Civil Sphere Theory Meets Cultural Sociology: Close Encounters of the Symbolic Kind

First published in 2006, Jeffrey C. Alexander’s The Civil Sphere ( TCS ) quickly established itself as one of the classic works of post-classical sociology. In this interview, occasioned by the 20th anniversary of the publication of TCS , Christopher Thorpe, one of the current editors of Cultural Sociology , spoke with Jeffrey Alexander, author of TCS and driving force behind the Strong Program in cultural sociology. The ensuing discussion is wide-ranging, cleaving not only to the subject of TCS , its conception, reception, and influence, but to the relationship of Civil Sphere Theory to cultural sociology more broadly. Various misconceptions surrounding Alexander’s work are addressed, as is the relationship of his intellectual legacy to Critical Theory and the limited and limiting conception of culture associated with several of its most influential proponents. In the closing stages of the discussion, Alexander reflects on what he believes mark out the most insightful forms of cultural-sociological studies.