Eugenics, Race and Intelligence in Education

Description

For over a hundred years, psychologists and human biologists have been engaged in an often heated debate as to whether 'heredity' or 'environment' should be viewed as the determining factor in the creation of the human personality. For teachers and educationists, the discussion has tended to focus on how the human mind functions and intellectual powers develop. The controversy is often simply expressed in terms of 'nature' versus 'nurture,' with some scientists declaring that human beings are a product of a transaction between the two. To many, such enquiry and speculation is little more than futile and depressing. Yet it can surely be argued that at least with regard to the development of abilities, the 'nature' versus 'nurture' debate has had dire consequences for the education of millions of young people. Furthermore, we need to question why this debate has been pursued with such vigour in both Britain and America.

Clyde Chitty is Associate Professor at IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society, University College London, UK.

Reviewed in Quarterly Review 'A fascinating account of the history of the eugenics 'movement'... Eugenics, Race and Intelligence in Education is a fascinating resource for the reader and exposes the pervasiveness of eugenic ideas amongst policy makers.' childRIGHT, December - January 2008 "Clyde Chitty's vitally important new book provides a timely, skilful unpacking of the inter-related concepts of race, eugenics and general intelligence. Chitty, Professor of Education at Goldsmith's College, draws upon wide-ranging historical sources to demonstrate how this dehumanizing triad has been repeatedly invoked to justify the ordering of educational systems according to hierarchies of social class and ethnicity...It is not hyperbolic to say that I think that anyone, working in any sector of education, would gain from reading this scholarly, deeply humanistic book." Educational Review, December 2009 "Clyde Chitty's piece on eugenic theories and education should be required reading for all teachers and especially students ..." Review of 'A Tribute to Caroline Benn' in Race Equality Teaching * Blurb from reviewer * '[Eugenics, Race and Intelligence in Education] is accurate, lucid, very readable and academic without any academicism ... it has a critical role to play in today's debates and needs to be read and considered by millions.' Chris Searle, The Morning Star * Morning Star, The *