THE EDUCATION OF PUBLIC RELATIONS STUDENTS ON PUBLIC RELATIONS THEORIES: AN INVESTIGATION ON THE CURRICULUM OF PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENTS OF COMMUNICATION FACULTIES IN TURKEY
THE EDUCATION OF PUBLIC RELATIONS STUDENTS ON PUBLIC RELATIONS THEORIES: AN INVESTIGATION ON THE CURRICULUM OF PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENTS OF COMMUNICATION FACULTIES IN TURKEY
Yazar: Akım, Feride
Dergi: Intermedia International E-journal, Vol. 5 No. 9, 2018
Anahtar kelimeler: Communication and Media Studies ; İletişim ve Medya Çalışmaları ; Public relations,education,theory,contingency approach

Since public relations is based on communication management, it is a field of social science whichmust vastly utilize theoretical work and practice. Theories provide with placing public relations on a scientificground; they also supply the vocabulary that academics and public relations practitioners need in order to workin the field, to develop the field and to make predictions. Utilizing theories in the public relations field helps todetermine right targets within the framework of rational paradigms, and to bring about the successfulrealization of actions by presenting effective strategies and tactics.This study examines the relationship between public relations and the contingency approach. In the eraof digital revolution, where technological advances gained momentum, contingency approach emphasizes theunderstanding that with better analysis and perception of the environment in which the organization located,the senior management make better decisions, and different strategies and tactics should be used in order tobe successful under different conditions and that this approach also reveals that there is no organizationalstructure and form of administration valid everywhere and in all conditions. This study also reveals to whatextent the curriculum of Public Relations Departments of Communication Faculties in Turkey includes courseson Public Relations theories. The population of the study is all the universities in Turkey that incorporatesCommunication Faculties, and the sample is Communication Faculties that incorporates Public RelationsDepartments. The undergraduate curriculum in the websites of Faculties is analyzed through content analysismethod, one of the approaches of qualitative data analyses. As a result, it is found out that there are 200actively operating universities in Turkey, 60 of these universities at stake have Communication Faculties, 1 ofthem have Communication Sciences Faculty, 4 out of these 61 faculties (30,5%) continue to build up thenecessary academic staff and substructure to start education. It is exposed that there are about 46 (80,7%)active "Public Relations" Departments out of 57 active Communication Faculties. It is revealed that 9 (19,5%)out of 46 Public Relations Departments have courses about the public relations theories in their curriculum.

Since public relations is based on communication management, it is a field of social science whichmust vastly utilize theoretical work and practice. Theories provide with placing public relations on a scientificground; they also supply the vocabulary that academics and public relations practitioners need in order to workin the field, to develop the field and to make predictions. Utilizing theories in the public relations field helps todetermine right targets within the framework of rational paradigms, and to bring about the successfulrealization of actions by presenting effective strategies and tactics.This study examines the relationship between public relations and the contingency approach. In the eraof digital revolution, where technological advances gained momentum, contingency approach emphasizes theunderstanding that with better analysis and perception of the environment in which the organization located,the senior management make better decisions, and different strategies and tactics should be used in order tobe successful under different conditions and that this approach also reveals that there is no organizationalstructure and form of administration valid everywhere and in all conditions. This study also reveals to whatextent the curriculum of Public Relations Departments of Communication Faculties in Turkey includes courseson Public Relations theories. The population of the study is all the universities in Turkey that incorporatesCommunication Faculties, and the sample is Communication Faculties that incorporates Public RelationsDepartments. The undergraduate curriculum in the websites of Faculties is analyzed through content analysismethod, one of the approaches of qualitative data analyses. As a result, it is found out that there are 200actively operating universities in Turkey, 60 of these universities at stake have Communication Faculties, 1 ofthem have Communication Sciences Faculty, 4 out of these 61 faculties (30,5%) continue to build up thenecessary academic staff and substructure to start education. It is exposed that there are about 46 (80,7%)active "Public Relations" Departments out of 57 active Communication Faculties. It is revealed that 9 (19,5%)out of 46 Public Relations Departments have courses about the public relations theories in their curriculum.