Eugenics is a controversial and historically harmful movement that sought to improve the genetic quality of human populations through selective breeding, sterilization, and other interventions. It is studied today as a cautionary example of how science can be misused when combined with social prejudice and political power.

🌍 Definition

• Eugenics: From Greek eu (“good”) + genos (“birth” or “race”), meaning “well-born.”
• A social and scientific movement that aimed to encourage reproduction among people with “desirable” traits and discourage or prevent reproduction among those with “undesirable” traits.

🔑 Historical Context

• Late 19th–Early 20th Century: Popularized by Francis Galton (Darwin’s cousin), who coined the term in 1883.
• United States: Eugenics influenced immigration restrictions, marriage laws, and forced sterilization programs (especially targeting marginalized groups).
• Nazi Germany: Eugenics was central to racial ideology, leading to sterilization, euthanasia programs, and ultimately the Holocaust.
• Global Reach: Similar policies appeared in Canada, Scandinavia, and other countries during the early 20th century.

📚 Key Practices

• Positive Eugenics: Encouraging reproduction among those considered “fit.”
• Negative Eugenics: Preventing reproduction among those considered “unfit” (through sterilization, segregation, or marriage restrictions).
• Genetic Screening: Early attempts to link heredity with social traits like intelligence, criminality, or poverty.

🛠 Anthropological & Ethical Significance

• Anthropology: Eugenics distorted understandings of race, kinship, and human variation, reinforcing ethnocentric and racist ideologies.
• Medical Anthropology: Highlights how cultural values shape medical practices and policies.
• Ethics: Modern genetics and reproductive technologies (e.g., IVF, genetic counseling) are carefully distinguished from eugenics, though debates about “designer babies” echo past concerns.
• Human Rights: Eugenics is now widely condemned as a violation of bodily autonomy and dignity.

✨ Summary

Eugenics was a movement that misapplied genetics to social policy, leading to discrimination, forced sterilization, and atrocities. Today, it serves as a warning about the dangers of pseudoscience and the misuse of biology in shaping social hierarchies.

Sources: Britannica – Eugenics, PBS – Eugenics in America, NIH – History of Eugenics.