Ethnography of Public Relations

Ethnography is concerned with making sense of human action, however complex, contradictory or taken-for-granted, by exploring the sociocultural context within which those actions take place. As a research approach, ethnography can offer more nuanced understandings of the social significance of contemporary practice and the interrelationship between public relations and broader economic, political, and cultural processes. Grounded in interpretivism, ethnography uses culture as a lens through which to study public relations—whether societal, organizational, or occupational.

Culture can be understood as the historically transmitted patterns of beliefs, values, and symbols that are relevant to a social group and that shape members’ understanding of, and behaviors within, a particular environment. The cultural meanings uncovered will be grounded in subjective, socially constructed contexts, which are informed by the social world in which individuals find themselves. Ethnographic accounts provide detailed “thick” or “emic” description, or “insider accounts.” The aim is not to seek precise analyses of the practice but to produce historically sensitive generative resources that add to the varying accounts of public relations emerging from different professional and sociocultural contexts around the world.

Ethnography seeks to explore what people do and why they do it, as well as their expectations and aspirations for the future. It offers voice to those being studied. Several sources of data are used including the following: participant observation, direct observation, interviews and conversations, diaries and life histories, photography, audio or video recordings, document analysis, and artistic genres such as poetry and storytelling. When engaging with ethnography, it is imperative that researchers display a commitment to entering the social world they are studying, both physically and emotionally, and locate themselves within their research as cultural interpreter in order to make sense of the environment and reflect upon their role in gathering and interpreting the data. The principal method used, therefore, is extended participant observation, which encourages what Harry Wolcott refers to as intimate, long-term acquaintance.

Opportunities for ethnographies of public relations are diverse. A researcher undertaking a corporate ethnography of the London headquarters of an international agency, for example, might seek to become part of that organization as either a paid or voluntary member of the team in order to interpret the nature of professional relationships within the organization—such as those between the account director and junior account executives. Observational work would include a symbolic analysis of the use of material artifacts within the department and the ways in which work and social spaces are arranged within the office to reinforce the particular managerial positions within it as well as how the team operates within the broader cultural context of the organization. Ethnographic techniques can also be used to explore the ways in which internal and external stakeholders make sense of a corporate brand, as well as the production and communication of public relations messages, or to develop a holistic interpretation of a particular public's attitudes, behaviors, and experiences. Ethnographic data could then be used by organizations to improve their communication strategies and ensure that they develop messages and utilize communication channels that resonate with the cultural values, expectations, and communicative behaviors of their target audiences.

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