The present study explores the relationships between sociology of literature and society through a meta-perspective influenced by the idiom of co-production hailing from the field Science and Technology Studies (STS). By focusing on events that precedes and follows the inception of the Department of Sociology of Literature at Uppsala University 1965 we trace and investigate how society and sociology of literature are mutually coproduced through changing discoursers, identities, institutions, and representations.  

We can conclude, by studying these complex interplays between literature and society, that sociology of literature not only analyzes how literature is used, valued, and distributed in society but also contributes to the construction of knowledge about the societal implications of literature. Therefore, sociology of literature can be understood as contributing to creating its own research object by engaging in a reciprocal relationship with society and literature itself.

Through its examination of how literature reflects and influences societal structures, norms, and values, sociology of literature shapes its research focus by actively participating in and responding to societal discourses. This dynamic process of engagement with societal issues and cultural production allows sociology of literature to continually redefine and refine its research object, shaping the field's direction and priorities based on ongoing interactions with the broader social context.