Public Relations as a Driver of Social Change

This chapter considered public relations’ role as a social and cultural practice that generates public engagement and discourse around issues that shape society. Based on strong survey agreement by both practitioners and educators that public relations drives social change, it follows that students need to be prepared for the social role of organisations in which they work. Suggestions include a variety of ways that public relations educators can develop the critical thinking of students about social change: engaged scholarship; value-based case studies; classroom activities; guest speakers, and materials such as the Arthur W. Page Center teaching modules.