Psychiatry and the Legacies of Eugenics
Historical Studies of Alberta and Beyond
Description
An impressively detailed volume that illustrates how the emerging field of psychiatry was heavily influenced by eugenic thought and contributed to the longevity of sterilization practices in Western Canada. Contributors trace the impact of eugenics on nursing practices, politics, and social attitudes, while investigating how eugenics discourse remained mostly unexamined in psychiatric practice. This volume extends historical analysis into considerations of contemporary policy and human rights issues with a discussion of disability studies and compensation claims for victims of sterilization.