A beautiful, troubling reminder… A must-watch.
— Erik Peterson, Assoc. Prof. of the History of Science, University of Alabama, Author, The Shortest History of Eugenics
In The Name of the Gene
Directed by Stephanie Welch
Produced by Stephanie Welch, Andrew Kimbrell, Jed Riffe
The concept of a “gene” — which came about during the Gilded Age — conveniently supported the notion that biology was destiny and that creating policies to directly address social ills like poverty and alcoholism was a waste of time. Those problems were said to be inherent in individuals of certain classes, genders, and racial groups.
The idea that people living in poverty are genetically different from wealthy people, or that men are naturally more intelligent than women, may seem laughable, but it’s an argument regularly used as a social weapon to stall the advancement of equality and maintain the status quo. Claims about discoveries of genes for intelligence, poverty, and crime offer pseudoscientific explanations for rising rates of inequality and racial discrimination.
Despite the lack of scientific evidence to support genetic determinism, the concept has endured. Think tanks, academics, and popular media simply repackage long-debunked claims about “what makes us what we are” with the assumption that the science is solid.
In the Name of the Gene explores these themes through interviews woven with archival moving images, news clips, contemporary graphic elements, and original animation. The film warns that failing to question these ideas can aid attempts to roll back progressive policies that address inequality and discrimination, opening the door to a resurgence of eugenics in public and political conscience.
This film is a powerful, condensed version of A Dangerous Idea: Eugenics, Genetics and the American Dream, also available from Bullfrog Films.
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In the Name of the Gene is now available on DVD and for digital site licensing (DSL) with public performance rights from Bullfrog Films. The film can be licensed for academic streaming from Docuseek. Campus and community groups interested in hosting an in-person or online community screening can book the film now through Bullfrog Communities.
The post Eugenics and the Discriminatory Misuse of Gene Science Explored first appeared on Dissident Voice.
This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Bullfrog Films.