Eugenics, Race and Intelligence in EducationFor 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. |
Contents
The Structure of the Book | 1 |
Nature versus Nurture | 5 |
Chapter 1 The Threat of Mass Education | 9 |
Chapter 2 The Origins of the Eugenics Movement | 25 |
Chapter 3 Eugenics and the Intellectuals | 45 |
Chapter 4 IQ and ElevenPlus Selection | 65 |
Chapter 5 Intelligence Testing Challenged | 81 |
Chapter 6 The New Preoccupation with Intelligence and Race | 97 |
Chapter 7 The Durability of Eugenic Theories | 113 |
Prospects for the Future | 125 |
Notes | 133 |
References | 143 |
Index | 153 |
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Common terms and phrases
ability achievement areas argued Arthur Jensen Benn birth control Black Paper breeding Brian Simon Britain British Burt’s Cambridge Caroline Benn Chapter child Chitty Clyde Chitty Comprehensive School compulsory sterilization concept concerned culture curriculum Cyril Burt Darwin debate early Education Act education system eleven-plus selection elite England ethnic eugenic ideas eugenic theories eugenicists feebleminded Francis Galton genetic gifted and talented Gillham Government grammar schools groups Hans Eysenck Hearnshaw heredity Herrnstein and Murray human Huxley ibid individual influence inheritance innate intellectual Intelligence in Education intelligence testing Jensen Karl Pearson Keith Joseph Labour Learning without Limits London mental middle classes nature Nazi nineteenth century political population primary schools problems Professor programme Psychology psychometrists published pupils quoted Race and Intelligence racial racial hygiene reform Report School Boards secondary education secondary modern schools secondary schools social society sterilization teachers teaching working-class World Yeats