An exploration of the communication strategies of three early think tanks
Date
2018-04-20
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Abstract
This thesis discusses the development of communications strategies by three early think tanks. These are the British Socialist Fabian Society founded in 1884, the South African Afrikaner Broederbond founded in 1918, and the South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) founded in 1929. All three are generally accepted as highly influential organizations. The Fabian Society is arguably the earliest modern think tank. Its members developed two modes of communication which are identified in this thesis as rational-scientific and cultural-identity communications. In practice the Fabian Society concentrated on rational-scientific communications. The Afrikaner Broederbond developed cultural-identity communications while the SAIRR primarily used rational-scientific communications combined with the strategic use of cultural-identity communications. All three organizations had a major impact on their host societies for good and ill. The Fabians and the Broederbond were the most effective although the long-term influence of the SAIRR should not be underestimated. What the thesis does is create a vocabulary for understanding certain types of think tank communications and provides a framework for the future study and discussion of political communications.
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Keywords
Political Communication, Fabian Society, Afrikaner Broederbond, South African Institute of Race Relations, Think Tank, Rational-scientific communications, Cultural communications, Worldview
Citation
Hexham, J. J. (2018). An exploration of the communication strategies of three early think tanks (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/31819