Customer Reviews

Eugenics and the Welfare State: Sterilization Policy in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland

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In the twentieth century, both in the United States and in Europe, the idea gained ground that society was in danger from "superior" people having few children and "inferior" people having many children - or in the case of mentally retarded people, their having any children at all. Several countries passed laws to allow the sterilization of people, against their wills, for the "betterment" of society. In this book, authors Gunnar Broberg, a professor in the Department of History of Science and Ideas at the University of Lund, Sweden, and Nils Roll-Hansen, a professor at the Institute for Studies in Research and Higher Education in Oslo, Norway, record the history of Scandinavia's embracing of eugenics, and the results that this produced.

Now, where do I start with this book? I give this book 3 stars for "Good." The book is a solid history of what happened in Scandinavia, including Finland, going into excellent depth on the subject. On the downside, the book is written in a very boring and academic manner. Indeed, the authors took what should have been a fascinating topic, and produced a dull and pedestrian book.

So, if you want to an in-depth and non-sensationalistic book about how eugenics gained such a firm footing in Scandinavia, then this book is for you. But, if you want a book on this subject that will keep you fascinated and glued to your chair, then you had better look elsewhere. Overall, I give this book a rather guarded recommendation.