Eugenic ideology and the world history curriculum: How eugenic beliefs structure narratives of development and modernity

Abstract

ABSTRACT Using discourse analysis, this article traces the persistence of eugenic ideology through the narrative structures of world history in the California Department of Education’s history/social science K-12 framework. This article excavates the hidden depths at which scientific racism has become embedded into the curriculum and asks, “How do eugenic beliefs continue to shape world history in schools?” Analysis revealed the persistence of eugenic beliefs in how civilization, modernity, reason, and intelligence are articulated and circulated across grades six, seven and ten. This study’s application of discourse analysis serves as a useful tool in continuing to improve curricular frameworks beyond static narratives that reproduce outdated ideologies of race and human development. The study directs social studies education toward helping students confront history’s scientific overlaps with eugenics, as well as recognizing how eugenic ideology persists today.