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A History of British Eugenics since 1865

From Francis Galton to Designer Babies

David Redvaldsen

$291.95   $233.16

Hardback

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English
Palgrave Macmillan
10 November 2024
This book examines British eugenics from its origins in 1865 to the early 1990s. It considers the two institutions promoting the doctrine: the Galton Laboratory attached to the University of London; and the Eugenics Society. It charts internal and ideological changes across more than a century, seeing eugenics as primarily a political movement. The doctrine had influence on British society and guided adherents ranging from scientists to charitable ladies. The Galton Laboratory published detailed studies of heredity. It transformed itself into a centre for medical genetics after the Second World War. As early as the 1920s, the Eugenics Society was the mainspring of the doctrine, formulating what became the British version of an international ideology. It began as applied social Darwinism, later incorporating a greater degree of meritocracy and amelioration. Its support for sterilization in the 1930s eroded the kudos it had gained in policy-making circles. From the 1960s, organized eugenics was especially a forum for learned and popular discussion of biology and sociology. Medical advances after 1970 aided its continuation, notably the growth of assisted reproductive technologies. The book presents British eugenics as mostly shaped by domestic concerns, offering new revelations and interpretations with the capacity to readjust historical thinking. It also covers contemporary bioethical and political issues aligned to eugenics.
By:  
Imprint:   Palgrave Macmillan
Country of Publication:   Switzerland
Edition:   2024 ed.
Dimensions:   Height: 210mm,  Width: 148mm, 
ISBN:   9783031722899
ISBN 10:   3031722892
Series:   Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in Modern History
Pages:   331
Publication Date:  
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
1. Introduction.- 2. Francis Galton and the Early Days of Eugenics.- 3. The Galton Laboratory until 1945.- 4. The Eugenics Society until 1945.- 5. Eugenics in the Post-war Period.- 6. Eugenics and the New Technologies of Reproduction.

David Redvaldsen is a Lecturer in the Department of Sociology and Social Work at the University of Agder, in Norway.

Reviews for A History of British Eugenics since 1865: From Francis Galton to Designer Babies

“The book is well researched and accessible. ... this is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of eugenics.” (Kostas Kampourakis, The Quarterly Review of Biology, Vol. 100 (2), 2025)


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