ELEP Toolkit 3: Teaching UCL’s eugenics legacies now and in the future

This toolkit explores developing a rationale for including UCL’s eugenics legacy in their curriculum.

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13 May 2025

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Aims

This toolkit aims to help you:

Equip yourself with the tools and knowledge to effectively integrate UCL's history of eugenics into your teaching and learning activities, ensuring that you address the topic thoughtfully and contextually.

Adapt these suggestions so that you can tailor to your specific discipline, allowing for a personalised approach to teaching about eugenics and its historical impact.

how to access and utilize resources that offer historical and critical analysis of eugenics, while being mindful of the potentially upsetting content related to race, class, and disability, and ensuring you provide proper contextualization for your students.

Introduction

In a formal public apology in 2021 UCL recognised that: 

““The legacies and consequences of eugenics still cause direct harm through the racism, antisemitism, ableism and other harmful stereotyping that they feed. These continue to impact on people's lives directly, driving discrimination and denying opportunity, access and representation. “

This toolkit explores the ways that educators can develop a rationale for including UCL’s history of eugenics in current and future teaching and learning activities. It offers some suggestions for ways to work on this topic generally, but with the intention that educators can adapt and modify these ideas so that they are discipline specific.  

This has been developed for anyone who teaches at UCL (and can be adapted for those teaching at other institutions with difficult legacies). It is intended to be a source of ideas for starting points rather than a comprehensive curriculum planning tool.

Please take care when accessing some of the resources. These include content intended to offer a historical and critical analysis of the development and role of eugenics. However, they contain often upsetting information about race, class, and disability. Please be aware that some writers do not always contextualise their work in ways that prepare the reader for descriptions of these ideas. 

UCL’s commitment to confronting and addressing its history of eugenics 

Confronting and addressing a complex history such as UCL’s historic links to eugenics is a complex and difficult task. Following the eugenics inquiry in 2018, the de-naming of spaces across the UCL estate, and the publication of an apology for “the development, propagation and legitimation of eugenics” (UCL, 2021), UCL set up post inquiry projects (including ELEP) with an ongoing commitment to continue the work of addressing the historical links to eugenics. The public apology highlighted the ongoing harms of eugenics:

“We recognise that the legacy of eugenics is ongoing, and we commit to closing down any opportunity for this legacy to continue unacknowledged and unchallenged.”

It can be useful to include one or more of the reasons explored in this toolkit (Figure 1) when developing a rationale to explain to students why you are including UCL’s history and legacy of eugenics into your curriculum.

Figure 1. Rationale for confronting and addressing UCL's eugenics legacy.

Obasogie’s (2024) article, Legacies of Eugenics: An Introduction, can offer a useful starting point for thinking about eugenics legacies. Reflect on how this article can help us to provide a rationale for teaching and learning activities to raise awareness of UCL’s history and legacy. Consider using quotes or paragraphs to prompt discussion and for generating critical questions that need further research and exploration.

Foundations

Incorporating the histories and legacies of eugenics into the UCL curriculum can be justified through several educational principles. These ideas and concepts are part of what Zembylas (2021) calls the ‘affective turn’ in educational theory and they represent relatively recent developments in higher education research (Gravett & Lygo-Baker, 2024).

The complexity and difficulty in teaching sensitive topics, as discussed by scholars like Britzman (1998), and Hathaway (2016), highlight the need for thoughtful and nuanced approaches that challenge students as they encounter and engage with difficult material.  

Reparative pedagogies, as advocated by Sriprakash (2022), Zembylas (2014), and Paulson (2023), emphasise the importance of addressing historical injustices and fostering a more inclusive and equitable learning environment. This means reflecting on the ways that students experience difficulty with curriculum content about eugenics and how educators mitigate potential harm.  

Educator care is crucial in this context, ensuring that anyone who teaches at UCL is equipped to support students emotionally and intellectually as they navigate these challenging topics. 

Areas for exploration

There are various topics and themes that can be starting points to help explore the links between eugenics past, present, and future. Consider starting with small or limited inclusions of eugenics legacies in the curriculum and reflect on how this went. Consider doing this with a colleague or as part of a teaching team. As your confidence increases, consider adding more content.

Here are two examples of ways to explore the topic of eugenics via contemporary topics (artificial intelligence and ‘newgenics’).

