Electoral, Market, Media and Social Research: Paul Lazarsfeld's Methodology - JSM312

• Title: Electoral, Market, Media and Social Research: Paul Lazarsfeld's Methodology
• Guaranteed by: Department of Sociology (23-KS)
• Faculty: Faculty of Social Sciences
• Actual: from 2023
• Semester: winter
• E-Credits: 9
• Examination process: winter s.:written
• Hours per week, examination: winter s.:2/1, Ex [HT]
• Capacity: unlimited / unlimited (18)
• Min. number of students: unlimited
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan; enabled for web enrollment; priority enrollment if the course is part of the study plan
• Guarantor: prof. PhDr. Hynek Jeřábek, CSc.
• Teacher(s): prof. PhDr. Hynek Jeřábek, CSc.
• Class: Courses not for incoming students

Annotation

Paul Lazarsfeld's research methodology integrated all fields of his research and investigations of his followers: electoral, market, media and social research. This course represents many Lazarsfeld's methodological principles, innovations, specific methods and instruments. Index construction and typological procedures; survey research, elaboration formula and principles of multivariate analysis; program analyzer and focused interview; content analysis; panel analysis; typology of voters and mechanisms of the election campaign; the study of the decision-making process in market and electoral behaviour; opinion leadership identification and measurement; interpersonal communication, personal influence and impersonal influence. The course is advisable for master degree students of all specializations of social science studies and is recommended for doctoral students.

Last update: Hájek Martin, doc. Mgr., Ph.D. (26.11.2019)

Literature

Basic Literature:

Barton, A. (2001): Paul Lazarsfeld as institutional inventor. International Journal of Public Opinion Research, 13 (3): 245-269.

Jeřábek,H. (2006): Paul Lazarsfeld's Research Methodology (Biography, Methods and Famous Projects). Praha, Karlova Univerzita.

Jeřábek, H. (2021): How Empirical Social Research Gained Ascendancy in Post-war France. Czech Sociological Review, vol. 57, no 6, online first, DOI: https://doi.org/10.13060/csr.2021.044

Jeřábek, H (2022): Paul Lazarsfeld’s Methodological Innovations and Their Importance Today. International Journal of Communication, Special FORUM 'Lazarsfeld's Legacy', Vol 16, Forum 636–645, https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc  open access

Lazarsfeld,P.F.(1935) : The Art of Asking Why. National Marketing Review, 1, no.1, pp.1-7.

Lazarsfeld,P.F.: Interpretation of Statistical Relations as a Research Operation. In: Lazarsfeld,P.F. and Rosenberg,M. (eds.) (1955): The Language of Social Research. A Reader in the Methodology of Social Research. New York, The Free Press 1955. Pp. 115-125.

Lazarsfeld,P.F., Berelson, B.R and Gaudet, Hazel (1944): The People?s Choice. How the Voter Makes Up His Mind in a Presidential Campaign. New York, Duel, Sloan and Pearce 1944.

Lazarsfeld,P.F.-Kendal Patricia (1950): Problems of Survey Analysis. In: Merton-Lazarsfeld: Continuities in the Scope and Method of The American Soldier. Glencoe, Ill., The Free Press 1974 (reprint)

Lazarsfeld,P.F.- Rosenberg,M.-Thielens Jr,W. (1951): The Panel Study. In: Jahoda,Marie-Deutsch,M.-Cook,S.W. (eds.): Research Methods in Social Relations. New York, Dryden Press 1951, pp.587-609.

Zeisel,H. (1958): Elaboration Formula. In: Zeisel, H.: Say it with Figures. London, Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd. election campaign.

Zeisel,H. (1958): Reason Analysis (Chapter 11 and 12). In: Zeisel, H.: Say it with Figures. London, Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd., pp. R.K.Metron's "focused interview" as predecessor of the "focus groups" methodology.

