Garry Runciman, 3rd Viscount Runciman of Doxford
Encyclopedia
Walter Garrison Runciman, 3rd Viscount Runciman of Doxford, CBE
, FBA (born 10 November 1934), is a leading British
historical sociologist, usually known informally as Garry Runciman. He is married to Dame Ruth Runciman
.
since 1971, researching in the field of comparative and historical sociology. His principal research interest is the application of neo-Darwinian evolutionary theory to cultural and social selection.
and the Universities of Edinburgh
, Oxford
, and York
.
He is an Honorary Foreign Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
. He is an Honorary Bencher of Inner Temple
. He was elected to the British Academy
in 1975 and served as its President from 2001 to 2005.
He is Chairman of the shipping company Andrew Weir and Co. Ltd.
which continued Sir John May
's inquiry into the convictions of the Maguire Seven and encompassed further miscarriages of justice. As a result the Criminal Appeal Act 1995 established the Criminal Cases Review Commission
as an executive Non-Departmental Public Body.
In 2004, he edited and contributed to a British Academy occasional paper Hutton and Butler: Lifting the Lid on the Workings of Power, which deals with the events surrounding Britain’s participation in the invasion of Iraq and the way in which it was presented to the British public.
(1903–2000), a respected authority
on The Crusades.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, FBA (born 10 November 1934), is a leading British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
historical sociologist, usually known informally as Garry Runciman. He is married to Dame Ruth Runciman
Ruth Runciman
Dame Ruth Runciman DBE is a former Chair of the UK Mental Health Act Commission.She is the mother of British political scientist David Runciman, and as wife of British sociologist Garry Runciman has the right to the title of Viscountess Runciman of Doxford, which she does not use...
.
Career and Positions
He has been a Senior Research Fellow at Trinity College, CambridgeTrinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
since 1971, researching in the field of comparative and historical sociology. His principal research interest is the application of neo-Darwinian evolutionary theory to cultural and social selection.
Affiliations
He holds honorary degrees from King's College LondonKing's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
and the Universities of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
, Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, and York
University of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
.
He is an Honorary Foreign Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
. He is an Honorary Bencher of Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
. He was elected to the British Academy
British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
in 1975 and served as its President from 2001 to 2005.
He is Chairman of the shipping company Andrew Weir and Co. Ltd.
Royal Commission on Criminal Justice
He chaired the British Government’s Royal Commission on Criminal JusticeRoyal Commission on Criminal Justice
The Royal Commission on Criminal Justice, also known as the Runciman Commission, was established on 14 March 1991 by the Home Secretary. The Commission was the continuation of Sir John May's inquiry into the false convictions of the Maguire Seven and extension to other miscarriages of justice...
which continued Sir John May
Sir John May
Sir John May was a former Court of Appeal judge appointed by the British Government to investigate the miscarriages of justice related to the Maguire Seven and other miscarriages linked to IRA bombing offences...
's inquiry into the convictions of the Maguire Seven and encompassed further miscarriages of justice. As a result the Criminal Appeal Act 1995 established the Criminal Cases Review Commission
Criminal Cases Review Commission
The Criminal Cases Review Commission is an non-departmental public body set up following the Royal Commission on Criminal Justice itself a continuation of the May Inquiry. It aims to investigate possible miscarriages of justice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
as an executive Non-Departmental Public Body.
Publications
His first major publication was Relative Deprivation and Social Justice: a Study of Attitudes to Social Inequality in Twentieth-Century Britain (Routledge, 1966), reprinted by Gregg Revivals in 1993. Since then, he has published A Critique of Max Weber’s Philosophy of Social Science (Cambridge University Press, 1972), A Treatise on Social Theory (Cambridge University Press, Vol. 1 1983, Vol. 2 1989, Vol. 3 1997), and The Social Animal (HarperCollins, 1998).In 2004, he edited and contributed to a British Academy occasional paper Hutton and Butler: Lifting the Lid on the Workings of Power, which deals with the events surrounding Britain’s participation in the invasion of Iraq and the way in which it was presented to the British public.
Kinship
Garry Runciman is nephew to the historian Sir Steven RuncimanSteven Runciman
The Hon. Sir James Cochran Stevenson Runciman CH — known as Steven Runciman — was a British historian known for his work on the Middle Ages...
(1903–2000), a respected authority
A History of the Crusades
A History of the Crusades is arguably the best known and most widely acclaimed work of historian Steven Runciman.A cursory glance at the body of Runciman’s work would lead many to believe that his passion for history lay in the Byzantine Empire. Although Byzantium was his speciality, Runciman’s...
on The Crusades.