From Pre-Science to Paradigm Shift: A Kuhnian Analysis of 100 Years of Public Relations Scholarship

Abstract

This article reviews the evolution of public relations from its pre-science period to the present-day using Thomas Kuhn’s theory of scientific development. The review discusses how public relations scholarship has grown and reached scientific maturity, in parallel with the institutionalization of public relations’ professional practice and higher education. This article highlights the evolving nature of the discipline, including the paradigmatic shift toward a multifunctional definition of public relations and focus on relationship theories, ethics, public behavior, and technology.