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Играем! Исследование связей с общественностью сквозь призму теории игры /Let’s Play! An Exploration of Public Relations Through the Lens of a Play Theory
Huizinga once wrote, “Play is a function of the living” (1955, p. 7). For Huizinga (1955), play is an activity that occurs before societal structures and civilizations evolved. The scholar considered culture as rooted in play and play as a context to study culture. The present paper is the first exploration of public relations through the lens of the play theory. Comparing the theory of play with co-creational theories of public relations, the researcher found many similarities between the two areas of scholarship. In this article, the researcher argues that, by considering the ideas of the play theory, public relations scholars can better understand how people interact, create meanings, and agree on the rules of the interaction. Having analyzed the concepts of play in public relations, the researcher proposed several ideas for future public relations scholars to consider. The paper also provides with a model of co-creation of meaning that helps to recognize the role of public relations in social construction of communication, meaning, relationships, and experience.