Recommended Literature:

Berelson,B.R.-Lazarsfeld,P.F.-McPhee,W.N.(1954): Voting. A Study of Opinion Formation in a Presidential Campaign. Chicago-London, The University of Chicago Press 1954.

Jahoda,Marie - Lazarsfeld,P.F. and Zeisel,H. (1974) : Marienthal. The Study of Unemployed Community. London, Tavistock 1974.

Jeřábek, H. - Chung, R. - Veisová, E.: How to use Paul Lazarsfeld‘s Methodology for an Analysis of the September 11th on-line data. In: Proceedings of the WAPOR thematic seminar Quality Criteria in Survey Research IV. 27.29.6. 2002, Cadenabbia, Italy, (20 pages)

Lazarsfeld,P.F.(1937): Some Remarks on the Typological Procedures in Social Research. Zeitschrift für Sozialforschung 6, 1, Pp. 119-139

Lazarsfeld,P.F.(1959): Sociological Reflections on Business: Consumers and Managers. In: Dale-Haire and Lazarsfeld: Social Science Research on Business: Product and Potential. New York, Columbia University Press 1959, Pp. 101-155

Lazarsfeld,P.F. (1982): The Varied Sociology of Paul F.Lazarsfeld. (Kendall,P.L. ed.) New York, Columbia University Press.

Lazarsfeld P. F.(1993): On Social Research and its Language. (R.Boudon ed.) Chicago - London, The University of Chicago Press 1993.

Lazarsfeld,P.F. and Rosenberg,M. (eds.): The Language of Social Research. A Reader in the Methodology of Social Research. New York, The Free Press, selected chapters.

Lazarsfeld,P.F. and Stanton,F.N. eds. (1949): Communications Research 1948 - 1949. New York, Harper & Brothers 1949.

Lazarsfeld,P.F., Pasanella, Ann K. and Rosenberg, M. (eds.) (1972): Continuities in the Language of Social Research. New York, The Free Press 1972, selected chapters.

Sills, D.L.(1979): Lazarsfeld, Paul F. In: International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. Biographical Supplement. Vol.18. New York-London, Free Press, pp.411-427.

Sills, D.L.(1987): Paul F. Lazarsfeld 1901-1976. A Biographical Memoir. Biographical Memoirs, vol.56, The National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., pp. 251- 282.

Last update: Vojanová Jana (27.01.2022)

Requirements to the exam

Assessment:

Student participation (25%): students are expected to actively participate in class.

Short seminar presentation 25%): (10-15 min. length). The materials for seminar presentation - papers (in the sallabus).

 

Examination:

Divided into a 15 minutes in-class written test (25%) and an 30 minutes in-class short essay (25%).The test and essay will be written in the last week of classes.

Last update: Hájek Martin, doc. Mgr., Ph.D. (26.11.2019)

Syllabus

Contents:           

1. Paul Lazarsfeld's life and work - fundamental role of his research methodology
2. First market, media and unemployment studies in Vienna.
3. Media research: statistical data, rating studies, secondary analysis and audience research.
4. Communications research: advertisement study, and propaganda research.
5. Survey research: elaboration formula and the principles of Paul Lazarsfeld's methodology
of multivariate analysis.
6. Electoral research: index of political predisposition; panel analysis; typology of voters
and mechanisms of the election campaign.
7. Reason Analysis: the study of the decision-making processes - principles, procedure, results and applications..
8. Application of quantitative and qualitative methods in Marienthal Study.
9. Combination of analytical and qualitative methodology - "program analyzer" and "focused interview" as predecessor of the "focus groups" methodology.
10. Opinion leadership measurement: P.Lazarsfeld, R.K.Merton, E.Noelle-Neumann and G.Weimann.
11. The influentials, personal influence and Personality Strength Scale: (R.K.Merton, E.Katz, G.Weimann).
12. Model of firehouse research and current application in 11th September online communication research.

Last update: Vojanová Jana (27.01.2022)