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Samenvatting

A report on the work of the 'mathematical Schools of US sociology. Its chief representative is Paul Lazarsfeld, followed by S. C. Dodd. Lately, the 'theory of games,' developed by J. Von Neumann and O. Morgenstern, has become influential, esp in the sociology of conflict. The presentation of the 'mathematical School in Mathematical thinking in the social sciences, P. Lazarsfeld, Ed (Glencoe, Ill, The Free Press, 1954), is analyzed. 8 authors attempt to translate social phenomena into a mathematically exact language. Their attempts are still exp'al-as Lazarsfeld admits in his Introduction-and time alone will show whether they have succeeded. Most social phenomena cannot as yet be presented in mathematical language because mathematics has not yet developed the necessary techniques. The book attempts to bridge this gap; of special interest in this respect is the contribution of J. S. Coleman which attempts to retranslate some mathematical models, eg of Rashevsky, back into the language of social science. D. Lerner and H. Lasswell, Ed's, The policy sciences (Stanford University Press, 1951) is interesting for the contributions of P. Lazarsfeld and A. H. Barton, which offer empirical methods to measure social phenomena like religiosity. Since direct measurements are impossible, 'indicators' are used as intermediaries. A number of other books are reviewed briefly. I. Langnas.