Artifical Intelligence and eugenics

The relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and eugenics is complex and raises significant ethical concerns. Here are some example activities that could be used:

Case study analysis on historical parallels: eugenics historically aimed at improving human populations through selective breeding. It has disturbing parallels with some modern AI applications. For example, AI systems used in healthcare, criminal justice, and social services can inadvertently reinforce eugenic ideologies by making decisions based on biased data. Students can analyse recent examples such as algorithms used to predict crime risk or determine how healthcare access has been shown to reinforce existing racial and socioeconomic biases.
Identifying bias and discrimination: AI algorithms can perpetuate and even amplify existing biases. For instance, predictive policing algorithms have been shown to disproportionately target marginalised communities, echoing the discriminatory practices of eugenics. Using arts-based approaches, student can explore different manifestations of eugenics thinking such as in the digital legacies of eugenics project by Lila Brustad and Kaissa Kahru.
Working with AI experts to explore ethical dilemmas: the use of AI in areas like genetic screening and embryo selection raises ethical questions similar to those posed by eugenics. These technologies can lead to the selection of "desirable" traits, potentially marginalising individuals with disabilities or other perceived "undesirable" characteristics. Consider inviting experts to attend or record a seminar so that students can engage with ideas and ask questions.
Understanding technological safeguards: to prevent AI from echoing eugenic practices, it is crucial to implement ethical safeguards, transparency, and human oversight. This includes examining practices and devising approaches to ensure that AI systems are designed and used in ways that promote equity and justice. Ask students to devise a hypothetical training and development programme that enables promotes a culture of responsibility and awareness for AI developers.
Critical examination: scholars have highlighted the need to critically examine the roots and implications of AI technologies, drawing attention to their potential to perpetuate harmful ideologies if not carefully managed. Project work, supporting longer term scholarship, can give students opportunities to research the roots of AI technologies. By understanding these connections, students can engage in thinking about developing AI systems that are fair, transparent, and inclusive, avoiding the pitfalls of past eugenic practices.

Newgenics

“Newgenics" is a term that is used to describe modern practices and technologies that resemble or revive the principles of eugenics, often under the guise of genetic enhancement or medical advancements. This might include gene therapy, genetic engineering, and prenatal screening aimed at eliminating perceived undesirable traits. Interrogating and exploring the idea of ‘newgenics’ can be incorporated in the following ways:

Organise small group discussions where students explore the ethical implications of newgenics, focusing on how these practices can devalue lives with disabilities. Provide case studies or real-world examples to stimulate discussion and allow students to explore their own experiences of the topic. Consider assigning a facilitator in each group to guide the conversation and ensure all voices are heard. Use guiding questions to keep the discussion focused, such as "How might these practices impact individuals with disabilities?" “What is your understanding and experience of newgenics?” or “in what ways have these ideas ‘shown up’ in your studies so far?”

Individual and Paired Work on Social Justice Aspects where students work individually or in pairs to identify and explain the social justice aspects of newgenics. Provide a framework or checklist to help students analyse the topic. Encourage them to use various resources, such as articles, videos, and interviews, to support their findings. After completing their work, have students present their findings to the class to foster a broader discussion.

Exploring Inclusion Through Lived Experiences by using examples of living/lived experiences to explore issues of inclusion and challenge newgenics. Invite guest speakers with disabilities to share their experiences and perspectives. Alternatively, use video testimonies or written narratives. Encourage students to reflect on these stories and discuss how they can promote inclusion and value for all individuals, regardless of abilities.

Questioning Newgenics Practices by engaging students in activities that question and regulate newgenics practices to prevent potential harms. Organize an activity where students take on different roles (e.g., policymakers, scientists, advocates) to discuss and regulate newgenics practices. Provide background information and guidelines to help students prepare their arguments and understand the complexities involved.

Designing Empowerment Activities that involve people with disabilities in discussions about genetic technologies, ensuring their voices are heard. Create collaborative projects where students work with disability advocacy groups to develop educational materials or policy recommendations. Encourage students to conduct interviews or surveys to gather insights from individuals with disabilities (with ethical approval where appropriate). Facilitate workshops where students and community members can co-create solutions and advocate for their rights and well-being.

Further reading on newgenics

Bad Blood: The Story of Eugenics BBC podcast with Dr Adam Rutherford. Newgenics episode 6 “Are we entering a ‘newgenic’ age - where cutting-edge technologies and the power of personal choice could achieve the genetic perfection that 20th century eugenicists were after?”

In the fourth essay of the Legacies of Eugenics series, Patricia Williams explores how “new-genics” projects encode social bias. The DNA Dreams of the New Eugenics | Los Angeles Review of Books.

Further areas for exploration

These are brief examples of topics that can be explored for introducing the links between eugenics history and contemporary issues.

Disability, ableism and eugenics

The relationship between disability and eugenics is deeply troubling and historically significant. In the early 20th century, eugenicists sought to eliminate what they considered "undesirable" traits from the human population, often targeting individuals with disabilities. In many countries this led to the implementation of policies such as forced sterilisation and institutionalisation of people with physical and intellectual disabilities. This dehumanising approach not only violated the rights of individuals with disabilities but also perpetuated harmful stereotypes and discrimination. The legacy of eugenics has had a lasting impact on the disability community, highlighting the need for vigilance in ensuring that modern scientific and medical practices respect the dignity and rights of all individuals

IQ testing and education policy

Intelligence quotient (IQ) testing and eugenics have a historically intertwined relationship. In the early 20^th century, IQ tests were developed to quantify human intelligence. However, these tests were often used to support eugenic ideologies, which aimed to improve the genetic quality of human populations through selective breeding and sterilisation. Proponents of eugenics used IQ scores to classify individuals and groups as "superior" or "inferior" based on their perceived intellectual abilities. This led to discriminatory practices, including the forced sterilisation and the exclusion of marginalised groups from educational and economic opportunities. The misuse of IQ testing in this context highlights the dangers of applying scientific tools without ethical considerations and the potential for such tools to perpetuate social inequalities.

