Senior Project Advisor
Merrill Peterson
Document Type
Project
Publication Date
Spring 2022
Keywords
scientific racism, race, biology, evolution, white supremacy, race science, eugenics, Social Darwinism, sterilization, racism
Abstract
A dissection of the origins, history, persistence, and impacts of various threads of scientific racism. This paper traces scientific racism from its roots in evolutionary biology through Social Darwinism and eugenics. By exploring the historical connection between scientific racism and white supremacy, this research aims to reveal some of the ways in which contemporary science, racism, and society at large have been shaped by the past. Tracing these threads will follow scientific racism from its origins to the beginnings of Social Darwinism and eugenics, through American cultivation of eugenics and its connections to Nazi Germany, to ongoing eugenicist policies and white supremacist terrorism in our modern world.
Recommended Citation
Keay, Kim, "White Lies Matter: The Evolution, Persistence, and Impact of Scientific Racism" (2022). WWU Honors College Senior Projects. 585.
https://cedar.wwu.edu/wwu_honors/585
Subjects - Topical (LCSH)
Scientific racism; Social Darwinism; Eugenics; Involuntary sterilization
Genre/Form
essays
Type
Text
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf