Eugenics, Prejudice, and Human Development Revisited: The Role of Structural Racism

Abstract

In his provocative article “ Eugenics, prejudice, and psychological research, ” Turiel (2020, p. 106) raises the important question: “ What does the eugenics movement of the early twentieth century tell us about present times? ” Turiel argues that much theory and research has supported the eugenics movement, and he highlights the importance of considering layperson ’ s thinking on these issues. Drawing on Piaget ’ s work, Turiel notes that thinking is not always correct and highlights the importance of examining the reasoning individuals have for thinking as they do. In his words, “ In order to better understand prejudice, discrimination, and segregation, it is important to also study the thinking that goes into current features of eugenics ” (Turiel, 2020, p. 106). Furthermore, he argues for the “ pressing need to study the psychological thinking underlying eugenics as well as its impact on individuals and societies. ” (Turiel, 2020, p. 107). We applaud such work and the continued efforts of Human Development to provide a platform for this important scholarship (see also special issue by Killen & Ruck, 2021, on Promoting Social Equity, Fairness, and Racial Justice in Development ). In this article, we suggest that research investigating individuals ’ thinking about prejudice and related themes should be augmented by explicit consideration of products beyond individual thinking. Human action is intricately tied to larger cultural and political systems and structures that promote racial and other forms of oppression. To expand on Turiel ’ s suggestions about the eugenics movement for modern times, we draw on the history of the eugenics movement at the turn of the century in America. By doing so, we can better understand how the eugenics movement has in fl uenced contemporary