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CHID270, Fall 2009
History of Eugenics Syllabus
CHID 270B History of
Eugenics
Instructor: Joanne Woiak jwoiak@u.washington.edu Office hours: by appointment
Course description: The eugenics movement of the first half of the 20th century
proposed and implemented a variety of social policies to "improve the human
race by better breeding." These ranged from educational efforts such as "fitter
family" contests to oppressive measures such as immigration restriction and
compulsory sterilization of those deemed genetically unfit. Eugenics was
popular among scientists and physicians, social reformers and policy-makers,
and the general public in many countries and across the political spectrum. The
history of eugenics is an important case study of the interactions between scientific
research and social values and interests, especially the ways that biological science
has been used to construct and legitimize human inequalities based on race,
gender, class, and disability. Comparative history shows that eugenic ideas and
policies were not monolithic or consistent. Yet what all eugenicists had in
common was their belief that social problems could best be addressed by using biological
and medical science to control, fix, or eliminate certain kinds of people. This
course will examine the science and professionals involved in the eugenics
movement in the Requirements
Learning objectives
Assignments
You
are expected to do all of the day's required reading before the start of class
and to be prepared with questions and opinions to talk about. Instruction will
include lectures (also posted on the website), documentary and fiction films,
and discussions. This course is designed to sharpen your practical skills in
critical textual analysis, written and oral communication, and the synthesis of
knowledge gained from the fields of history, science studies, disability
studies, and bioethics. You will also read and critically analyze primary
documents from the time periods we'll be exploring. Participation in class and online
(value 30%): Your
participation grade will be based on evidence of preparedness and the
quality and consistency of your contributions to in-class discussion, as well
as completion of in-class writing and small-group exercises. Missing classes
will prevent your involvement in activities and adversely affect your grade.
Participation involves expressing your own reasoned arguments, as well as
constructively responding to your classmates. My aim is to create a respectful
and open atmosphere where people should feel comfortable sharing ideas and
speaking their opinions. The
other component of participation for this course will be online. As part of
your grade you are required to make regular contributions to the GoPost discussion
board, consisting of your responses to the readings and lectures and to
comments made by fellow students and the instructor. The minimal number of
postings is three (3) per week. The board for this course is at the Catalyst
GoPost site (https://catalysttools.washington.edu/gopost/board/jwoiak/12560/).
You are encouraged to contribute to the online discussion on an ongoing basis,
to continue exchanging ideas about any issues that arise during class, and to
develop your interpretations in dialogue with other participants. Substantial postings
beyond the minimum per week will improve your grade. Keep in mind that your
work will be judged according to quality, not just quantity. The postings
should be carefully thought out and composed; each comment you make must deal
with the course texts(s) and topics in depth. I will let you know if a comment
is not substantial enough to count towards your grade. As in the classroom,
please be respectful of other participants and their opinions, and be aware of
your language choices. Assignments: You will complete several types of written and oral
assignments, which are designed to help you learn and engage critically with
the concepts from the readings, lectures, and your own research. Detailed guidelines will be provided in
separate handouts. Essay
#2 due Nov. 16 (value 20%, 4 pages) gives a choice of key topics and asks
you to make an argument about the history of eugenics using both secondary
sources from the readings (i.e. historians' writings) and primary sources from
a list of supplementary materials (i.e. writings by people who lived during the
time period of the eugenics movement and experienced it first-hand). You may
wish to research and use different primary sources available in the library or
on the web. Research
project due in the last week of class (value 30%) is designed to give you
the opportunity to investigate one specific topic in the history of eugenics,
preferably dealing with the local history of
Policies
Communication: All requirements and policies of this course are outlined in this syllabus. Any changes to the syllabus, announcements, and handouts will be posted on the course website, and it is your responsibility to check the website for updates. The best way to contact the instructor is via email, and you are always welcome to come to office hours.
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Send mail to:
jwoiak@u.washington.edu Last modified: 9/30/2009 2:38 PM |