Conclusion in C. Fleck, A. Hess, (eds), Intellectuals and their Publics: Perspectives from the Social Sciences, pp 263-272
Both Hayek and Lazarsfeld were path-breaking scholars who contributed greatly to the development of their respective disciplines, yet the disciplinary sub-fields they founded faced contrasting receptions at their point of origin in Austria. Our argument here has been that new ideas need structural, political and individual support to gain ground and leave a mark.