Mandatory sterilization laws enacted in dozens of states coast-to-coast and approved by the U.S. Supreme Court formed the initial pillar for what became the Final Solution. Following WWII, there was renewed interest in a more inclusive view of social worth and the autonomy of the individual. Social movements were launched to secure broad-based revisions in civil and human rights. This book is based on a hugely popular undergraduate course taught at the University of Texas, and is ideal for those interested in science-based policy, the social construction of social worth, social problems, and social movements.

This book is an excerpt from a larger text, Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Decides?, http://www.routledge.com/9780415892476/

About the Author

Sheldon Ekland-Olson joined The University of Texas at Austin after completing his graduate work at the University of Washington in Seattle and Yale Law School. He is currently the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Centennial Professor of Liberal Arts. For five years he served as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and then for eight years as Executive Vice President and Provost of the university. He has authored or co-authored several books and numerous articles on criminal justice, prison reform, and capital punishment. Widely recognized for his commitment to teaching undergraduates, he is the recipient of numerous teaching awards. His current interests are reflected in the book manuscript, Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Decides?

Julie Beicken is a doctoral student in the Department of Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin. Her research interests include political sociology, social movements, eugenics, the Supreme Court, and reproductive technologies. Julie received her Master's degree in 2009 for her thesis, Eugenics: An Elite Social Movement. She has published book reviews in Women's Studies International Forum and Critical Mass.

Book Information
ISBN 9780415501620
Author Sheldon Ekland-Olson
Format Paperback
Page Count 88
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 186g