Euthenics
Encyclopedia
Euthenics deals with human improvement through altering external factors such as education
and the controllable environment
, including the prevention and removal of contagious disease
and parasites
, environmentalism
, education regarding home economics
, sanitation
, and housing
.
The term was derived in the late 19th century from the Greek
verb "euthenein": "thrive", "flourish". Ellen Swallow Richards
(1842–1911) was one of the first writers to use the term, in The Cost of Shelter (1905), with the meaning "the science of better living".
Euthenics is distinguished from eugenics
primarily in that the latter is concerned with the improvement of the human species through the manipulation of genetic inheritance (using various techniques of selective breeding), while euthenics is concerned with uninheritable improvements in human beings at a particular time and place, though this can have genetic consequences. For example, while (coercive) eugenics would typically deal with the problem of an inheritable disease such as thalassemia
by sterilising sufferers, or by limiting their reproductive rights through legislation, euthenics would approach the problem through allocating more resources to screening
for the disease and by education, giving sufferers the chance to make informed decisions about whether or not to have children. (However, some describe this as a variety of voluntary eugenics.)
The result of the euthenics approach would thus have long-term, genetic effects, but would achieve them very differently from eugenics.
Many who support eugenics believe that euthenics is ultimately pointless, or at least less effective than eugenics, because it deals with the consequences of a problem rather than the problem itself. Those who support euthenics argue that eugenic approaches work by taking choices – and especially reproductive choices – away from people (although liberal eugenics
is a counterargument to this), while euthenics allows people to make better-informed decisions, as in the example of genetic diseases.
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
and the controllable environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
, including the prevention and removal of contagious disease
Contagious disease
A contagious disease is a subset category of infectious diseases , which are easily transmitted by physical contact with the person suffering the disease, or by their secretions or objects touched by them....
and parasites
Parasitism
Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship between organisms of different species where one organism, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the other, the host. Traditionally parasite referred to organisms with lifestages that needed more than one host . These are now called macroparasites...
, environmentalism
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
, education regarding home economics
Home Economics
Home economics is the profession and field of study that deals with the economics and management of the home and community...
, sanitation
Sanitation
Sanitation is the hygienic means of promoting health through prevention of human contact with the hazards of wastes. Hazards can be either physical, microbiological, biological or chemical agents of disease. Wastes that can cause health problems are human and animal feces, solid wastes, domestic...
, and housing
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
.
The term was derived in the late 19th century from the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
verb "euthenein": "thrive", "flourish". Ellen Swallow Richards
Ellen Swallow Richards
Ellen Henrietta Swallow Richards was the foremost female industrial and environmental chemist in the United States in the 19th century, pioneering the field of home economics. Richards graduated from Westford Academy...
(1842–1911) was one of the first writers to use the term, in The Cost of Shelter (1905), with the meaning "the science of better living".
Euthenics is distinguished from eugenics
Eugenics
Eugenics is the "applied science or the bio-social movement which advocates the use of practices aimed at improving the genetic composition of a population", usually referring to human populations. The origins of the concept of eugenics began with certain interpretations of Mendelian inheritance,...
primarily in that the latter is concerned with the improvement of the human species through the manipulation of genetic inheritance (using various techniques of selective breeding), while euthenics is concerned with uninheritable improvements in human beings at a particular time and place, though this can have genetic consequences. For example, while (coercive) eugenics would typically deal with the problem of an inheritable disease such as thalassemia
Thalassemia
Thalassemia is an inherited autosomal recessive blood disease that originated in the Mediterranean region. In thalassemia the genetic defect, which could be either mutation or deletion, results in reduced rate of synthesis or no synthesis of one of the globin chains that make up hemoglobin...
by sterilising sufferers, or by limiting their reproductive rights through legislation, euthenics would approach the problem through allocating more resources to screening
Screening (medicine)
Screening, in medicine, is a strategy used in a population to detect a disease in individuals without signs or symptoms of that disease. Unlike what generally happens in medicine, screening tests are performed on persons without any clinical sign of disease....
for the disease and by education, giving sufferers the chance to make informed decisions about whether or not to have children. (However, some describe this as a variety of voluntary eugenics.)
The result of the euthenics approach would thus have long-term, genetic effects, but would achieve them very differently from eugenics.
Many who support eugenics believe that euthenics is ultimately pointless, or at least less effective than eugenics, because it deals with the consequences of a problem rather than the problem itself. Those who support euthenics argue that eugenic approaches work by taking choices – and especially reproductive choices – away from people (although liberal eugenics
Liberal eugenics
Liberal eugenics is an ideology which advocates the use of reproductive and genetic technologies where the choice of enhancing human characteristics and capacities is left to the individual preferences of parents acting as consumers, rather than the public health policies of the state.-History:The...
is a counterargument to this), while euthenics allows people to make better-informed decisions, as in the example of genetic diseases.
Quotations
Sources
- John K. Grandy, "Euthenics", in Encyclopedia of AnthropologyEncyclopedia of AnthropologyThe Encyclopedia of Anthropology is an encyclopedia of anthropology edited by H. James Birx of Canisius College and SUNY Geneseo.The encyclopedia, published in 2006 by SAGE Publications, is in five volumes, and contains over 1,200 articles by more than 300 contributors...
ed. H. James BirxH. James BirxH. James Birx is an American anthropologist.Birx received his M.A. in anthropology and his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, and is now professor of anthropology at Canisius College, as well as Distinguished research Scholar in the SUNY Geneseo's...
(2006, SAGE Publications; ISBN 0-7619-3029-9) - Ellen H. Richards, Euthenics: The Science of Controllable Environment : A Plea for Better Conditions As a First Step Toward Higher Human Efficiency (Public health in America) ISBN 0-405-09827-8