Anonymous and the Art of Theorizing

A rarity in contemporary sociology, DeGloma presents a theory-driven, theory-rich monograph on identity. On the one hand, the text works hard to balance a commitment to sociological theory that is uncommon in most corners of the discipline. On the other hand, the text ambitiously models itself on an older type of sociological book, like much of Goffman’s (1959, 1963a) early oeuvre or, perhaps, those mid-century books that transcended the ivory tower like Riesman’s (1950) The Lonely Crowd. The following essay seeks to emulate the spirit of theorizing that DeGloma’s work emulates and inspires in so far as my intention is to engage with the text, first highlighting what I think are the most generative aspects of the argument and then locating gaps that serve as excellent departure points for building on Goffman’s and DeGloma’s work.