Women in Public Relations

Historically, men were the majority in public relations, but since the 1980s, women have been entering the profession in droves and currently make up over 70 percent of the field. Over 90 percent of undergraduate students majoring in public relations are female. This influx of women in the field is called the feminization of public relations.

The feminization of public relations has sparked serious debate about what the dramatic changes will be in public relations, both in the profession and in research. On one hand, feminization has lowered professional reputation. Its main effects have included a decline in salaries and status, an increased likelihood of encroachment from other professional [Page 900]fields, the exclusion of public relations from primary decision making in organizations, and the denial of feminine characteristics as valuable to the field. On the other hand, feminization has increased the possibilities for alternative perspectives on public relations, symmetrical management, and an ethical worldview. Women know both the dominant male reality and their own reality; this “dual consciousness” may encourage women to be more sensitive to the perspectives of different organizational publics and, therefore, be more ethical in their practice of public relations. The push for relationship building with publics can be seen as a direct result of feminization—it is argued that women are socialized to be naturally inclined towards sensitivity, collaboration, and, hence, relationship building.

Current understanding about women in public relations and the impact of feminization has derived from a body of research that began in 1986 with the release of the first comprehensive gender study in public relations, The Velvet Ghetto, authored by Carolyn Cline, Elizabeth L. Toth, Judy Vanslyke Turk, Lynne Masel Walters, Nancy Johnson, and Hank Smith. An edited follow-up volume titled Beyond the Velvet Ghetto was published in 1989. Along with a few other articles published in the late 1980s, these two landmark publications encouraged several researchers to begin examining how women in public relations experience their work and life. A few of the authors who have significantly contributed to the field's understanding of women in public relations include Pam Creedon, Larissa A. Grunig, Linda Hon, Marilyn Kern-Foxworth, and E. L. Toth. A compilation of research on women in public relations can be found in the 2001 book by Larissa A. Grunig, E. L. Toth, and Linda C. Hon, Women in Public Relations: How Gender Influences Practice, and in Linda Aldoory's 2003 article in Communication Yearbook.

Most of the research on women in public relations has described women's status, roles, and perceptions of public relations. In particular, the following issues have been addressed: leadership, roles, job satisfaction, salaries, promotion, hiring, sexual harassment, women of color in the profession, historical contributions of women, and public relations education. For example, dozens of studies have shown that there are main differences between men and women concerning technical and managerial roles. For years, the term glass ceiling has been used to describe the invisible barriers women face when seeking promotions. Although women comprise most of the jobs in public relations, they do not comprise a comparable percentage of higher positions in public relations. To assess perceptions of gender and promotion, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) funded research in 1990, 1995, and most recently, 2000. In all three studies, women agreed, more strongly than did men, that men were promoted more quickly in their organizations. Women believed this to be the case throughout public relations. Men disagreed that they were promoted more quickly in their organizations, but they were uncertain about the field itself. In addition, women considered it more difficult for them to reach the top, in their organizations and throughout public relations. Men agreed, more than women did, that they had a fair shot at promotion in their organization. Studies examining salary have also found a significant difference in the mean and median salaries between men and women, with men earning more than women. Women were still paid less when years of experience, age, job interruptions, and level of education were taken into consideration. Men were more satisfied with their incomes as public relations practitioners than women were.

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