Tuesday, February 21, 2012

EUGENICS

What is eugenics?
           Well eugenics is a theory that humans could influence their own evolution. Its like saying that anyone could choses their genes. For them to pick out the “bad” genes and to just leave the good ones.  People believe that by selecting their own breed they could improve there genetic qualities. In other words humans would be "well born”.  So there wouldn’t be no more criminals nor mental patients to worry about.
What were the social origins of eugenics?
          The social origins had came around after the civil war by Sir Francis Galton. Since the war had ended there had been a lot of  social and economic problems all over. The world had started to changes. Business's started to go bankrupt. High class and educated people were only have one or two kids while the lower classes were having a lot more. Then after all this started to happen the people started to believe in eugenics. 
What were the scientific origins of eugenics?
The scientific origin of eugenics was that the only way to stop the "bad genes" were by sterilization. Sterilization is the process of an operation or a way to stop the individual from reproducing. According to Sir Francis Galton it was a moral philosophy to improve humanity. Many criminals and mental patients were put on this, so they could be free. A lot of health people were encouraged to keep having more children. 
What research methods were used to study eugenics and what were their flaws?
          The research methods that were used was pedigrees. Pedigrees are like family trees. But in pedigrees dominant and recessive genes are the ones being shown. Dominant gene are shown, while recessive are the ones that won't show up. The method they used was basically just tracing traits of a person.
How did eugenics research impact American society?
Eugenics had many ways on impacting American society. There was marriage laws, sterilization laws and immigration restriction in America. A lot of couples went to consult a genetic counselor to see if they would be a good match with one and other when it came to reproduce. Americans realized that the way things were being "solved" wasn't the way they needed too.
This is what I learn over eugenics. It wasn’t the right way to solve thing and Americans started to figure it out. No gene is really the “bad” gene because any of them could casue problems. Sterilization wasn’t the solutions either. Aslo, they should have tried to figure out a way to cure them or just let them be. It was somewhat good though that they tested them so that we know the difference and how it is a heredity problem but the way they tested the people was wrong and not necessary.




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