Academic literature on the topic 'Rashygien'

Statens institut för rasbiologi i Uppsala var det första i sitt slag att öppna i världen. Statlig utsovring av undermåliga människor diskuterades på många håll men förverkligades bara i ett fåtal länder. Bland dem hörde Sverige till pionjärerna. Efter andra världskriget blev det tyst om institutet i Uppsala. Det som en gång var rikets stolthet blev nu något det inte talades öppet om. Rasbiologiska institutet lades ner 1959.

Vilka var de sista svenska forskarna att studera vid Statens institut för rasbiologi?

Vart tog de vägen? Och vad finns i dag kvar efter rasbiologiska institutet?

This study investigates the treatment of race biology and related subjects in Swedish schoolbooks from 1873 to 1994, with special emphasis on the “gymnasium”-level. The concept of race biology has several connotations: it is at one hand related to physical anthropology and at the other to eugenics. Like in Germany the latter was in Sweden first called “racial hygiene”. After an introduction giving the historical background the books are reviewed for their content on this matter. The conclusions drawn are as follows:

1. During the late 19th century and early 20th century, mental, cultural and physical appearances of peoples from various parts of the world are discussed with little emphasis on the distinction between race (as a biological concept) and culture.

2. Finns and Lapps are in early books considered as belonging to the Mongolian race. This may be understood in terms of the confusion between classification of race and language but also of at the time prevailing theories of Sweden’s racial history.

3. Around 1930 a distinction between race, as a biological concept, and people, as a linguistic and cultural concept is pronounced. Personality characteristics are attributed to biological races.

4. The dark-skinned African and Australian populations are treated with special disrespect, whereas the lighter-skinned Polynesians are discussed with high esteem.

5. The teachings of the Nazi racialist H. F. K. Günther have a decisive impact on the treatment of in particular European ”races” and their mental characters on at least one author. Even the word “master-race” is used for the Nordic race. The most controversial parts of this teaching are removed in 1945.

6. From the 1950’s onward the interest in races is diminished in books in geography, and in the biology books racism is generally condemned.

7. Eugenics (racial hygiene) is advocated in biology books into the 1970’s, in a manner close enough to be called political propaganda. The low efficiency of sterilisation against Mendelian recessives is generally presented. The Swedish sterilisation policies at the time are presented in detail in the biology books.

8. Traditional race classification is present still in the 1980’s, even with regard to the European “racial types”. Much attention is given to the “extreme” racial crossing between Europeans and Hottentots.

9. In a biology book from 1967, control of the third world population explosion (in itself a theme from the 1950’s onward) is explicitly discussed in the context of eugenics.

10. When modern in utero diagnostic methods are discussed in the 1990’s, eugenics is not concerned.

I denna uppsats ges en analys av läkaren Johan Almkvists skrift Sexuallivet i våra samhällen och möjligheten av dess förbättrande. Skriften publicerades 1942, under en tid av stora förändringar inom sexualpolitiken i Sverige. Då läkarna under denna tid fått en större vetenskaplig auktoritet även inom sexuallivet kan denna skrift ses som en representation för sin tid. Genom en analys av texten i jämförelse med samtidens samhälle påvisas en läkares tankar om förändringen gällande sexualiteten och varför en publikation av detta slag ansågs behövas. Uppsatsen undersöker vad denna läkare ansåg behövde förbättras i samhället och varför, samt hur detta skulle uppnås. Analysen är upplagd utefter de stora teman boken berör, rashygien, samhällsnytta samt könssjukdomar och sexualupplysning, teman som också var stora i samhället under denna tid. I uppsatsen framhålls hur Almkvist ansåg att sexuallivet skulle bli mindre samhällsskadligt genom att hålla sig till de skyldigheter han ställer upp. Skyldigheter som alla berör just områdena kring rashygien, samhällsnytta samt könssjukdomar och sexualupplysning.

