Eugenics and Genetics

what is eugenics?

the study of how to arrange reproduction within a human population to increase the occurrence of heritable characteristics regarded as desirable

improvement of the human race through selective breeding practices

nature over nuture

positive eugenics

promoting the ideas of “good stock”

family planning and prenatal care

encourage healthy capable people of above average intelligence to bear more children

financial support for selected pairings

negative eugenics

played on the worst fears of race and social degeneration

limited procreation:

• prenatal care for only a few

• marriage restrictions

• segregation

• forced sterilization

• euthanasia

what are the scientific concepts that argue against eugenics?

1. traits are polygenic

2. gene linkage

3. genetic variation

4. hybrid vigor

5. genetic drift vs. natural selection

6. who gets to choose what is an improvement

traits are polygenic

we dont have single genes that affect out traits

gene linkage

inherit one trait and another one comes with it

hybrid vigor

mixing two different characteristics and getting something better