The sociological discussion of literature has received important impulses in recent years. These come from both literary studies and the social sciences, where new approaches (system theory, Bourdieu's cultural sociology, cultural studies, among others) open up new ways of accessing literature. The authors present the diversity of these developments in a comprehensible manner against the backdrop of "classical" sociological paradigms and discuss them critically. In addition to theories on the sociology of production, text, reception, and literary field, the issue of literary valuation is also examined. A commented selection bibliography finally provides guidance for further exploration of the topic in university teaching as well as in self-study.