Relational constellations in disasters: Theorizing multiparty relationships through ethnographic research

Abstract

ABSTRACT Relationships are essential for a fully functioning society. Through a multi-sited rapid ethnography, we show how the U.S. National Weather Service achieves its mission through a relational constellation of organizational partners (i.e., emergency managers and broadcast media) and active publics in the context of disasters. The findings provide insights into relational tensions that occur in organization-public relationships (OPRs) and how communication can address those relational tensions. In doing so, we answer calls for broadening the methodologies to examine OPRs and to examine multiparty, rather than just dyadic, OPRs.