Typical answers revolve around the issue of racism, however, in my view; I feel that there is no absolute bias or favoritism within the industry. However, I do believe that there is a lack of understanding and awareness about what the Public Relations industry necessitates.
Decisions are made vastly on various traditions and customs, which force and influence many ethnic minorities, particularly Asians, to follow a profession which revolves around Law or Medicine. This is due to the motive that professions such as Law or Medicine are perceived to be of a high status and financially rewarding. I consider this reason to be the main external hurdle, which is at the foundation of why ethnic minorities are underrepresented. However, there are many more branches that stem off the idea of under-representation and that is of the lack of role models. This is a major factor, in my opinion, in why very few people from different backgrounds are interested in the field of PR. Additionally, the lack of role models actually generates a lack of self-assurance in ethnic minorities to join the PR industry.
However, Anwar's (1998:57) Study on the career aspirations of Asian peole showed that Asians of today have no intentions of Pursuing typical careers that their parents might expect, which include medicine or accountancy, for example. The causes of this maybe because of the dramatic increase of Asians on television. But, if this is really the case, why are we not witnessing a rise of Asians working within the PR industry?
Will we ever see it? What is your take on this?
Sunday, February 25, 2007
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