Public Relations, Society and the Generative Power of History examines how histories are used to explore how the past is constructed from the present; how the present is always historical; and how both past and present can power imagined futures.

INTRODUCTION – ‘Public relations, society and the generative power of history’Ian Somerville, Lee Edwards and Øyvind Ihlen PART ONE – CHALLENGING CORPORATISM AND MANAGERIALISM CHAPTER 1 ‘The contribution of public relations to promotional culture: taking the long view’Johanna FawkesCHAPTER 2 ‘"Presencing" and "absencing": a deconstruction of US-based public relations textbooks'Jochen Hoffmann CHAPTER 3 ‘How employee relations shaped and maintained US coporate welfare: a historical overview'Patricia A. Curtin PART TWO – HISTORICISING GENDER, ETHNICITY AND DIVERSITY IN PUBLIC PR WORKCHAPTER 4 ‘Wives, secretaries and bodies: representations of women in Australian public relations journal, 1965–1972'Kate Fitch CHAPTER 5 ‘History, racialisation and resistance in "post-race" public relations’Lee Edwards CHAPTER 6 ‘Intersectional activism, history and public relations: new understandings of women’s communicative roles in anti-racist and anti-sexist work'Jennifer Vardeman, Amanda Kennedy and Brittany LittleCHAPTER 7 ‘Public relations in the master’s house’ Camille Reyes CHAPTER 8 ‘Communicating identity histories in ethnic museum public relations’ Melissa A. Johnson PART THREE – HISTORIES OF PUBLIC RELATIONS IN THE POLITICAL SPHERECHAPTER 9 ‘Selling municipal socialism: local government, the Left and the transformation of political public relations in Britain’ Dominic Wring CHAPTER 10 ‘Anticipating the age of "political spin"?: an historical analysis of 1980s government communicationsRuth Garland CHAPTER 11 ‘Sports promotion and the construction of "Irish" identity: nationalism, social exclusion and the Gaelic Athletic Association’ Ian Somerville, David Mitchel and Owen HargieCHAPTER 12 ‘A critical discourse analysis of Jonathan Dean Swift’s Drapier’s Letters: public advocacy and nationalism in Ireland, 1724-1725’ Kevin Hora

'Jacquie L’Etang made important contributions to the literature on public relations history, but she never stopped with just that. Following her example, Public Relations, Society and the Generative Power of History uses historical research as the foundation for critical analysis of the industry, inviting scholars and students to engage with such key issues as power, race, gender and ideology in the study of public relations. It answers L’Etang’s call for scholars to view public relations critically, to broaden theoretical and methodological approaches, and to see public relations in its larger social, political, and cultural contexts. It expands our understanding of both contemporary and historical practices and effects and public relations scholarship is better for it.'Professor Karen Miller Russell, Jim Kennedy New Media Professor and Associate Professor of public relations at Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Georgia.