Eugenics

Eugenics

1. What is eugenics?

Eugenics is the belief in improving the qualities of the human race or population, especially by discouraging reproduction by people with genetic problems, an inferior race or presumed to have inheritable undesirable traits. This is called negative eugenics. Positive eugenics is encouraging the reproduction of people having inheritable desirable traits.

The way Australia went about achieving these goals was mainly to promote selective breeding.

Historically, eugenics has connections to everything from care for mothers during pregnancy and forced sterilization.

The goals of eugenics are quite simple – to create healthier, more intelligent people, to preserve natural resources, and to lessen suffering.

There are 3 main ways in which eugenics is used. One of them is ‘mandatory eugenics’, where the government initiates a eugenics program. ‘Promotional voluntary eugenics’ is voluntarily practiced and promoted to the public. Private eugenics is practiced by individuals and groups, but not promoted to the public.

2. How might eugenic theory have related to discrimination against Asian and Aboriginal peoples?

Eugenic theory relates to discrimination against Asian and Aboriginal peoples because it denotes them as being a scientifically inferior race.

Back in the 1890s, there was a policy of removing Aboriginal children from their parents, which is based on eugenics theory. It argued that the Aboriginals would be unable to keep up with increasing pressures, and was doomed to extinction.

The mixtures of races were widely seen to be a threat to racial purity, and therefore would be taking the Europeans down on the evolutionary ladder.

Bibliography

Bittles, Alan. "Eugenics in Australia." Galton Institute. 2003. 23 Nov. 2007 <http://www.galtoninstitute.org.uk/Newsletters/GINL0403/Eugenics_in_Australia.htm>.

"Eugenics." Wikipedia. 2007. 23 Nov. 2007 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics>.

Posted by Proabffmm on Friday, June 6, 2008.