Bill Sledzik, an associate professor in the School of Journalism & Mass Communication at Kent State University (Kent, Ohio), suggested founding a new scholarship for male applicants wishing to enter Public Relations programs[1].
Now, initially, it may sound ridiculous (it certainly did to me). Nevertheless, the logic behind Bill’s speculations is transparent: 1) men are underrepresented in PR (it’s common knowledge now); 2) there is strong need to balance-out the F/M ratio in the field in order to provide clients with different approaches and techniques; 3) so, why not encourage men to go into Public Relations by giving them a scholarship? There are scholarships for minorities at almost every school, so the concept is already established in our society. Taking such a step might seem like a reasonable idea.
Professor, let me disagree with you here. Firstly, men are not a minority. They just don’t feel like joining the club. There are no barriers preventing them from working in Public Relations.
Just because men are literally outnumbered by women in PR they are considered a minority. Yes, by head-count there are more girls than boys. And, yes, I know that 70 to 90% of PR students are ladies. However, the best jobs in PR are taken by men, they climb their career ladders in PR faster, and that’s a fact[2].
Besides, what is the ratio of men who achieved significant financial results in PR vs. all men who entered the field? And what is the same ratio for women?
Men are treasured and spoilt in this industry. By creating such a scholarship we once again make life harder for ourselves (we shall struggle with our school fees, while the gentlemen would enjoy living-off the above-mentioned scholarships – not because they are smarter, simply because they are men). Additionally, with this move we are making sure that women will stay at their entry-level positions for good, adding to the existing gap in salaries between male and female PR practitioners.
Moreover, by offering scholarships as an incentive for men to enter PR programs we’ll attract only those men who wouldn’t have considered such a degree otherwise and thus wouldn’t be the best candidates for the profession. Do we really need them?
Instead, we need to focus on encouraging men become PR practitioners rather than paying them for it. Thus, I agree, a PR campaign to attract men to the industry would be a great solution. As well as starting recruiting programs tailored especially for guys. With the bespoken eloquence, charm, and cold temper men are an asset to the field, and we know it.
However, there is one final argument that made me your ally, professor. It was one made by Elizabeth Toth, and quoted in your blog. She is right when she explains women’s massive success with PR by the fact that all the men simply have left – no matter how sorry I am, I have to agree.
It is not fun to win when the strongest contestants have never entered the game. Bringing more guys to the business will make it tougher for women to succeed. But it will also bring new insights into the field, and improve our problem-solving level dramatically. So, come on, we can take it!
[1] http://toughsledding.wordpress.com/2006/11/13/diversity-in-public-relations-could-use-a-fresh-perspective-from-men/
[2]
A Comparison of Roles Played by Men and Women in Public Relations.
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED188217&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED188217
2 comments:
You make a great case here, Kat. And maybe I did go too far in suggesting gender-specific scholarships. Where we agree (I think) is on the need for diversity in public relations, and a better male-female balance.
Last semester, my PR Case Studies class had 21 students, 20 of them female.The spring semester has 15 registrants so far, all of them women. I never thought I'd see the day when employers regularly ask me (albeit quietly) if I can send them any "sharp young men." Most often, the answer is "no."
We all know of this gender imbalance, but no one -- particularly the professional associations -- is doing a thing about it. That's what prompted my post. And while I got only 3 comments, none disagreed.
Thanks for bringing this old post to light again. The issue is worthy of more discussion.
(Note: For whatever reason, Blogger isn't allowing me to post my blog URL to this comment and is insisting I use my Google account to post at all. Add one more reason to blog at Wordpress! Blogger remains just awful, Kat, but there's time to change. Your blog is young!)
A great point. I mean how can you blame us women when even though we are clearly a majority, men climb the ladder faster and are offered better jobs?
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