DOCSLIB.ORG

Newsletter June 2008

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Newsletter June 2008 ISSN 1359-9321 The Galton Institute NEWSLETTER Galtonia candicans Issue Number 67 June 2008 EDITORIAL wife, Julia Bodmer, and Rose Payne, Contents which contributed to the discovery of the HLA system. In 1970 he left his Profes- Presidency of sorship of Genetics at the Stanford The Galton Institute Medical School to become Oxford’s The Galton Institute, Professor of Genetics. He was elected New President 1 At the end of six active years as FRS in 1974 and in 1979 moved to President of the Galton Institute, London as Director of Research at the Conference 2008 2 for which, in acknowledging his Imperial Cancer Research Fund Labora- constant concern, we can here tories, becoming the first Director- General of the Fund in 1991. Retiring in Medicine may change warmly express sincere gratitude, 1996, he returned to Oxford as Principal our genes 4 Professor Steve Jones of Hertford College. Since the end of his has been succeeded by Professor tenure as Principal he has continued as Sir Walter Bodmer, on whom head of the Cancer and Immunogenetics The Human Genome 5 Anthony Edwards has provided Laboratory at the Weatherall Institute of the following note. Molecular Medicine, with a special Report of Innovation interest in cancer genetics, particularly and Evolution workshop 9 colorectal cancer. Sir Walter Bodmer, who gave the 2008 Galton Lecture Population genetics Knighted in 1986 for services to Genetic Testing: and the concept of individuality, became science, Sir Walter is a Foreign Associ- Uses and Limitation 10 a Fellow of the Eugenics Society in 1961 ate of the US National Academy of Sciences and the recipient of more than and served on the Council from 1971 to The Powers of Natural 1974. A Cambridge mathematician, in thirty honorary degrees and fellowships his third year he attended genetics of scientific and medical societies. Selection 12 lectures by Sir Ronald Fisher, then in his In the 1970s Sir Walter was the Published by: retirement year as Arthur Balfour chairman of a British Association Professor of Genetics. Sir Walter joined committee examining the implications of The Galton Institute his department as a Ph.D. student, and recent advances in genetics which 19 Northfields Prospect happily Fisher carried on in the depart- resulted in a book, Our Future Inheri- Northfields ment pending the election of his succes- tance: Choice or Chance?, co-authored LONDON SW18 1PE sor, greatly influencing a whole genera- by Alun Jones the committee’s secretary. Telephone: 020 8874 7257 tion of students. In the 1920s and 30s His well-known books with L.L.Cavalli- General Secretary: Fisher himself had been influential in the Sforza, The Genetics of Human Popula- Mrs Betty Nixon Eugenics Society, acting as its business tions (1971) and Genetics, Evolution and secretary for a while. Man (1976) are testimony to an out- Newsletter Editor: In 1961 Sir Walter left Cambridge standing breadth of interest in the science Milo Keynes for Stanford University to work with central to the purposes of the Galton Joshua Lederberg in molecular biology. Institute. Web site: www.galtoninstitute.org.uk While there he initiated work with his A. W. F. Edwards GALTON INSTITUTE NEWSLETTER 1 JUNE 2008 a single monogenic blood disorder could which is a social construct; and adopt still lead to a very complex phenotype instead the term ‘ancestry group’ which CELEBRATING depending on the influence of other fac- is a more biological and less pejorative 100 YEARS OF MEDICAL tors such as: genetic modifiers; the ef- construct. GENETICS AT THE RSM fects of parental imprinting and other The rest of the lecturers for the first events that modify gene expression dur- day dealt with genetics applied to various ing development (e.g. epigenetic effects disorders including infectious disease A joint meeting of The Galton Institute such as DNA methylation or histone and The Royal Society of Medicine, (Professor Adrian Hill), allergies (Dr. modification); and differing adaptations May, 22-23 2008 John Holloway), male infertility (Dr. to environmental conditions. Ken McElreavey) and the muscular The Galton lecture was delivered by dystrophies (Professor Francesco Mun- Report on the proceedings made Professor Sir Walter Bodmer. He toni). gave a fascinating account of how work by David Galton The second day returned to some on polymorphic systems, starting with more general topics. Professor Peter the ABO blood groups, and then the McGuffin addressed the genetics