Eugenics "Paper"
What is it?
the study of methods of improving genetic qualities by selective breeding
Social Origins
Science is product of culture
crazy ideas are reasonable in it's own era
came during economic and social problems after Civil War
The first migration away from farms began forcing cities to expand.
The exploitation of labor caused the militant union organization to form
Price fluctuations caused numerous busnessed to go bankrupt
Immigration is a major problem in America, causing racial mixtures
Social Darwinism attempted to explain “survival of the fittest”
The birth rate of the upperclass began to decline, causing the working class to organize against the upperclass and "out-produce" them
The philosophy of progressivism began
progressive reformers had strong faith in science, which gave birth to eugenics
genetics explained social deformities - alcoholism, criminal records, learning disabilities, etc
American citizens thought that the price for the government to support the disabled was too high and needed to be fixed...
would sterilize one "troubled" adult to prevent others from being created, saving the government money
"selective immigration restriction"
eugenics offered “rational and efficient approach for treating social problems”
Scientific Origins:
20th Century!!
Francis Galton made up term "eugenics"
Positive Eugenics: a moral philosophy to improve humanity by encouraging the ablest and healthiest people to have more children.
Negative Eugenics: culling least able from breeding population to preserve humanity’s fitness
Rudolph Virchow made programs to deal with disease prevention. Fused with eugenics to form racial hygiene movement in Germany
Since medicine was failing to help with mental disabilities and problems, eugenicists began researching preventative measures instead of problem-solving ones.
Harry Clay Sharp, a prison doctor, soon began sterilizing "degenerate" people in 1883
Became a law in 1907
"degenerate" was said to have been caused by masturbation, poisoning, and a bad environment
Dr. felt sterilization was more humane of dealing with people who couldn’t help themselves
Wellfare and less fit parent fears put stamp on eugenics
Methods:
Traced family trees to recognize basic pattern of inheritance
most eugenical info was submitted voluntarily on questionnaires
used data from insane asylums, prisons, orphanages, blind homes
“skewed” data “downplayed” data to “up” American intelligence
Impact on American Society:
church sermons were often chose by AES
deeply embedded in culture, movies about it in 1930’s
students sign up for eugenics evaluation.