18 August 2022 Thursday
Documentary Recommendation: The Century of the Self
Searching for traces of how the consumerist society emerged, the four-part documentary The Century of the Self centers on the work of Edward Bernays, who is seen as the founder of public relations by many, who uses the theories of his uncle, Sigmund Freud, to manipulate the masses. Throughout the documentary, many respected psychoanalysts and public relations experts are mentioned; many of them were also interviewed.
Freud claims that the irrational aspects of human beings, fed by innate desires, are under the control of the unconsciousnes. From this point of view, he defends the idea that people cannot manage their desires, on the contrary, their desires manage them. Edward Bernays, who developed some methods in order to direct the public within the framework of the theories of his uncle Sigmund Freud, aimed to sell the surplus products of the producers in this way. In the following process, people started to buy things they do not need in order to suppress their desires motivated by communication activities such as public relations and advertising.
It is also possible to find examples of persuasion-based public relations studies carried out by other experts in the field of public relations.
We recommend that our public relations students watch the documentary, as it contributes to the detailed analysis of both the historical development process of public relations and how psychology is used in public relations studies.