of be- HLA system, to the knowledge of which Professor Sir Patrick Bateson is a haviour. Some gene abnormalities clearly he made fundamental contributions, has distant cousin of William Bateson (1861- influence behaviour as in Huntington and led to an explosion in the study of how 1926) who invented the word ‘genetics’ Alzheimer’s diseases to give two obvious genetic variation can affect disease sus- in 1905 and who, in his book entitled examples. However other common disor- ceptibility. His own work on the genetics ‘Mendel’s Principles of Heredity’ CUP ders such as schizophrenia or bipolar of colorectal cancer was one of the early 1909, had long adopted the Mendelian disorders have proved more refractory to valuable benefits of this approach; and standpoint whole-heartedly. This led him genetic analysis. Even genome wide his methods are now used routinely to into direct conflict with the biometricians scans have not clarified the issues. But detect subjects who carry such a genetic of the day, notably Karl Pearson, who Professor McGuffin believes that such predisposition in clinics around the believed that heredity involved continu- scans will, ultimately, improve our un- world. His ideas and writings on the ous variation or blending of traits. Due derstanding of the neurobiology of these subject have led to most fruitful develop- to the personalities involved the debate disorders. ments as exemplified by the Wellcome became quite bitter and was still ongoing Trust Case-Control Consortium. The Professor Mandy Fisher then dealt well after 1912. The conflict was finally rapid advances in DNA technology in- with the epigenetics of development, that resolved in 1918 by R A Fisher (1890- cluding the use of polymorphic markers, is how patterns of gene expression are 1962) who showed how both views were DNA hybridisation techniques, and fast established and maintained through cell compatible if one considered that a few DNA sequencing methods have entirely division and changed in an ordered fash- discrete genes acting together could pro- replaced the old serological and electro- ion during development. She described duce the appearance of continuous varia- phoretic techniques and have allowed the three main ways of controlling genes tion in inherited traits as is found, for study of the genetics of 12 common dis- over the long term: 1. Modifying the his- example, in skin colour. eases discussed later in the meeting. tones associated with DNA, 2. Use of Professor Sir David Weatherall small regulatory RNA molecules to si- However Sir Walter’s current interest went on to praise the work of another lence stretches of DNA and 3. Covalent is to use the new technology to study early pioneer of heredity, Sir Archibald modification of DNA by methylation. relationships between various human Garrod (1857-1936). Garrod was fasci- Such changes can alter the packing of populations, their geographical origins, nated by the various colours of the urine nucleosomes to vary the access of tran- their migrations and to relate this to the due to the pigments produced in differ- scription factors and RNA polymerases. available historical and archaeological ent conditions. One in particular, alkap- She illustrated aspects of this in her own information. tonuria causing the urine to become black work of attempting to re-programme on standing, was particularly interesting Professor Marcus Feldman contin- lymphocytes to an induced-pluripotent because in some first cousin marriages it ued on this theme using up to 800,000 state i.e. to be more like stem cells. This occurred in a ratio of 1:3 in the resulting polymorphic DNA markers to track would have important implications for offspring. This was published in the Lan- population movements. It is difficult to regenerative medicine. cet in 1902 and William Bateson recog- do these studies in North America be- nised these numbers as conforming to a cause ethnic status is such a politically Professor Eamonn Maher talked on Mendelian ratio of inheritance as initially sensitive issue – no doubt due in part to cancer genetics taking von Hippel-Lindau described for the garden pea. Alkaptonu- their recent history of slavery. So the disease as his model. This dominantly ria, with the description of several other project was moved to the world stage. inherited cancer syndrome predisposes to metabolic disorders, formed the basis of His work has shown beyond question that retinal and cerebeller haemangioblas- the Croonian Lectures given by Garrod in hominids migrated out of Africa to colo- tomas, renal cell