Honors Capstone Poster_Tommy Morgan
1
Public Relations and Philanthropy: An Autoethnography Tommy Morgan, Dr. Lisa Baker-Webster School of Communication, Radford University, Radford, Virginia 24142 Introduction The partnership between Phi Sigma Pi and Project Discovery began in April 2015. At this time, I began a series of observations to see if public relations tactics and communication could have a positive impact on the success of the philanthropic endeavor. Working with the two organizations, I immediately saw a difference in the socioeconomic levels between the members of each of the organizations. The predominantly Caucasian, middle-class members of Phi Sigma Pi and predominantly African American, poverty-stricken members of Project Discovery worked together without any issues. I also witnessed members of Phi Sigma Pi teaching the Project Discovery members how to utilize public relations tactics to promote the partnership at our fundraising event. Many of the members were not versed in communication, which supports the Narrative Paradigm of communication by inferring that communication is vital in every discipline. Research Methods and Theory Observations Conclusion Results References Printing Supported by the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Autoethnography is an approach to research and writing that seeks to describe and systematically analyze personal experience in order to understand cultural experience (Ellis, Adams, & Bochner, 2010). A researcher uses theories of autobiography and ethnography to complete an autoethnography. This method is both a process and a product that challenges established ways of doing research. This autoethnography is a reflexive ethnography and is a result of doing fieldwork between two organizations, Phi Sigma Pi and its philanthropy organization, Project Discovery. I served as the coordinator between the two organizations to set up the partnership. As the coordinator, I utilized public relations strategies and tactics to make the partnership successful. By studying the work done between the two organizations, along with analyzing communication theory, my autoethnography was born. Clair, R. P., Carlo, S., Lam, C., Nussman, J., Phillips, C., Sánchez, V., & ... Yakova, L. (2014). Narrative Theory and Criticism: An Overview Toward Clusters and Empathy. Review Of Communication, 14(1), 1-18. doi:10.1080/15358593.2014.925960 Ellis, Carolyn; Adams, Tony E. & Bochner, Arthur P. (2010). Autoethnography: An Overview [40 paragraphs]. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 12(1), Art. 10, http://nbn- resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs1101108. Reflexive Ethnography Reflexive ethnographies document ways a researcher changes and learns as a result of doing fieldwork. These exist on a continuum ranging from starting research using the researcher’s biography, to studying the ethnographer’s life alongside the cultural members’ lives. They may also include ethnographic memoirs where the ethnographer’s real-life endeavors become the focus of the research (Ellis, Adams, & Bochner, 2010). Narrative Paradigm of Communication Published in the 1985 edition of the Journal of Communication, Walter Fisher proposed that “narration could be considered the foundation of human communication” (Clair, et al., 2014). Public relations and communication tactics had a positive impact on the partnership during my time of observation. The use of Facebook expanded our reach into the Radford University campus, the New River Valley, Roanoke Valley, and surrounding locations. We achieved a reach of 662 people within that geographic area for our fundraising event This expanded the Project Discovery reach into the target demographic of people ages 18-25. The use of word of mouth (WOM) raised awareness to the attendees of the fundraising event at Radford University for each of the organizations. WOM also served as a tool for members of each organization to learn how to utilize public relations tactics to further the mission of the philanthropic partnership. The use of the Narrative Paradigm communication theory and public relations tactics improved the philanthropy efforts between Phi Sigma Pi and Project Discovery. The amount of people who donated at the fundraising event increased, as well as, awareness for the partnership increased. My position as an ethnographer allowed me to witness a partnership between two organizations comprised of varying socioeconomic classes. These organizations were able to learn and utilize public relations tactics to have a positive impact on the philanthropic effort. I learned that varying socioeconomic classes may not affect public relations. Overall, my experience working with these two organizations allowed me to prove that public relations is a vital asset to a philanthropic effort. Without public relations, any charitable or philanthropic event would be much less successful. Also, without communication, any discipline would struggle to succeed.
