Welcome, Stanford Genetics & Dev Bio students!
We are looking forward to meeting you on Friday September 4th (10:30 – 11:30 am PDT) for a workshop on the American eugenics movement. On this page, you will find some background materials for you to review and a short assignment for you to complete in advance our session.
In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions: Dana Waring (dwaring@pgEd.med.harvard.edu) and Marnie Gelbart (mgelbart@pged.med.harvard.edu).
Overview
Eugenics is the philosophy and social movement that argues it is possible to improve the human race and society by encouraging reproduction by people or populations with “desirable” traits (termed “positive” eugenics) and discouraging reproduction by people with “undesirable” qualities (termed “negative” eugenics). Eugenic ideas about the value of different social classes have been used to justify discrimination, slavery, and genocide around the world for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. In the early 20th century, as geneticists began to widely recognize the basic principles of inheritance (discovered by Gregor Mendel decades before), the science of modern genetics played a significant role in advancing the arguments in favor of government policies in the United States prohibiting interracial marriage, restricting immigration, and sterilizing individuals against their will or without their knowledge. The scientific arguments were flawed from the beginning yet took root and grew. This history, known as the American eugenics movement, was supported and encouraged by a wide swath of people, including everyday citizens, politicians, scientists, social reformers, prominent business leaders, and influential individuals who shared a goal of reducing the “burden” on society. “
Background Materials
Please read the articles and watch the clips listed below, and then click here to share comments, thoughts, or questions about this presentation. We will use these as a jumping off point for our session on Friday.
- “How Racism Creeps into Medicine: The history of a medical instrument reveals the dubious science of racial difference” by Hazma Shaban, The Atlantic (2014).
- “California’s Sterilization Survivors: An Estimate and Call for Redress” by Alexandra Minna Stern, Nicole L. Novak, Natalie Lira, Kate O’Connor, Siobán Harlow, and Sharon Kardia, American Journal of Public Health (2017), 107(1): 50–54). doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2016.303489
- “The Gene: An Intimate History” (video clip, 10 mins)
- pgEd’s presentation on the history of the American Eugenics Movement (video clip, 20 mins)
In addition, here are resources related to two documentary films that specifically examine California’s history of eugenics:
- No Más Bebés (Trailer, 2015)
- Belly of the Beast (Overview, 2020)
Assignment
Research any aspect of the Eugenics Movement in a part of the world that is meaningful to you. This can be your hometown or home state, the areas from where your ancestors are from, or the area around Stanford University. Take notes and collect images in 1-2 slides (if possible), and then share your file(s) to this Google folder by the night of Thursday 9/3. We will use these assignments as a jumping off point for our session on Friday.
If you encounter any technical issues, you may email your materials to Marnie, who will upload your assignment to the Google folder.
Here are a few starting places that may be helpful for your research (but do not feel limited to these sites!):
- http://www.eugenicsarchive.org/eugenics/
- https://www.uvm.edu/~lkaelber/eugenics/
- https://eugenicsarchive.ca/discover/world
About the facilitators
Dana Waring (Education Director & Co-Founder) and Marnie Gelbart (Director of Programs) are part of the Personal Genetics Education Project (pgEd, for short). Founded in 2006 in the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School, pgEd is a team of scientists, social scientists, educators, and community organizers, who talk with people about genetics in every way that it touches our lives – from health to the workplace and from the environment to the criminal justice system.
pgEd’s mission is to increase awareness and conversation about the benefits and ethical, legal, and social implications of personal genetics. We believe that far-reaching public engagement about genetic advances is key for a safe and equitable path forward, and we strive every day to be inclusive of all people – regardless of socioeconomic or educational background, cultural or religious affiliation, and ethnic or personal identity.
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