Approaching Eugenics in the Classroom

Eugenics is generally associated with Nazi Germany and the pseudoscientific movement of the early 20th century. In addition to genocide and other reprehensible practices such as forced sterilization, the eugenicists propagated many scientific inaccuracies and prejudiced ideas that persist in modern society. Unfortunately, the eugenic movement&rsquo;s lasting impacts are often overlooked and not readily evident to the general population. Therefore, educating students about how to identify these inaccuracies posing as science and how to refute their claims is a necessary exercise to extinguish myths that foster discriminatory practices. It is the responsibility of educators to aggressively approach these topics in our classes and dispel the lingering eugenics in our classroom. In this essay, I will share some insights for teaching eugenics to upper division non-STEM students and urge the introduction of anti-eugenic themes into biology courses. <em>Primary Image:</em>&nbsp;The Eugenic tree. Logo designed by Harry H. Laughlin for the Second International Eugenics Congress, September 25&ndash;27, 1921 (public domain, Wikimedia commons).