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Transcript of Honors Capstone Poster_Tommy Morgan
Public Relations and Philanthropy: An AutoethnographyTommy Morgan, Dr. Lisa Baker-Webster
School of Communication, Radford University, Radford, Virginia 24142
IntroductionThe partnership between Phi Sigma Pi and Project Discovery began in April 2015. At this time, I began a series of observations to see if public relations tactics and communication could have a positive impact on the success of the philanthropic endeavor.
Working with the two organizations, I immediately saw adifference in the socioeconomic levels between the members of each of the organizations. The predominantly Caucasian, middle-class members of Phi Sigma Pi and predominantly African American, poverty-stricken members of Project Discovery worked together without any issues.I also witnessed members of Phi Sigma Pi teaching the Project Discovery members how to utilize public relations tactics to promote the partnership at our fundraising event. Many of the members were not versed in communication, which supports the Narrative Paradigm of communication by inferring that communication is vital in every discipline.
Research Methods and Theory
Observations Conclusion
Results References
Printing Supported by the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship
Autoethnography is an approach to research and writing that seeks to describe and systematically analyze personal experience in order to understand cultural experience (Ellis, Adams, & Bochner, 2010). A researcher uses theories of autobiography and ethnography to complete an autoethnography. This method is both a process and a product that challenges established ways of doing research.
This autoethnography is a reflexive ethnography and is a result of doing fieldwork between two organizations, Phi Sigma Pi and its philanthropy organization, Project Discovery. I served as the coordinator between the two organizations to set up the partnership. As the coordinator, I utilized public relations strategies and tactics to make the partnership successful. By studying the work done between the two organizations, along with analyzing communication theory, my autoethnographywas born.
Clair, R. P., Carlo, S., Lam, C., Nussman, J., Phillips, C., Sánchez, V., & ... Yakova, L. (2014). Narrative Theory and Criticism: An Overview Toward Clusters and Empathy. Review Of Communication, 14(1), 1-18. doi:10.1080/15358593.2014.925960
Ellis, Carolyn; Adams, Tony E. & Bochner, Arthur P. (2010). Autoethnography: An Overview [40 paragraphs]. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 12(1), Art. 10, http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs1101108.
Reflexive Ethnography
Reflexive ethnographies document ways a researcher changes and learns as a result of doing fieldwork. These exist on a continuum ranging from starting research using the researcher’s biography, to studying the ethnographer’s life alongside the cultural members’ lives. They may also include ethnographic memoirs where the ethnographer’s real-life endeavors become the focus of the research (Ellis, Adams, & Bochner, 2010).
Narrative Paradigm of Communication
Published in the 1985 edition of the Journal of Communication, Walter Fisher proposed that “narration could be considered the foundation of human communication” (Clair, et al., 2014).
Public relations and communication tactics had a positive impact on the partnership during my time of observation.
The use of Facebook expanded our reach into the Radford University campus, the New River Valley, Roanoke Valley, and surrounding locations. We achieved a reach of 662 people within that geographic area for our fundraising event This expanded the Project Discovery reach into the target demographic of people ages 18-25.
The use of word of mouth (WOM) raised awareness to the attendees of the fundraising event at Radford University for each of the organizations. WOM also served as a tool for members of each organization to learn how to utilize public relations tactics to further the mission of the philanthropic partnership.
The use of the Narrative Paradigm communication theory and public relations tactics improved the philanthropy efforts between Phi Sigma Pi and Project Discovery. The amount of people who donated at the fundraising event increased, as well as, awareness for the partnership increased.
My position as an ethnographer allowed me to witness a partnership between two organizations comprised of varying socioeconomic classes. These organizations were able to learn and utilize public relations tactics to have a positive impact on the philanthropic effort. I learned that varying socioeconomic classes may not affect public relations.
Overall, my experience working with these two organizations allowed me to prove that public relations is a vital asset to a philanthropic effort. Without public relations, any charitable or philanthropic event would be much less successful. Also, without communication, any discipline would struggle to succeed.
