Quinney's Theory of Social Reality
Richard Quinney's book "The Social Reality of Crime" published in 1970 shifted the discussion of criminality from police and courts to issues of social justice. He held that crime was not a static set of rules violations but a structure defined by wealth, power and the individual drive for freedom.
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History
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Quinney's book reflected the cultural upheaval of the late 1960s with its emphasis on the worth of the individual and its suspicion of the rich and powerful. Until Quinney's book, the predominant issue about crime and criminals in the United States was punishment vs. rehabilitation. Crime was seen as a sign of pathology.
Theories
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Quinney held the wealthy and powerful decided the rules, making crime a social justice issue. He attributed to humans a desire for freedom that made them innately resistant to the structures set by society, turning them into potential criminals.
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Significance
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Quinney's thesis was in part intended to counter the growing power of B.F. Skinner in psychology and more broadly in society. Skinner's behaviorism saw human action as an inevitable function of outside stimuli instead of the result of innate or internal drives.
Misconceptions
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Quinney has often been typecast as a Marxist, but his philosophy was influenced by religious sources as well, including a stay in a monastery and interaction with Buddhist philosophers.
Effects
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The Quinney view of crime created a revolution in criminology. Academia was quick to pick up on his theories, and college courses began to look harder at social causes of crime instead of just the pathology of the criminal. Excerpts from his books are routinely included in college course books, as are discussions of his ideas. Updated versions of "The Social Reality of Crime" are still available through online book retailers. His work in criminology won him the President's Award for 1991-92.
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References
- Photo Credit Richard Quinney, Northern Illinois University
