Eugenics is considered to be a technology and social practice of the past, swept away in our closest of all things ugly and bad. But the past is, in fact, quite recent, especially in the Alberta region in so far as forced sterilization was only outlawed in 1972–yes 1972.
If your physical body is here in Edmonton and are interested in the ways in which science and technology can has been placed on a truly “mad path” in the name of progress and how we are in danger of repeating the past via new genetic technologies, do check out this conference Eugenics and Sterilization in Alberta
35 Years Later .
Free and open to the public, it kicks off tonight and continues all day tomorrow. The line-up of speakers is great and most important is that it includes talks by some of those who were caught by the very unfortunate web of eugenic laws.
These days, few are prepared to declare that they support eugenics; and the state is much more careful with questions of reproduction. But consider the number of pregnancies ended when Down Syndrome is detected in the fetus: over 90% according to Wikipedia. Isn’t that a form of eugenics, one legal and publicly funded in Alberta and elsewhere?
Comment by M. Grégoire — April 27, 2007 @ 8:57 am
Yep and that is one of the issues explored in the conferece and the larger topic of the What Sorts of People project that is hosting it. One form of it may be in the past, but there are new types of “less visible” eugenics practices in our midsts and it is worth understanding the connections and disconnections with the forms of the past.
b
Comment by Biella — April 27, 2007 @ 9:27 am