- Author: Yeom, Woon Ok
- Title:The British Eugenics Movement and Maternalism: An Analysis of the "Eugenics Society" and Its Activities from 1907 to the 1930s
- Language: Korean
- Journal: The Western History Review 54: 350-352
- Publication Year: 2005
- Publisher: The Korean Society of Western History
■ Abstract This paper seeks to reconstruct the history of the British eugenics movement with particular emphasis on the concept of maternalism. The term eugenics, signifying the science of improving the qualities of a "race," was introduced by Francis Galton, cousin of Charles Darwin, in 1883. Amidst the decline of the British Empire, deteriorating public health, physical weakening, and declining birth rates, Galton’s eugenic ideas gained momentum, culminating in the establishment of the Eugenics Society in 1907. Central to eugenicists' emphasis on motherhood was the intent to bring reproduction under state oversight as a means of enhancing the "quality" of the population. Concurrently, feminists viewed motherhood issues as a foundation for advocating women's rights and advancing gender equality. The Eugenics Society became involved in various contemporary social reform efforts, including campaigns for family allowances, birth control, divorce law reform, and venereal disease prevention, asserting that safeguarding motherhood was essential to augmenting both the "quantity" and "quality" of future generations. This paper examines the primary activities of the Eugenics Society in fostering social reforms from the early 20th century to the 1930s, exploring the complex interplay between eugenist maternalism and feminist maternalism. (text omitted) In conclusion, this paper evaluates how the alliance with maternalist feminism allowed eugenics to move beyond a purely genetic determinism, thereby expanding the "nurture" component embedded within its ideological framework. While this shift towards a focus on nurture diluted core eugenic principles and lessened the movement’s drive, it also fostered public acceptance by presenting eugenics as a flexible concept integrating environmental considerations. |
