Improving Humans: A History of Eugenics, Heredity, and Genetics in the United States
HISTSCI 2440
Subject & Catalog Number
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Course Information
Description
Eugenics was the idea that humans could be improved through selective breeding of populations. It emerged in the late 19th century and by the early decades of the 20th century it was a world-wide movement involving biologists, physicians, politicians and educators. Based on early genetic ideas about the inheritance of human qualities such as intelligence, social behaviors, and complex diseases, the movement led to many practices that targeted the poor, women, and racial minorities. We will explore the long history of eugenic ideas and practices in science and medicine in the United States.
School
Faculty of Arts & Sciences
Credits
4
Cross Reg
Available for Harvard Cross Registration
Department
History of Science
Course Component
Seminar
General Education
N/A
Quantitative Reasoning with Data
N/A
Divisional Distribution
Social Sciences
Course Level
Primarily for Graduate Students
