Arno van Doorn The Realist Turn PR in Scratch Notes

Kritisch Realisme  In de wetenschapsfilosofie is eind vorige eeuw in de Engelse industriesteden het kritisch realisme. Het hoofdidee is dat de werkelijkheid er echt is (realisme, ontologisch objectief), maar dat onze kennis over de werkelijkheid in principe altijd voor verbetering vatbaar is (kritisch, epistemologisch subjectief).  Inmiddels lijkt het gedachtengoed de tijdgeest te verwoorden waarin de werkelijkheid steeds prominenter wordt in ons dagelijks leven en in onze gesprekken. Wetenschappers die zich baseren op het gedachtengoed zijn steeds prominenter aanwezig in economie en sociologie.

Open Realisme  Omdat de term Kritisch Realisme voor veel interpretaties vatbaar is en zwaar verbonden is aan diep-filosofische noties stel ik voor om dit gedachtengoed voor de toepassing in sociale wetenschappen te typeren als Open Realisme. Waarom?  De term ‘open’ heeft betrekking op de werkelijkheid en geeft aan dat de werkelijkheid door de tijd heen kan veranderen. Het gaat niet om het ontwikkelen van kennis over de werkelijkheid, maar om het leven in de werkelijkheid die naar de toekomst toe open is en daarom veranderd kan worden.

Scratch Notes  Hierna een serie eerder gemaakte ´scratch notes´. Dit zijn redelijk willekeurig gemaakte aantekeningen om aspecten op basis van het kritisch realisme te stellen tegenover gangbare benaderingen. Ze kunnen echter behulpzaam bij het ontwikkelen van een beeld van hoe Public Relations op andere leest geschoeid kan worden.  Het kritisch realisme staat wetenschapsfilosofisch tegenover het naïef realisme en het sociaal realisme.  Voor communicatiemanagement zijn deze stromingen vertegenwoordigd door Van Riel en Van Ruler.

Scratch notes for Realist PR AT PRESENT Theory Culture Social constructivism Empiricism Universalistic approach Western values dominance Think global act local From present to future Discussing future NEW Explanation Structure and mechanisms Neo-realism Geo-historical approach Global values dominance Think local act local From the past to future Discussing past

Scratch notes for Realist PR AT PRESENT  Measuring values  Observable values  Individual reasons as cause for action  Quantitative research  Scientific prove ends discussion and debate  Great history  Great narratives NEW  Understanding values  Deep values  Historical structures as cause for action  Qualitative research  Clear examples to discuss for better understanding  Local history  Local narratives

Scratch notes for Realist PR AT PRESENT  Narratives as structure  Instrumental, tactical use of personal conversations to reach ‘higher’ goals.  History belongs to the past and has nothing to say anymore. Forget about history. NEW  Narratives about structure  Strategic use of conversations to transform pre-existing structures.  Discovering potential powers in history, depending on which stories we will tell, and how.

Scratch notes for Realist PR AT PRESENT  Facts are facts, whether found or made by man.  Facts belong to the scientific domain and are fundamental for reality.  A problem is a problem because of the facts. So act and make policy to prevent or to get rid of the facts. NEW  What real powers caused the facts into existence?  Causal powers are anywhere and fundamental for reality.  A problem is caused by underlying structures with causal power. Policy should deal with how this powers become actualized.

Scratch notes for Realist PR AT PRESENT  Fact finding mission.  We can dis-cover history, which is a fact. We cannot change history.  We world has structures that we can construct, deconstruct or destroy. NEW  Social structures, social mechanisms, social action.  History is knowledge, therefore history is changeable.  The world has structures we cannot destroy, however we can transform structures.

Scratch notes for Realist PR AT PRESENT  Social relations belong to the domain of feelings and consciousness. NEW  Social relations are ontologically real, which means: they do really exist.

Scratch notes for Realist PR AT PRESENT  Sciences are formulating and testing theories.  Knowledge about theories to cover the facts, this is called covering law-model. NEW  Science should explain the facts.  Knowledge about structures, mechanisms, causal powers in reality.

Scratch notes for Realist PR AT PRESENT  PR is at all levels about (re-) presentations and corporate relations.  PR is about to present and to relate the company in the massmedia.  Research to mediadynamics and ‘medialogics’. NEW  PR is at corporate level, about Business Society Interaction.  PR is about solving problems in the interest of business and society.  Research to structures in society to understand the media as caused by societal powers.

Scratch notes for Realist PR AT PRESENT  PR as experts dealing with media: specialists in massmedia and communications. Spokesmen, pressofficers.  PR as experts in dealing with stakeholders. Relationbuilders, problemsolvers. NEW  PR as experts of local culture, history, etc. and able to organize communication between different places and levels in a diverged and complex stratified global society.

Scratch notes for Realist PR AT PRESENT  PR-professionals merely working on individual qualities and cooperating with non-pr-professionals  Working as his masters voice NEW  PR-professionals with PR- professionals in joint projects. Working from PR-based professional opinion, not how to do pr, but how to solve problems.  PR contributes to strategic management

Scratch notes for Realist PR AT PRESENT  Models and remodelling as a way to succes.  Body of Knowledge and Skills.  Changing others, changing relations.  Focus at surface behaviour and superficial motives and facts. NEW  Ongoing explanations for a better understanding.  Being competent to talk and understand real others.  Changing structures of social reality.  Focus at underlying underlying structures and deep dynamics.

Scratch notes for Realist PR AT PRESENT  Powering the message.  Visible succes.  Building networks.  Global values.  About identity.  Individuality.  Character and skills.  Experience, reputation. NEW  Transforming structures.  Invisible change.  Building society.  Local narratives.  About inheritance.  Community.  Contexts and potential.  Worldview, interpretation.

Scratch notes for Realist PR AT PRESENT  PR company driven or stakeholder driven.  PR as spokesperson of captains of industry.  PR as executive or PR as advisory function. NEW  PR driven by societal problems.  PR as company behaviour in a problematic society.  PR as integrated part of topmanagement.

Scratch notes for Realist PR AT PRESENT  PR as organizational function, supporting his masters voice. PR is own- interest driven.  PR a instrument to relate to stakeholders. PR as a boundary spanner function. PR is relation- driven. NEW  PR as part of society, supporting companies.  PR is society-driven and seeks ways for organizations to improve situations and society.