“It’s always been a sexless trade”; “It’s clean work”; “There’s very little velvet curtain”

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to capture historical data relating to the enactment of public relations work based on gender in post-war Britain. The paper contributes new insights on gender formations in public relations practice during that period in that cultural context, providing a point of contrast with present day practice. Design/methodology/approach – Historical sociology. Findings – The paper presents data drawn from interviews and document analysis that reveals the separation of male and female work in public relations. Research limitations/implications – The research provides contextual historical background to the burgeoning contemporary research that is focused on issues relating to gender and LGBTQ in public relations, and highlights historical features which may have shaped the contemporary occupational culture in the UK. The research may provide useful background context for comparable studies in adjacent disciplines. Practical implications – This is a culture-specific study and cross-cultural comparisons would be useful in understanding the extent to which female work in public relations has been similarly framed historically. Social implications – There is historical residue in the popular representations of women in public relations in film and media in the UK, for example the notion of “PR girl”. Understanding the origin of such stereotypes and their persistence is important for professional bodies and practitioners. Originality/value – The paper brings to light previously unpublished opinions and perspectives from the post-war era.