Eugenics

In my biology class, we are studying genetics and the origins of the study of genetics. We were given the following link to explain the social and scientific origins of eugenics. I did do some of my own research on the topic, I will include the links below:
http://www.eugenicsarchive.org/eugenics/
http://www.naturalnews.com/035185_Australia_sterilization_children.html#ixzz1oXcYBif5
Eugenics is the study or belief of improving human qualities by discouraging or encouraging human reproduction. It is the idea that traits passed down through parents or traits mixing through parents could improve human qualities overall. Mendel believed each visible trait was governed by a pair of factors, one member of each gene pair from the mother and father.
As far as social origi1ns, eugenics developed in a period following the Civil War. Cities and industry began to expand at this time. There were many social and economic inequalities, many had tried to explain these inequalities, however by the end of the century, these ideas didn't matter because of new, arising issues. Birthrate was declining. New ways of solving these problems developed: charity, social work, and religious institutions. These actions helped a little with the problems occurring at this time. However, people began to turn to science as their last hope. Genetics explained human social problems like pauperism, feeblemindedness, alcoholism, rebelliousness nomadism, criminality, and prostitution. Many scientists supporting eugenics claimed that society paid a high price for these defective individuals to be cared for by the state. Immigrants were seen as mischievous troublemakers at this time. Many scientists believed that their behavior was connected to their genes. They decided on selection immigration restriction. Eugenics was considered to many, a solution to the combined problems. It placed cause on the defective germ plasm of people in differentiating ethnic groups, and not the structure of society itself. Eugenics has solid scientific proof that blames the victims for their own problems. And because of that, eugenics held a lot of weight in this time period.
As far as scientific origins; By 1883, Francis Galton coined the term eugenics. He perceived the philosophy morally and encouraged the healthiest people to have children. This idea is called The Galtonian ideal of eugenics and is termed positive eugenics. There is also a negative approach in which the least healthy are separated from society in order for the healthy to breed and preserve the healthy people. The negative approach was favored by the United States, Germany, and Scandinavia. There were concerns about environmental influences that would damage heredity and that this would cause ill health, early death, insanity, and defective offspring. These concerns formed the degeneracy theory in the early 1700s. This theory was strong throughout the 19th century. Masterbation was presented in medical schools as the first biological theory for degeneracy. This idea drove Harry Clay Sharp, a prison physician, to do vasectomies on prisoners in Jefferson, Indiana in 1899. Sharp's medical colleagues advocated this idea, this led to the Indiana law that mandated compulsory sterilization of "degenerates". This law was enacted in 1907 and was the first eugenic sterilization law in the United States. As previously stated, many scientists believed that bad environments caused degeneracy. Bendict Morel believed that poisoning by mercury, ergot, and other toxic substances in the environments caused degeneracy. Richard Dugdale is a socialist who believed good environments make degenerate people into healthy people again. This idea was challenged by August Welsmann, he had a theory o germ plasm that was convincing to most scientists. It is a theory that changes in the body tissue had no effect on reproductive tissue. As the 20th century began, Welsmann's ideas were absorbed by degeneracy theorists, these theorists supported the negative eugenics model. There were many scientists who strongly disagreed with eugenics and ignored it completely. The contributions to genetics made by these scientists were quickly viewed by eugenicists, the eugenicists took interest in Mendellan's analysis of pedigree humans, plants and animals. Agricultural eugenics supported and provided the favored negative model for eugenics.
Today, eugenics is still an issue in countries around the world, though it may have began in the United States, the idea of sterilizing a deficient human to improve the overall human race is still a big idea and concern in many countries.