Towards a New Understanding of Masculine Habitus and Women and Leadership in Public Relations

"Martina Topić offers a unique approach in the field of women and leadership. Moving a step further from the EUPRERA project which Martina is leading entitled "Women in Public Relations" the book extends to research and set an organizational and sociological inquiry in the position of women in PR by drawing from Aldoory and Toth’s socio-ecological framework and ecofeminism. Martina edited a clear and at the same time critical book which explores the cultural masculinities and habitus perspectives under which women live and work. The book is like a mini-encyclopedia of the scholarship covering women and leadership in PR. The depth of research undertaken in all chapters complements the originality of the idea."

- Dr. Anastasios Theofilou, Bournemouth University, UK, author of Women in PR History

"The book ‘Towards a new understanding of masculine habitus and women and leadership in public relations’, edited by Martina Topić, gives completely new insights into women's leadership in the so-called feminine dominated public relations. In addition to upgrading and deepening the insight into the dominance of structural barriers in building the managerial careers of women employed in public relations, the internalization of the so-called masculine practices in ambition towards career advancement and "lack of recognition within the organization but also at a wider level with the lack of professional recognition of PR as a field", a great contribution of this book is in a specific call for socio-ecological and ecofeminist approaches to studying public relations. The book can be roughly divided into four major sections. In the first part, a quality overview of existing research on women and leadership in public relations suggests further research. The second part presents case studies on women and leadership in public relations from several different countries (United States, Latin America, England, Greece, Georgia (Europe), Czech Republic, Turkey). In some of these countries, for the first time, this type of research has been conducted. The third unit provides an overview of leadership in public relations by women who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and contribution to the field (Belle Moskowitz, Ronèl Rensburg, Nicola Sturgeon). The final unit covers the area using a critical qualitative method and focus on an in-depth understanding of the meaning women assign to their role using small interview samples. This book is a worthwhile read for all students and researchers of gender (in)equality in the business community, public relations practices. Still, it is also an invitation to question the role of public relations in today's global world, in the first place gender inequality, but also environmental degradation. These two problems have the same origin - the hierarchical, patriarchal culture in which we live, and this book is an excellent call to action to deconstruct the unjust system in which we live."

- Dr. Mirela Holy, VERN University, Croatia, author of Mythological aspects of ecofeminism