Anonymity and Pseudonymity as Interactional Performances

This essay introduces this issue’s Debate section on Thomas DeGloma’s Anonymous: The Performance of Hidden Identities (University of Chicago Press, 2023). First, it presents its research questions and methodology. Next, it argues the book’s acclaim is partially the result of a novel take on Eviatar Zerubavel’s concept-driven sociology; its distinctively sociological approach; and a seamless knitting between theory-building and rich, diverse, and captivating examples. Further, the book’s publication coincides with a renewed interest in theorizing. In closing, I present a handful of critiques by the authors who commented on DeGloma’s book: Robin Wagner-Pacifici, Seth Abrutyn, and Lorenzo Sabetta.