ABSTRACT
Most empirical studies of public relations focus on the activity as it is practised within stable liberal democratic societies such as the USA. Indeed the dominance of theory and models from US scholars has had a hegemonic influence on attempts within the academy to theorize public relations. This raises the important question of the extent to which theory building in this context has an application to the many countries in the world which are divided by deep societal cleavages along racial, ethnic, religious or linguistic lines. A key purpose of this edited collection is to not only reflect on this question but turn it around and explore how public relations practice in divided, conflict and post-conflict societies may contribute to theory building in the field of public relations more generally. Moreover, contributions to the book help to redefine the role of public relations in society by emphasizing its potential contribution to peace building, conflict resolution, and empowering civil society. It will therefore be of interest to scholars in disciplines such as political science, international relations, public diplomacy, nation branding, and peace and conflict studies.