carcinoma, and phaeo- 1908 that firmly placed Mendelian genet- nise the middle and Far East as well as chromocytoma. His laboratory analysis ics into the field of human heredity. Sir Europe. He ended his lecture by suggest- has shown that activation of HIF-2 tran- David ended his lecture by showing how ing that we should drop the term ‘race’ scription factors appears to be a major JUNE 2008 2 GALTON INSTITUTE NEWSLETTER drive for oncogenesis in renal cell carci- nomics was discussed by Dr. Joanna Galton Lecture 2008 noma. Mountain. Selling people the details of Population genetics and the concept of their genome (for about $1000) may pos- Ageing appears a necessary ordeal genetic individuality sibly be of use to them but is also likely that we all have to endure and Professor Professor Sir Walter Bodmer, FRS, to generate a great deal of anxiety in the Tom Kirkwood tried to explain why.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • EUGENICS, HUMAN GENETICS and HUMAN FAILINGS the Eugenics Society, Its Sources and Its Critics in Britain Pauline M.H.Mazumdar
    EUGENICS, HUMAN GENETICS AND HUMAN FAILINGS The Eugenics Society, its sources and its critics in Britain Pauline M.H.Mazumdar London and New York 1992 CONTENTS List of illustrations vii Preface x INTRODUCTION 1 1 THE EUGENICS EDUCATION SOCIETY: THE TRADITION, THE 5 SETTING AND THE PROGRAMME 2 THE AGE OF PEDIGREES: THE METHODOLOGY OF EUGENICS, 40 1900–20 3 IDEOLOGY AND METHOD: R.A.FISHER AND RESEARCH IN 69 EUGENICS 4 THE ATTACK FROM THE LEFT: MARXISM AND THE NEW 106 MATHEMATICAL TECHN JQUES 5 HUMAN GENETICS AND THE EUGENICS PROBLEMATIC 142 EPILOGUE AND CONCLUSION 184 Notes 193 Bibliography 232 Frontispiece Pedigree of the Wedgwood-Darwin-Galton family, the model family of the eugenics movement EUGENICS, HUMAN GENETICS AND HUMAN FAILINGS What is the history of the British eugeriics movement? Why should it be of interest to how scientists work today? This outstanding study follows the history of the eugeriics movements from its roots to its heyday as the source of a science of human genetics. The primary contributions of the book are fourfold. First, it points to nineteenth-century social reform as contributing to the later eugenics movement. Second, it is based upon important archival material newly available to researchers. This material gives the reader an insight into the inner councils of the Society that could not have been obtained by relying upon published sources alone. Third, it treats the statistical methods involved in human genetics historically, in a way that allows the reader to follow their development and tie them to their context within the eugenics movement.
    [Show full text]
  • Genetics Society News
    July 2008 . ISSUE 59 GENETICS SOCIETY NEWS www.genetics.org.uk IN THIS ISSUE Genetics Society News is edited by Steve Russell. Items for future issues should be sent to Steve Russell, preferably by email to • Genetics Society Epigenetics Meeting [email protected], or hard copy to Department of Genetics, • Genetics Society Sponsored Meetings University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EH. The Newsletter is published twice a year, with copy dates of 1st June and • Travel, Fieldwork and Studentship Reports 26th November. • John Evans: an Appreciation Cocoons of the parasitoid wasp Cotesia vestalis on cabbage leaf in Taiwan. From the • Twelve Galton Lectures fieldwork report by Jetske G. de Boer on page 36. • My Favourite Paper A WORD FROM THE EDITOR A word from the editor ow soon until the $1000 based on the results of tests we genome is actually with barely understand! Here in the Hus and individual UK there is currently a sequencing is widespread? The moratorium, adhered to by publication of increasing most insurers, on the use of numbers of individual human genetic testing information for genome sequences suggests assessing life insurance that we should start to consider applications. It is important some of the implications that this remains in place and associated with the availability its effectiveness is reviewed of personal genetic well before the current information. In this issue we moratorium expires in 2011. present two articles reflecting The Human Genetics on his issue: a report from a Commission Genetics Society sponsored (http://www.hgc.gov.uk) meeting recently held in monitor issues relating to Cambridge organised by The genetic discrimination in the Triple Helix, an international UK and are a point of contact undergraduate organisation, as for those with any concerns in the Millennium Technology Prize.
