Chinese social networks in an age of digitalization : Liquid Guanxi /

While there is an abundance of literature on the impact of digital media on social life, Au's book, adapted from his dissertation, focuses on a less studied area, China, where social networking site (SNS) usage is unparalleled in both absolute and relative terms and apps such as WeChat have become indispensable to everyday life. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, Au (sociology, Hong Kong Polytechnic Univ.) examines how SNSs transform guanxi--the intricate system of interpersonal networking that governs every interaction in Chinese culture--particularly in building, maintaining, and using personal ties. Citing modern social theory and philosophy, Au argues that SNSs are quickly melting away the status and geographical barriers in traditional guanxi and making it more liquid. Dense at times and with some unnecessary repetition, this book nonetheless offers a very meaningful look into the social changes brought about by digitalization in a vast country that rivals the West in its economy yet is so different in its social and political systems. Summing Up: Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty. --Yan Liao, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point