Paul Lazarsfeld
Founding figure in 20th-century empirical sociology.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Paul Felix Lazarsfeld (February 13, 1901 – August 30, 1976) was an Austrian-American sociologist and mathematician. He established Columbia University's Bureau of Applied Social Research and shaped both the methods and the organization of social research. One colleague remarked after his death that Lazarsfeld didn't just become an American sociologist—he defined what American sociology would become. Lazarsfeld himself stated his ambition was "to produce Paul Lazarsfelds." He is recognized as a key founder of 20th-century empirical sociology.
Born to Jewish parents in Vienna, his mother Sophie was an Adlerian therapist and his father Robert a lawyer. He studied at the University of Vienna, earning a doctorate in mathematics in 1925 with a dissertation on the mathematical aspects of Einstein's theory of gravitation. During the 1920s, he associated with the Vienna Circle, including Otto Neurath and Rudolf Carnap, and was active as a socialist. His path into sociology came through his quantitative and mathematical skills, and he took part in early quantitative studies, including what may have been the first scientific survey of radio listeners in 1930–1931. In 1927, he married sociologist Marie Jahoda. Together with Hans Zeisel, they produced a classic study on unemployment's social effects in a small community, *Die Arbeitslosen von Marienthal* (1932), later published in English as *The Sociography of an Unemployed Community* (1971).
The Marienthal study caught the attention of the Rockefeller Foundation, which awarded him a two-year traveling fellowship to the United States. From 1933 to 1935, he worked with the Federal Emergency Relief Administration and traveled across the country, building connections and visiting the few universities with empirical social science programs. During this period, he met Luther Fry at the University of Rochester—an encounter that later inspired the research for *Personal Influence*—and Robert S. Lynd, author of the Middletown study. Lynd was instrumental in helping Lazarsfeld emigrate to the U.S. and recommended him for directorships at the Newark Center and the Princeton Office of Radio Research. Lazarsfeld approached the Psychological Corporation with project proposals, but they were rejected as lacking commercial value or being too complex. He also helped Cornell applied psychologist John Jenkins translate a statistics tex
- born
- February 13, 1901
- died
- August 30, 1976
- field
- Sociology, mathematics
- nationality
- Austrian-American
- known_for
- Founder of Columbia University's Bureau of Applied Social Research; two-step flow of communication; latent class model; modern empirical sociology
Lore & Background
Lazarsfeld was born to Jewish parents in Vienna; his mother was Adlerian therapist Sophie Lazarsfeld, and his father Robert was a lawyer. He attended the University of Vienna, receiving a doctorate in mathematics in 1925; his dissertation dealt with mathematical aspects of Einstein's gravitational theory. In the 1920s he moved in the same circles as the Vienna Circle, including Otto Neurath and Rudolf Carnap, and served as a socialist activist. He came to sociology through his expertise in mathematics and quantitative methods, participating in early quantitative studies including what was possibly the first scientific survey of radio listeners in 1930–1931. In 1927 he married sociologist Marie Jahoda; with Hans Zeisel they wrote Die Arbeitslosen von Marienthal
Reader's Guide
Lazarsfeld's significance lies in his foundational role in 20th-century empirical sociology. He invented the latent class model for clustering multivariate discrete data and made advances in statistical survey analysis, panel methods, latent structure analysis, and contextual analysis. He is considered a co-founder of mathematical sociology. His development of the two-step flow of communication model—from media to opinion leaders to others—and his work on opinion leadership, diffusion of medical innovations, and uses and gratifications of media receivers helped marry interpersonal and mass communication. Many of his ideas have become so influential as to be considered self-evident. He also trained many younger sociologists; one biographer, Paul Neurath, writes that there are 'dozen' (the article cuts off). Lazarsfeld's approach to 'Administrative Research'—using a large expert staff and multiple methods to solve problems for clients—helped institutionalize opinion research and bridge European and American research models. His legacy includes the Bureau of Applied Social Research at Columbia and a lasting impact on how sociology is practiced.
Did You Know?
- Lazarsfeld's doctoral dissertation dealt with mathematical aspects of Einstein's gravitational theory.
- He possibly conducted the first scientific survey of radio listeners in 1930–1931.
- To make his Newark Center seem to have a larger staff, he published under a pseudonym.
- He was elected a Fellow of the American Statistical Association in 1956.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Paul Lazarsfeld?
Paul Felix Lazarsfeld (1901–1976) was an Austrian-born, American-based sociologist and mathematician who is widely regarded as one of the principal architects of empirical sociology in the twentieth century. He spent much of his career at Columbia University, where he built institutions and methods that still shape the social sciences today.
What is Paul Lazarsfeld most known for?
He is best known for founding Columbia University's Bureau of Applied Social Research, which transformed how large-scale social science studies were designed, funded, and carried out. His work on the two-step flow of communication and the latent class model further cemented his reputation as a methodological innovator.
What is the two-step flow of communication?
This is a model Lazarsfeld put forward arguing that mass-media messages usually reach ordinary audiences indirectly, filtered first through informal opinion leaders within a community. It challenged the then-dominant 'hypodermic needle' view that media could influence individuals in a single, direct step.
Why is Paul Lazarsfeld considered so important to sociology?
A fellow scholar observed that rather than simply joining the American academic world, Lazarsfeld essentially set the direction for the entire discipline. His insistence on rigorous, data-driven fieldwork helped shift sociology from a largely theoretical enterprise to one grounded in systematic empirical investigation.
What is the latent class model and why did Lazarsfeld develop it?
The latent class model is a statistical technique for uncovering hidden subgroups within survey or census data that are not directly observable. Lazarsfeld developed it to give researchers a principled way to segment populations, and it became a foundational tool in survey methodology and social science research.
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