    [Show full text]
  • Australian Eugenics from 1900 to 1961
    AUSTRALIAN EUGENICS FROM 1900 TO 1961 Nina N. Lemieux TC 660H Plan II Honors Program The University of Texas at Austin Dec 1, 2017 Megan Raby, Ph.D. Department of History Supervising Professor George Christian, Ph.D. Department of English Second Reader Abstract Page/Info Author: Nina Lemieux Title: Australian Eugenics from 1900 To 1961 Supervising Professor: Professor Megan Raby, PhD In the first half of the 20th century, colonialism spread the eugenic movement to every inhabited continent. When eugenic ideology declined in the wake of World War II, only the American and German eugenics movements were studied and publicized extensively - the attitudes and policies of countries like Australia were forgotten or even actively buried. This thesis delves into how the eugenics movement specifically manifested in Australia, from who advocated for it to what kind of legislation was proposed, and examines why Australian eugenics presented differently from Britain and other British colonies Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge a number of advisors and friends for their help in completing this thesis. First, I’d like to thank Professor Megan Raby, who took on this project with me even though I lacked the typical history background requisite for such a large project. Professor Raby provided many suggestions that guided this thesis in its final direction. I would have been lost without her guidance and her patience has been so appreciated. I would also thank to thank Professor George Christian, my second reader, who has been the greatest fan of my life since I’ve arrived at The University of Texas. Professor Wetlauffer, if you are reading this, please present him the Chad Oliver Teaching Award because he embodies exactly what I came to UT to find.
    [Show full text]
  • OO3BE] 4 UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTONOMA Ef DE MEXICO
    OO3BE] 4 UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTONOMA ef DE MEXICO , FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS DIVISION DE ESTUDIOS DE POSGRADO ALGUNOS ASPECTOS DE LA ESTERILIZACION EUGENETICA EN CALIFORNIA, DE 1900 a 1929. T E S I S QUE PARA OBTENER EL GRADO ACADEMICO DE MAESTRA EN CIENCIAS (BIOLOGIA) P R E $ E N T OA BIOL. MA. ALICIA VILLELA GONZALEZ DIRECTORA DE TESIS: DRA. EDNA SUAREZ DIAZ — MEXICO, D, F, 4999 TESIS CON | yan ALLA DE ORIGEN , UNAM – Dirección General de Bibliotecas Tesis Digitales Restricciones de uso DERECHOS RESERVADOS © PROHIBIDA SU REPRODUCCIÓN TOTAL O PARCIAL Todo el material contenido en esta tesis esta protegido por la Ley Federal del Derecho de Autor (LFDA) de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos (México). El uso de imágenes, fragmentos de videos, y demás material que sea objeto de protección de los derechos de autor, será exclusivamente para fines educativos e informativos y deberá citar la fuente donde la obtuvo mencionando el autor o autores. Cualquier uso distinto como el lucro, reproducción, edición o modificación, será perseguido y sancionado por el respectivo titular de los Derechos de Autor. INDICE Agradecimientos Introduccion =p 1 Capitulo 1 1.1 La eugenesia como objeto de estudio de la historia p.8 1.2 La perspectiva de este trabajo p.17 2.0 Origenes de la eugenesia Introduccié6n p.20 2.1 Creacion del Banco Antropométrico p.22 2.1 Biometristas darwinianos p.29 2 3 El movimiento de eugenesia en los Estados Unidos p.31 2.3 1 Principales Lideres del movimiento de eugenesia en los Estados Unidos. Charles Davenport p 32 2.3.2.
    [Show full text]
  • Compare the Ways in Which the Science and Practice of Eugenics Were Presented to the British Public Between 1907-1912 and 1937-1942
    200615298 HPSC3601: HPS Dissertation - Long May 2014 Compare the ways in which the science and practice of eugenics were presented to the British public between 1907-1912 and 1937-1942. Student ID: 200615298 Word Count: 11,976 1 200615298 HPSC3601: HPS Dissertation - Long May 2014 0. Introduction 1. Historical Background 2. An original analysis of The Eugenics Review 3. An examination of four categories 4. Explaining eugenics to the British public 4.1. The inner circle: The Eugenics Review 4.2. Expanding the circle: leaflets 4.3. Heredity in Man: a film for all 5. The big change in eugenics 5.1. Eugenics as a solution to social problems 5.2. A move towards birth control 5.3. Focusing on population problems 6. Conclusion Bibliography 2 200615298 HPSC3601: HPS Dissertation - Long May 2014 0. Introduction 'Eugenics' is a term with powerful and emotive connotations. It conjures nightmarish images of genocide, the murder of over six million innocent citizens and sterilization of a further 400,000. It has become synonymous with Hitler's race hygiene which aimed to create the perfect race though the extermination of 'undesirable' groups such as the disabled, homosexuals and, in particular, Jews. The history of eugenics, however, is far more complex than this well-known account. This essay will explore the ways in which the British movement considered and presented eugenics. Eugenic-type ideas emerged in Britain from as early as the mid-19th Century as a result of increasing concerns about the fitness of the population and decline in birth rate. The publication of Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection in 1859 fuelled the idea that human selection and manipulation could be used to improve the population.1 The real starting point of eugenics is often attributed to Francis Galton who was a cousin of Darwin.
