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
• 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

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

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.

Literature

Last update: Jana Vojanová (27.01.2022)

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.

Requirements to the exam

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

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.

Syllabus

Last update: Jana Vojanová (27.01.2022)

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.