The book history of Rona M. Fields’s A Society on the Run (1973): a case study in the alleged suppression of psychological research on Northern Ireland

Miller, G. (2023) The book history of Rona M. Fields’s A Society on the Run (1973): a case study in the alleged suppression of psychological research on Northern Ireland. Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences, 59(4), pp. 433-450. (doi: 10.1002/jhbs.22262) (PMID:37178453)

Abstract

The US psychologist Rona M. Field's book A Society on the Run (1973) offered a psychological account of the nature and effects of the Northern Irish Troubles at their peak in the early 1970s. The book was withdrawn shortly after publication by its publisher, Penguin Books Limited, and never reissued. Fields alleged publicly that the book had been suppressed by the British state, a claim that has often been treated uncritically. Local Northern Irish psychologists suggested that the book was taken off the market because of its scientific deficiencies. Rigorous book-historical investigation using Penguin editorial fields reveals, however, that what might appear to be a case of state suppression, or an instance of disciplinary boundary work, can be explained instead by the commercial interests and professional standards of a publisher keen to preserve its reputation for quality and reliability.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: The archival work for this project was funded by British Academy and Leverhulme Trust Small Research Grant SG162205.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Miller, Dr Gavin
• Authors: Miller, G.
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Critical Studies > English Literature
• Journal Name: Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences
• Publisher: Wiley
• ISSN: 0022-5061
• ISSN (Online): 1520-6696
• Published Online: 13 May 2023
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2023 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences 59(4):433-450
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
300140		Penguins on the Couch	Gavin Miller	British Academy (BRITACAD)	SG162205	Arts - English Literature