    [Show full text]
  • Newsletter September 2010
    ISSN 1359-9321 The Galton Institute NEWSLETTER Galtonia candicans Issue Number 74 September 2010 Origins of Positive Eugenics in Britain Contents The term ‘positive eugenics’ came into Tracing the Trajectory prominence early in the history of of ‘Positive Eugenics’ eugenics, although not before the founda- Tracing the Trajectory of tion of the Eugenics Education Society in in Britain 1907. Several authors have credited its ‘Positive Eugenics’ in creation to Caleb Williams Saleeby by (1878-1940),64 an early leader of the Britain 1 eugenics movement. Saleeby was a gifted Anthony J. Dellureficio speaker and propagandist, though not an investigator. As such he was contentious Galton Institute in the eyes of many of the scientists in the Conference 2010 16 movement, although he played a signifi- What follows is Part 2 of a disserta- cant role by interpreting complicated tion submitted to the University of genetics issues for lay members of the Manchester for the degree of Master eugenics community. A letter he wrote to of Science in the Facultyof Life Francis Galton in 1909 lends support to Sciences. Part 1 appeared in the last Saleeby’s nature as a eugenic neologist. issue of the Newsletter. The letter asks Galton’s opinion on the term “dygenics versus kakogenics. I am for the former as neater and sufficiently correct” and expresses gratitude at Positive Eugenics in Britain Pearson “using my ‘eugenicist’ rather than ‘eugenician’.”65 The introduction of The general theory of eugenics in the term ‘positive eugenics’ did not come Britain arose from investigations into how without dissention, however. Numerous society affects evolution and ‘natural debates were recorded in the Eugenics selection’, and whether humans could Review, for example in 1910, Montague employ the laws of evolution to improve Crackanthorpe (1832-1913), second their social condition.
    [Show full text]
  • Introducción Al Origen, Difusión Y Práctica Política De La Eugenesia
    GRADO DE HISTORIA 2014 – 2015 TRABAJO FIN DE GRADO: “Introducción al origen, difusión y práctica política de la Eugenesia. Desde 1860 hasta 1945.” Trabajo realizado por Ayoze E. Ramos Velázquez Dirigido por Inmaculada Blasco Herranz “Las influencias sociales, de todo tipo, tienen al final un inmenso poder y son muy variadas.” Francis Galton (Hereditary Genius, 1869). 2 ÍNDICE. Pág. 0. Resumen y Abstract. 4 1. Introducción 5 2. Francis Galton y su proyecto. 8 3. Contextos de la Eugenesia y su difusión. 18 3.1 Contexto y difusión en Inglaterra. 19 3.2 Contexto y difusión en Estados Unidos. 23 3.3 Contexto y difusión en Alemania. 28 4. Aplicaciones legales de la eugenesia. 32 4.1 Aplicaciones legales de la eugenesia en Inglaterra. 33 4.1 Aplicaciones legales de la eugenesia en Estados Unidos. 34 4.1 Aplicaciones legales de la eugenesia en Alemania. 37 5. Interpretaciones recientes sobre la eugenesia en la Historia. 39 6. Conclusiones 43 7. Anexos: cuadros cronológicos de datos sobre la eugenesia en Inglaterra, Estados Unidos y en Alemania 46 Bibliografía. 49 3 Resumen. El tema de la eugenesia ha constituido desde su origen un asunto tan polémico en el ámbito de las ciencias y académico, en general, como prácticamente desconocido en el ámbito de la cultura popular. La importancia que la eugenesia tuvo, y continúa teniendo en la cultura contemporánea, dará como resultado un amplísimo abanico de investigaciones sobre la misma desde distintas disciplinas: biología, medicina, genética, antropología, sociología, filosofía, psicología e historia, entre otros. Este trabajo pretende aclarar preguntas sencillas sobre la eugenesia: ¿qué es?, ¿cuándo y dónde surge?, ¿cómo evoluciona?, ¿cuáles son las causas que motivan su aceptación?, o ¿qué grado de éxito tuvo dentro de las políticas de algunos estados? Se presentarán, para entender esta cuestión, los ejemplos de Inglaterra, Estados Unidos y Alemania, como claves de difusión y políticas orientadas al éxito de la eugenesia desde finales del siglo XIX hasta la primera mitad del siglo XX.
