The Wellborn Science: Eugenics in Germany, France, Brazil, and Russia

by Mark B. Adams

Overview

The four contributors to this volume examine the eugenics movements in Germany, France, Brazil, and the Soviet Union, and describe how geneticists and physicians participated in the development of policies concerning the improvement of hereditary qualities in humans. They examine the scientific components of those programs and discuss the involvement of social, religious, and political forces that significantly altered the original scientific goals. The book opens up new and comparative perspectives on the history of eugenics and the social uses of science in general.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195053616
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	03/08/1990
Series:	Monographs on the History and Philosophy of Biology
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	9.59(w) x 6.32(h) x 0.88(d)

About the Author

University of Pennsylvania

Table of Contents

Introduction: Eugenics in the History of Science1. The Race Hygiene Movement iorted in Germany, 1900-1940, Sheila Weiss2. The Eugenics Movement in France, 1890-1940, William Schneider3. Eugenics in Brazil, 1917-1940, Nancy Stepan4. Eugenics in Russia, 1900-1940, Mark AdamsConclusion: Towards a Comparative History of Eugenics

Editorial Reviews

"This volume should be bought and read not only by historians of science but by all those interested in and involved in the Human Genome Project. To know what was thought and what happened in the twentieth century may be helpful for those who will be active in the twenty-first." —Nature

"[Adams] has produced a comparative history of the eugenics movement based largely on non-English sources. The result is an unusually coherent and provocative composite work which significantly broadens our understanding of this movement's worldwide impact. This volume fulfills the promise of comparative history by widening the scope of investigations, and by suggesting ways to reexamine old questions and to frame new ones."—Journal of the History of Behavioral Sciences

"Mark Adam's excellent analysis and account of the rise and fall of eugenics in Russia tells a tale of much importance and adds not a few previously unreported matters." —The Quarterly Review of Biology

From the Publisher