Description
Book SynopsisIn the Public Good examines the trajectory of eugenic ideas in Ontario in the early twentieth century, when the eugenics movement gained support for the solutions it offered to social ills of the day. Koester focuses on key legal events that influenced eugenic ideas, showing how the law was used both to promote and deflect eugenic thinking.
Trade Review"In the Public Good challenges narrow views of the role of law in Canada's eugenic project by addressing different ways that legal institutions and norms were brought to bear on social problems." Eric H. Reiter, Concordia University and author of Wounded Feelings: Litigating Emotions in Quebec, 1870-1950
“In the Public Good is an engaging historical study into why Ontario ultimately did not pass eugenic legislation despite active and publicized support for eugenic solutions. Koester’s study achieves everything it sets out to accomplish, a sometimes rare feat in academia, and sets a new standard for exploring the connections between eugenics and law.” H-Sci-Med-Tech
“Elizabeth Koester's examination of parliamentary debates and legal cases concerning eugenic policy in Ontario between 1910 and 1938 is grounded in the tension between notions of the public good and individual freedom, a debate that remains relevant and contentious in discussions regarding how best to address issues of public concern.… Detailed and precise, Koester's text will be useful to anyone interested in the work and efforts of eugenicists during early twentieth‐century North America, and to those interested in the ways in which issues of public interest are debated and legislated.” Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences
“In the Public Good should be required reading for every graduate student considering the history of eugenics in Canada as well as for those already in the field. Koester adds to the growing historiography of eugenics in Canada with this solid contribution and offers a road map for other historians interested in regionalized histories of eugenics.” Canadian Historical Review