    [Show full text]
  • British Eugenics Failure and Success
    Duquesne University Duquesne Scholarship Collection Electronic Theses and Dissertations Spring 5-8-2020 British Eugenics Failure and Success Angela Gallagher Follow this and additional works at: https://dsc.duq.edu/etd Part of the Bioethics and Medical Ethics Commons, European History Commons, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Commons, Medical Humanities Commons, and the Social History Commons Recommended Citation Gallagher, A. (2020). British Eugenics Failure and Success (Master's thesis, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/1883 This One-year Embargo is brought to you for free and open access by Duquesne Scholarship Collection. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Duquesne Scholarship Collection. BRITISH EUGENICS FAILURE AND SUCCESS A Thesis Submitted to the McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts Duquesne University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts By Angela M. Gallagher May 2020 Copyright by Angela M. Gallagher 2020 BRITISH EUGENICS FAILURE AND SUCCESS By Angela M. Gallagher Approved March 27th, 2020 ________________________________ ________________________________ Dr. John C. Mitcham Dr. Andrew Simpson Associate Professor of History Assistant Professor of History (Committee Chair) (Committee Member) ________________________________ ________________________________ Dr. Kristine Blair Dr. John C. Mitcham Dean, McAnulty College Chair, History Associate Professor of History iii ABSTRACT BRITISH EUGENICS FAILURE AND SUCCESS By Angela M. Gallagher March 2020 Thesis supervised by Dr. John Mitcham and Dr. Andrew Simpson The historical narrative of eugenics often focuses on those eugenic societies and movements that ‘succeeded’ in part or in full in achieving a eugenic society.
    [Show full text]
  • Galton Review
    ISSN 2397-9917 Issue 3 Winter 2016-2017 Exploring Human Heredity The Galton Review www.galtoninstitute.org.uk CONTENTS Editorial 3 Galton Institute Conference 2016 Environmental factors in gene regulation 4 The Artemis Trust 10 The Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2016 11 Gordon Research Conference 2016 13 16th World Congress on Pain 16 The African Society for Human Genetics Conference 2016 17 Galton Institute Postdoctoral travel grant 19 Galton Institute conferences 2017 20 Front Cover Image: Depositphotos.com Published by: The Galton Institute, 19 Northfields Prospect, London, SW18 1PE Tel: 020 8874 7257 www.galtoninstitute.org.uk General Secretary: Mrs Betty Nixon [email protected] Review Editor: Mr Robert Johnston 2 EDITORIAL The highlight of the Institute’s year is always the Annual Conference and this year’s event proved to be extremely popular with over 250 delegates in attend- ance. A full report of the proceedings can be found on page 4. The Galton Lecture is, in turn, the highlight of the Conference and the 2016 edi- tion was especially noteworthy as it was the 100th in the series. It was first given in 1914, and there has since been an almost unbroken run, with only three omis- sions in all that time. The list of speakers reads like a veritable ‘who’s who’ of eminent social and biological scientists who have been associated with the Gal- ton Institute. Many were experts of world renown, including three Nobel laure- ates, and all considered themes which were of great significance at the time. In 1943 Sir William Beveridge delivered his Galton Lecture on the very day the ‘Beveridge Report’ was being debated in the House of Commons.
