| As one of the pioneering intellectuals and empirical researchers
in 20th century social science, Paul F. Lazarsfeld made profound and lasting
contributions to both the methodological and theoretical foundations of
sociology and related disciplines. His "effective scope" was broad.
His work ranged widely from studies of causality in the social sciences
to the building of theoretical models that could be tested with a focused
set of empirical data. He developed methods to study changing attitudes
and behavior over time. He was, perhaps, also the putative father of modern
applied social research. In this opening address, I will trace with broad
brushstrokes the influences on Lazarsfeld before his intellectual migration
to the United States, his development and scholarly interests as a social
scientist working at Columbia University, his contributions to the study
of scientific methods, his focus on "telling interesting stories,"
his influence on his students, many of whom became leading social scientists,
and his 30 year collaboration and association with Robert K. Merton. I will
speak to the irony of Lazarsfeld the "theorist" and Merton the
"empiricist." I will try to place Paul Lazarsfeld's work into
the context of American higher education during the middle decades of the
20th century and to assess his continuing influence on social scientists.
text of keynote by prof. Cole
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