Branch, H. A., Klingler, A. N., Byers, K. J., Panofsky, A., & Peers, D. (2022). Discussions of the “not so fit”: how ableism limits diverse thought and investigative potential in evolutionary biology. The American Naturalist, 200(1), 101-113. https://doi.org/10.1086/720003

Loehlin, J. C. (2009). History of behavior genetics. Download History of behavior genetics.In Handbook of behavior genetics (pp. 3-11). New York, NY: Springer New York. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-76727-7_1 - This is a standard “history of the field” text. Fun fact: the first organizational meeting that would become the Behavior Genetics Association (BGA) took place at UIUC in 1970.

Behavior Genetics Association (2021, April). Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan. https://bga.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=971921&module_id=567723 - A key statement on the relevance of this week’s material: “The history of our field is inextricably linked with racism, including the misuse of behavior genetic research to support violent eugenic policies.” This is a marked divergence from the response to the 1995 Glayde Whitney Affair as described in Loehlin (2009).

Watch an interview with a survivor of the US eugenic sterilization program. Eugenicist Movement in America: Victims Coming Forward (15:04)

Skim the Wikipedia article on the history of eugenics. It’s long and detailed and includes examples from around the world.


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