The predominance of women in public relations

Examines the reasons for the growth in numbers of women and the numerical decline of men within public relations in Perth, Western Australia and also the future trends within the profession for both women and men and what an imbalance may mean.. " As (almost) everyone in the Australian public relations industry knows, there are more women than men. On average, the numbers in Perth (and nationally) favour women by slightly more than three to one. However, the figures are alarmingly high, and, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures, make PR one of the most female-intensive industries in Australia. This growing imbalance may have long-term effects which have yet to be identified. This thesis, however, seeks to consider the reasons for this situation. The research aims to: 1. Examine the reasons for the growth in numbers of women and numerical decline of men within public relations in Perth, Western Australia, by considering the development of public relations and how it has impacted on the composition of the profession. 2. Examine future trends within the profession for both women and men and what an imbalance may mean. Patterns in the data clearly show that women outnumber men by almost 3:1, with statistics consistent across all groups surveyed. For example, in government PR practitioners are 71 per cent female, while in private practice (both nationally and in WA) it is 74 per cent. In WA charities the figure is 75 per cent. At the universities it varies between 72 and 87 per cent. This study examines the reason for the imbalance and whether an imbalance is good. Whether the industry (professional bodies, educators, students and practitioners) is concerned is up to it. This work provides the first study of the gender composition of the industry in Australia. As such, it should be a valuable tool in a number of areas. Like many initial studies, it raises just as many questions as answers, and it provides pathways for future study. It should lead to a wider examination of further issues. For example: does the predominance of women in PR in university courses cause concern among male students, perhaps leading them to question their continued participation? Do male students wonder whether the female dominance of PR courses will lessen their chances of employment. And what do practitioners think of an industry that is feminine?" -- abstract