Relating to eugenics, the study of hereditary improvement through selective breeding or genetic management.
From Greek eu- (good, well) and gen- (born, origin), literally 'well-born' or 'of good birth.' The term was coined in the 1880s by Francis Galton, Charles Darwin's cousin.
The word 'eugenic' started innocently enough as a term for hereditary improvement, but it became forever associated with forced sterilization, Nazi breeding programs, and genocidal policies—one of the saddest examples of how a scientific concept can be weaponized.
Eugenics explicitly targeted women's reproductive autonomy; forced sterilizations, prohibitions on marriage, and reproductive coercion were justified through eugenic logic. The ideology was gendered at its core—women were the targets of control.
Use only in historical, critical, or scientific critique contexts. Always center the harm to reproductive autonomy, particularly of marginalized women.
["genetic selection (neutral scientific term)","reproductive control (when describing harm)","selective breeding (non-human)"]
Reproductive justice movements, led by Black women and Indigenous women, have articulated resistance to eugenic frameworks and reclaimed the right to bodily autonomy and self-determination.
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