미국의 우생학(eugenics)과 사회개혁, 1880년대～1920년대

초록

The purpose of this article is to investigate the correlation between eugenics and social reform in the US in late 19th and early 20th centuries. Preceding studies on eugenics in the US were conducted within the cognitive framework of nature vs. nurture, conservatism vs. progressivism, and pseudo-science vs. science. This has led to the result of US eugenics being perceived as a pseudo-scientific ideology of conservatism based on genetic theory. However, eugenics in the US are closely related with environmental improvements, public health, and economic reform and there were many aspects what eugenics were adopted across ideological boundaries. This is mostly because the US at the time was in the process of create a totally as a new nation. So-called reformists and eugenicists shared as their core ideas the maintenance of social order through collectivism, efficiency, science, expertise, and social control. These elements became the basis of bio-politics which were used in the US as scientific tools to control an entire population. This paper investigates the correlation that eugenics has with euthenics, public health, and economic reform. Through these investigations, this paper will review the preceding viewpoints of studies on eugenics and thus seek to identify the correlation between eugenics and statism.

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