Peter Michael Blau
- Born:
- February 7, 1918, Vienna, Austria-Hungary
- Died:
- March 12, 2002, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Nationality:
- American
- Profession(s):
- Sociologist, Professor
Early Life and Education
- Emigrated to the United States in 1939 after the Nazi annexation of Austria.
- Received a Ph.D. in Sociology from Columbia University in 1952.
- Served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
Career and Major Achievements
- Professor of Sociology at the University of Chicago (1953-1970).
- Professor of Sociology at Columbia University (1970-1988).
- Professor of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1988-2002).
- President of the American Sociological Association (1973).
- Known for his contributions to organizational sociology, social structure, and quantitative methods.
- His work often touched on themes relevant to the study of social exchange, exemplified through lectures that may have involved materials similar to a 'peter blau exchange theory ppt' presentation.
Notable Works
- Dynamics of Bureaucracy (1955)
- Exchange and Power in Social Life (1964)
- The American Occupational Structure (1967), co-authored with Otis Dudley Duncan
- Inequality and Heterogeneity: A Primitive Theory of Social Structure (1977)
Legacy and Impact
Peter Blau's work significantly shaped the field of sociology, particularly in the areas of organizational studies, social stratification, and social exchange theory. His rigorous application of quantitative methods and his focus on understanding macro-social structures influenced generations of sociologists.