This analysis examines canonization criteria for social theorists by reflecting on Jeffrey Alexanders influence, suggesting implications for sociological reputation.
What is the basis of canonization for social theorists? An accounting of the career of the prominent American sociologist Jeffrey Alexanders points to the basis of this reputational claim and its limitations. Alexander is one of the most widely respected theorists of the past half-century but viewing his broad interests in politics and civil society and his promotion of the Strong Program in cultural sociology provides a justification for his widely-acclaimed importance and the basis for the paired articles to which this squib is a response.
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Gary Alan Fine (2026) studied this question.
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