitation and Divorce in the last 30 Years Over the last 30 years there has been a significant change in the pattern for marriage, co-habitation and divorce. There are many reasons for these changes that have taken place. For example, since 1971, when a divorce act was introduced, divorce has been more acceptable in todays society. This has slowly increased the figures of divorce at a steady rate. A downfall in religion has also Read MoreThe Trial Period Before Marriage1670 Words   |  7 Pagesdecades, cohabitation has been a common trend and is steadily on the rise, especially in the United States. It has been labeled â€Å"the norm† for couples to live together before marriage. Cohabitation has taken research into a new level and new research is evolving day by day with factors related to cohabitation first and marriage next. The types of research that is currently present in today’s society is information on cohabitation and economic factors, cohabitation and distress, cohabitation and divorceRead MoreRelationship Between Cohabitation And Divorce810 Words   |  4 PagesCohabitation is categorized as two people engaged in an intimate relationship residing in the same home permanently or for an extended amount of time. Research denotes a strong correlation between cohabitation and divorce. 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Simultaneously, cohabitation is a family form that progressively includes children (Manning Lamb, 2003). Additionally, marital status serves as an indicator of qualities and characteristics of the child’s family life. Existing literature specifies that children in cohabiting stepparent families fare worse than children living with two married, biological parents (Manning Lamb, 2003). As cohabitation is occurringRead MoreFamily Structure And Structure Of The British Family1744 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction. Family is the fundamental unit of society. The concept and structure of the British family has seen a change over the last 50 years. These changes have culminated in the decay of marriage and therefore the rise of cohabitation, new forms of family composition and the delay of parenthood, thus, making traditional nuclear family less stable than in previous generations (Jenkins et al. 2009). The aim of this essay is of great importance as it will look at important decades since theRead More Cohabitation and its Effect on Marital Stability in the US Essay1725 Words   |  7 PagesCohabitation and its Effect on Marital Stability in the US Unmarried heterosexual cohabitation has increased sharply in the recent years in the United States. It has in fact become so prevalent that the majority of marriages and remarriages now begin as cohabiting relationships, and most young men and women cohabit at some point in their lives. It has become quite clear that understanding and incorporating cohabitation into sociological analyses and thinking, is crucial for evaluating family

Reducing The Suicide Rate Of Healthy People 2020 A...

Preventing Suicide Healthy People 2020 is a government site that identifies health concerns based on statistics observed and collected over a ten-year period. Mental Health and Mental Disorders is one of the many health concerns or topics listed on their website and has been further subcategorized into objectives and goals (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [HHS], 2015). The first objective listed under this topic states â€Å"reduce the suicide rate† (HHS, 2015). The goal of this objective is to â€Å"reduce the suicide rate by ten percent† (HHS, 2015). Suicide is prevalent among varying age groups, ethnicities, and genders (HHS, 2012). It is an increasing problem prompting Healthy People 2020 to label it as a Leading Health Indicator or an extremely important issue (HHS, 2015). To meet their goal, Healthy People 2020 partnered with the U. S. 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