Exploring articulation in internal activism and public relations theory: A case study
Abstract
This paper answers Dozier and Lauzen’s (2000) call for critical theoretical examinations of activism and public relations to provide new perspectives and avoid the paradox inherent in organizational-level analyses. It also fills a literature gap by examining a case of internal activism, Girl Scout members protesting the use of palm oil in Girl Scout cookies, thus blurring organizational boundaries and rejecting Us/Other dichotomies. The basic precepts of the cultural-economic model (Curtin & Gaither, 2005, 2007) are expanded to provide greater heuristic power to the model (Curtin, Gaither, & Ciszek) and to delineate a more nuanced understanding of the public relations/activism relationship.