Up Close and Personal, But Not Close Enough: Review of Samantha Holland (ed.), Remote Relationships in a Small World

Abstract

One
 of
 the
 central
 aims
 of
 this
 book
 is
 to
 establish
 life
 online
 as
 a
 legitimate
 and
 sociologically
 significant
 area
 of
 study.
 To
 this
 end
 the
 book
 provides
 a
 genuinely
 wide
 range
 of
 original
 essays,
 each
 of
 which
 focuses
 on
 a
 discretely
 defined
 empirical
 site.
 The
 collection’s
 empiricism
 is
 impressively
 buttressed
 by
 well‐located
 literature
 reviews and
 the
 provision
 of
 detailed
 notes
 on 
methodology. This
 makes
 for 
an
 excellent 
teaching
 resource, 
as
 an 
introduction
 to 
the 
field
 and 
a 
‘how
 to’ guide
 for
 those
 unfamiliar 
with
 the passages
 of
 qualitative
 research.
 It 
is
 also 
a
 useful
 research
 tool
 for
 those
wanting
 to
 survey
 the
 field 
and 
access
 an 
up‐to‐date
 bibliography.