The aim with this study is to investigate how racial biology gained its foothold in the Swedish welfare society, the consequences it entailed and how to motivate sanctions against individuals who were considered to deviate from the norm. In order to investigate these issues, I have used discourse analysis as a method. The material I have used has consisted of motions to the Swedish parliament, journal entries and other documents of importance that have been written during this time. The consequences of racial biology are the eugenics measures that affect a large group of the population, through sterilization and institutionalization. The actions are motivated by the need for protection of society and the need to reduce the risk of degeneration of the genes. The most evident in the documents, to the Swedish parliament, regarding the establishment of a racial biology institute are cost effective and degeneration issues.

This dissertation examines two daily newspapers’ representations of eugenics from the incipient racial biological investigation 1919 until 1958, and the State Institute for Racial Biology is reorganized. The dissertation also aims to examine whether there are any distinct turning points where the newspapers distance themselves from the ideas and the research of eugenics. The analysis material is based on newspaper articles from two national dailies, i.e., Svenska Dagbladet and Dagens Nyheter. The theoretical framework and method are based on Fairclough’s discourse theory and analysis to observe and elucidate how eugenics is represented over a longer period of time. The conclusion of the dissertation is that the newspapers continuously designate racial biology as something unique and being the salvation from degeneration until Herman Lundborg resigns as head of the institute. After Gunnar Dahlberg took over the managerial position the activities at the Institute changed course and the research undertaken there became engaged in medical genetics and social medicine instead of racial biology. The main argument for the establishment of the institute was that it would provide protection for the Swedish race. The norms and attitudes were more about the science and somewhat about nationalism, while what we now call racism did not seem to be included at all. The discourses about racial biology that have arisen have been maintained in society through the newspapers, as the recipients have been continuously fed with praiseworthy and warning words. This fits with Foucault’s reasoning and theory which he clarifies the fact that discourses are conditioned by how society discusses about something that over time has been an influence on how people are classified or treated by the newspapers that maintains it.

The State Institution for Education of Feebleminded Girls was one of the two swedish educational institutions established under state management in the 1920s and came to be the starting point for further government operations for the mentally deficient. The purpose of this paper was to investigate the activities of the State Institution for Education of Feebleminded Girls, out of what needs the institution filled in Sweden’s care for the mentally deficient. The institution has tried to be understood from the view of eugenics and the perspective of children that was current during the 1900s first half.To fulfill the purpose of the study, the archives for the State Institution for Education of Feebleminded Girls was studied and analyzed with basis of previous research on Sweden’s care for the mentally deficient and the impact from eugenics and Sweden’s child perspective.The study shows that the State Institution for Education of Feebleminded Girls mostly existed to educate students and adapt them to the community, which the institution did by education, disciplinary interventions and sterilizations. It is found in the study that the institution didn’t have any regular care of individuals in any great extent, which is also consistent with what previous research have reported concerning Sweden’s care for the mentally deficient. The study further shows that the State Institution for Education of Feebleminded Girls was largely coloured by the perception of mentally deficient as a threat to society. It appears that the institution primarily focused upon the interests of society and therefore often reduced the individual's interests and autonomy.

Nykterhetsrörelsen nyttjade rasbiologin i sin argumentation under 1900-talets första årtionden. Det fanns kopplingar mellan nykterhetsrörelsen, politiken och vetenskapen. Rasbiologin var allmänt accepterad som vetenskap. Flera av rön pekade på faror med att nyttja alkohol. I ett omfattande antal föreläsningar förmedlade nykterhetsrörelsen att alkoholen kunde orsaka degeneration genom skador på arvsanlag. Rörelsen fortsatte verka för rasbiologin på den politiska arenan. Nykterhetsrörelsen och dess företrädare i Sveriges riksdag spelade en aktiv och drivande roll för de beslut som etablerade ett statligt svensk rasbiologiskt institut 1922.
The Swedish temperance movement used race biology in arguing for it sake during the first decades of the 20th century. There were connections between the temperance movement, science and politics. Race biology was generally acccepted as science at the time. Representatives from the temperance movement claimed in public lectures that alcohol intake by parents could cause irreparable damages to their offspring and ultimately degeneration to "the race". The movement was well represented in the Swedish parliament. Their representatives were instrumental in the decisions leading to the establishment of the Swedish State Institute for Racial Biology in 1922.