De grenzen tussen fatsoenlijke geschiedschrijving en dirty sociology

In his book Plaatsen van beschaafd vertier (Places of civilised pleasure) Furnee gives a picture of the social life of the well-to-do classes of The Hague in the nineteenth century. A pivotal insight is the crucial importance of social boundaries in understanding social life. This insight, like many other aspects explored in the book, is not only important in comprehending nineteenth-century Hague society, but is also helpful in understanding group life in any other social context. Therefore, while it is very clear that the book adds insights to the debates in other scientific disciplines, it is remarkable that the author does not formally address these debates. This lack of interdisciplinary discussion however, is largely compensated by the richness of the material and the understanding that is delivered by Furnee