    [Show full text]
  • Eugenics in the Post-War United States
    Working Papers on the Nature of Evidence: How Well Do “Facts” Travel? No. 12/06 Confronting the Stigma of Perfection: Genetic Demography, Diversity and the Quest for a Democratic Eugenics in the Post-war United States Edmund Ramsden © Edmund Ramsden Department of Economic History London School of Economics August 2006 how ‘facts’ “The Nature of Evidence: How Well Do ‘Facts’ Travel?” is funded by The Leverhulme Trust and the E.S.R.C. at the Department of Economic History, London School of Economics. For further details about this project and additional copies of this, and other papers in the series, go to: http://www.lse.ac.uk/collection/economichistory/ Series Editor: Dr. Jon Adams Department of Economic History London School of Economics Houghton Street London WC2A 2AE Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0) 20 7955 6727 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7955 7730 Confronting the Stigma of Perfection: Genetic Demography, Diversity and the Quest for a Democratic Eugenics in the Post- war United States1 Edmund Ramsden Abstract Eugenics has played an important role in the relations between social and biological scientists of population through time. Having served as a site for the sharing of data and methods between disciplines in the early twentieth century, scientists and historians have tended to view its legacy in terms of reduction and division - contributing distrust, even antipathy, between communities in the social and the biological sciences. Following the work of Erving Goffman, this paper will explore how eugenics has, as the epitome of “bad” or “abnormal” science, served as a “stigma symbol” in the politics of boundary work.
    [Show full text]
  • Retrospectives Eugenics and Economics in the Progressive Era
    Journal of Economic Perspectives—Volume 19, Number 4—Fall 2005—Pages 207–224 Retrospectives Eugenics and Economics in the Progressive Era Thomas C. Leonard This feature addresses the history of economic terms and ideas. The hope is to deepen the workaday dialogue of economists, while perhaps also casting new light on ongoing questions. If you have suggestions for future topics or authors, please write to Joseph Persky, c/o Journal of Economic Perspectives, Department of Econom- ics (M/C 144), University of Illinois at Chicago, 601 South Morgan Street, Room 2103, Chicago, Illinois 60607-7121. Introduction American economics transformed itself during the Progressive Era. In the three to four decades after 1890, American economics became an expert policy science and academic economists played a leading role in bringing about a vastly more expansive state role in the American economy. By World War I, the U.S. government amended the Constitution to institute a personal income tax, created the Federal Reserve, applied antitrust laws, restricted immigration and began regulation of food and drug safety. State governments, where the reform impulse was stronger still, regulated working conditions, banned child labor, instituted “mothers’ pensions,” capped working hours and set minimum wages. Less well known is that a crude eugenic sorting of groups into deserving and undeserving classes crucially informed the labor and immigration reform that is the hallmark of the Progressive Era (Leonard, 2003). Reform-minded economists of the Progressive Era defended exclusionary labor and immigration legislation on y Tim Leonard is Lecturer in Economics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey. His e-mail address is ͗[email protected]͘.
    [Show full text]
  • Eugenics, Population Research, and Social Mobility Studies
    Population and Social Mobility EUGENICS, POPULATION RESEARCH, AND SOCIAL MOBILITY STUDIES IN EARLY AND MID-TWENTIETH-CENTURY BRITAIN* CHRIS RENWICK University of York Abstract: Eugenics and sociology are often considered polar opposites, with the former seen as a pseudo-science that reduces everything to genes and the other a progressive social science focused on the environment. However, the situation was not Quite so straightforward in mid-twentieth- century Britain. As this article shows, eugenics had a number of important formative intellectual, institutional, and methodological impacts on ideas and practices that would find a home in the rapidly expanding and diversifying discipline of sociology after the Second World War. Taking in the careers of leading individuals, including Alexander Carr-Saunders, William Beveridge, Julian Huxley, and David Glass, and focusing on the relationship between eugenics, ‘population research’, and the emerging field of social mobility studies, the article highlights the significant but underappreciated influence interwar biosocial thinking had on intellectual, scientific, and political cultures in post-war Britain. In so doing, the article draws on recent scholarship on the ‘technical identity’ embedded in mid-century British social science, which, it is suggested, provided the link between the research under consideration and the progressive politics of those who carried it out. 1 Population and Social Mobility On the evening of 17 February 1936, the biologist and popular science writer Julian Huxley (1887- 1975) stood before a meeting of the Eugenics Society at the Waldorf Hotel in London. He was there to deliver the Galton Lecture, a prestigious highlight of the society’s calendar and an annual event that had been established eighteen years earlier to commemorate Francis Galton, Charles Darwin’s cousin and coiner of the word eugenics.
    [Show full text]