Symbolic Power and Public Relations Practice: Locating Individual Practitioners in Their Social Context
- 29 May 2009
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in Journal of Public Relations Research
- Vol. 21 (3), 251-272
- https://doi.org/10.1080/10627260802640674
Abstract
This article applies Pierre Bourdieu's understandings of capital and symbolic power to the public relations environment, to establish a link between the practice of public relations and the social effects of the profession. A three-month case study in the corporate affairs team of a UK passenger transport operator revealed the manner in which the pursuit and maintenance of power is potentially present in all public relations activities. Bourdieu's framework connects individual practice with the social effects of public relations and gives practitioners and academics a new starting point for understanding the nature of power in public relations practice.Keywords
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