HS2O63: Eugenics in Britain: Science, Politics and Society, 1865 to the Present Day

Module code: HS2O63

Module provider: History; School of Humanities

Credits: 20

Level: 5

When you鈥檒l be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Professor David Stack , email: d.a.stack@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2025/6

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 3 April 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module aims to develop an understanding of the history of eugenics in Britain.聽

During the module, we aim to explore a series of historical questions, including: What were the roots of eugenics in the nineteenth century? How successful was eugenics in Britain? What was the relationship between eugenics and religious belief? What arguments were made against eugenics? Why did eugenics appeal to certain groups, including some feminists? How did British eugenicists respond to eugenic initiatives in the USA and Nazi Germany? What happened to eugenics after World War Two? How should institutions and organizations with connections to a eugenic past manage that legacy today?聽

In answering these questions, the module aims to show how our understanding of the history of eugenics has depended, in large part, upon the decisions historians have made about how it should be studied.聽

As well as developing historical understanding, the module is also designed with the purpose of developing the employability skills of students. To this end, the module is structured around three authentic assessments, each of which depend upon deep historical knowledge, but which require that knowledge to be presented in a format with potential relevance for future interview or employment situations.聽

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:聽

1. Understand the historical development of eugenics, from the nineteenth century to the present day.聽
2. Appreciate the importance of historiographical disputes in understanding, and changing our understanding, of eugenics.聽
3. Independently, identify and analyse primary sources.聽
4. Express ideas effectively, both orally and in writing.聽
5. Articulate an understanding of how the skills learned in history degrees can be deployed in potential employment scenarios.聽

Module content

We will start by exploring the contribution of Francis Galton, who coined the term eugenics in 1883, before examining the formation and make-up of the Eugenics Education Society (estld.1907) and the work of the Eugenics Laboratory, based at University College London (UCL). We will go on to consider how eugenic thought, and eugenic campaigners, influenced the passing of the Mental Deficiency Act (1913) and examine the relationship between eugenics and inter-war campaigns for birth control, with an especial focus on Marie Stopes. The module will examine how the Eugenics Society responded to the spread of sterilisation legislation in the US and northern Europe, and how it regarded Nazism in Germany. We will also consider how eugenics persisted after 1945 and round off our chronology by looking at how various institutions and groups, including UCL and MSI Reproductive Choices, have dealt with their eugenics legacies.聽

Alongside this historical chronology, students will be encouraged to engage critically with a series of historiographical questions, including: To what extent was eugenics an outgrowth of Darwinism? Was British eugenics concerned more with class than race? Does it make sense to distinguish between mainline and reform eugenics? Why did eugenics in Britain fail? How can we study eugenics from the standpoint of its victims/survivors?聽

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

• Teaching will be by a variety of methods which may include:聽聽
• 尝别肠迟耻谤别蝉;听
• Seminars, which Seminars rely on structured group discussion and may also include seminar papers by students, discussion of evidence, team-based exercises, and debates;聽
• Online exercises, including quizzes and worksheets;聽
• Discussion boards; and聽聽
• Independent study.聽聽聽

Study hours

At least 33 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: /cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Group work exercise, to produce a biography of a lesser known eugenicist; and up to 2 sides of A4 pan for the consulting report.

Reassessment

Additional costs