The Dark History of Pseudoscience: Race, Power, and Control

Delve into the unsettling history of eugenics and its enduring impact with this comprehensive course. Explore the disturbing legacy of pseudoscience and its role in shaping global events. This course unpacks the disturbing global history and legacy of eugenics and pseudoscience.

Here's a closer look at what you'll discover:

• The Birth of Eugenics and Scientific Racism: Uncover how 19th-century scientists misused methods like skull measurements, IQ scores, and Social Darwinism to create hierarchies of humanity and justify discrimination and exclusion. Learn about the origins of scientific racism.
• Sterilization, Disability, and State Control: Examine the dark history of forced sterilization programs in countries like the U.S., Canada, and Sweden, often targeting vulnerable populations including women, people with disabilities, and communities of color. Understand the intersection of eugenics and state power.
• Global Eugenics and the Politics of Population Control: Investigate how colonial powers and Cold War governments, alongside influential organizations like the Rockefeller Foundation and USAID, implemented population control measures, including "voluntary" sterilization and genetic screening, particularly in the Global South. Explore the history of eugenics in global contexts.
• The New Eugenics: Data, DNA, and Algorithmic Discrimination: Discover how contemporary technologies – from predictive policing and embryo selection to AI hiring software and healthcare algorithms – perpetuate eugenic principles in subtle yet powerful ways. Learn about algorithmic discrimination and its roots in historical eugenics.
• Resistance and Reckoning: Explore the ongoing fight back against eugenics, highlighting the contributions of survivors, activists, and scholars who are challenging these harmful ideologies.

Throughout the course, we'll analyze connections across gender, race, class, and colonialism, utilizing real-world case studies, legal precedents, and current technological developments.

This course equips you with more than just historical knowledge; it provides a critical lens for questioning the relationship between science and power in the 21st century. Gain the tools to critically evaluate scientific claims and understand how historical injustices continue to shape our world.