When Baehr met Steffen: Appraising classicality through the lens of neglect

Classical sociology has long served as a locus for the discipline's self-understanding, and is phenomenon increasingly studied in its own right. The growing literature synthesised Peter Baehr's renowned framework scrutinising reception formation processes. By theorising on trajectories of multiple classics, Baehr helped pave way sociology’s understanding how classicality becomes established. This paper deploys this order to appraise neglected work with potential early sociology, namely bulky production Sweden's main candidate classic, Gustaf F. Steffen (1864–1929), special attention given his magnum opus Sociology: A g eneral theory society (1910–1911). analysis exposes some conceptual ambiguity framework, while proposing that both notion ‘classic’ sole focus need be expanded. article also argues our could advanced if we were distinguish between author, text, theory, since each these plays different roles reception, formation, neglection