Further reading on IQ testing and education policy

UCL’s Institute of Education (IOE) has a long history with IQ testing and there are several resources in the IOE library relating to this topic. This work has been led by Dr Nazlin Bhimani, including a UCL Special Collection blog post tracing many sources of information on this topic. Nazlin has also written an article for the Wellcome Collection, Intelligence testing, race and eugenics, tracing IQ and its origins in the British eugenics movement. IOE colleagues, David Scott and Sandra Leaton Gray’s Intelligence, Sapience and Learning book examines the idea of intelligence and the need to re-frame it.

There have been many essays and articles in recent years about the links between AI and eugenics. Two of note include Ruha Benjamin’s The New Artificial Intelligentsia and Emily R. Klancher Marchant’s Breeding for IQ.

Statistics and eugenics

The origins of statistics are intertwined with UCL and the eugenics movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Francis Galton made significant contributions to the field of statistics and developed statistical methods to analyse human differences and heredity, which he used to promote eugenic ideas. His work laid the foundation for concepts such as regression to the mean and correlation. Similarly, Karl Pearson, a key figure in the development of statistics, was a strong advocate of eugenics and used statistical techniques to support his beliefs in the superiority of certain races. These early statisticians believed that by applying mathematical rigor to the study of human traits, they could scientifically justify social policies aimed at improving the genetic quality of populations. This historical connection underscores the importance of critically examining the ethical implications of scientific research and its applications. Galton and Pearson have direct links to UCL, either donating large sums (Galton) or working here (Pearson).

Reproductive justice

Figure 2: Protesters against sterilisation

Reproductive justice is a comprehensive framework that combines reproductive rights with social justice. It emphasises the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities. The early 20^th century eugenics movement aimed to control reproduction to "improve" the population by preventing those deemed "unfit" from reproducing. This often involved forced sterilizations and other coercive measures, disproportionately targeting marginalized groups such as people from ethnicities, the disabled, and the poor.

Key aspects of reproductive justice include:

Access to reproductive health services: Ensuring equal access to safe abortion, affordable contraceptives, and comprehensive sex education.
Intersectionality: Addressing the social, political, and economic inequalities that affect individuals' ability to access reproductive health care.
Community and environmental safety: Advocating for safe and sustainable communities where families can thrive.
Human rights: Rooted in the internationally accepted human rights framework, it focuses on the rights of marginalised groups, including women of colour, indigenous women, and LGBTQIA+ individuals.

This concept goes beyond the legal right to access reproductive health services by addressing the broader social determinants that impact reproductive autonomy and justice.

Further reading on reproductive justice and eugenics: Jones, I. (2024) Reproductive Control as a Carceral Tool of the State – Understanding Eugenics in a Post-Roe Society, California Law Review. (Accessed: 12 February 2025).

Conclusion

There are several key take aways from the research completed to produce this toolkit:

Commitment to confronting history: introducing curriculum content related to UCL’s history and legacy of eugenics is an important part of ongoing activities, demonstrating a commitment to continuing “to continue to confront its history of eugenics and ongoing legacies openly and critically, and to ensure that UCL staff and students are enabled to do the same.” (UCL, 2021)
Enhanced learning opportunities: including content on this topic gives greater prominence to the history and legacy of eugenics in UCL’s teaching and learning activities. ELEP found that many students at UCL think this is an important dimension of teaching excellence and essential for a future-focused curriculum.
A reparative approach to education: ELEP research found that the inclusion of relevant topics about eugenics history and/or anti-eugenics actions was most effective when done carefully. This meant working collaboratively, making small but significant changes in the curriculum, and ensuring check-in with colleagues.
Ethics and care: from a staff and student perspective we forefronted practices that did not put staff or students at risk when learning about potentially distressing topics, reflecting ELEP’s commitment to reparative practices. You don’t have to be an expert in eugenics history to find ways to include relevant and important content to support reflective and critical thinking.

Further resources

The ELEP website has a suite of resources including a framework for teaching difficult knowledge, a set of case studies, and a UCL Extend course.
UCL’s Prejudice in Power website contains information about the legacy of eugenics at UCL.
Resources to support the use of eugenics related objects to teach in the OBL are available via the Science Collection webpages.
An Inclusive Education Training Programme - we recommend all staff and students work through.
There are a plethora of UCL teaching toolkits available to support teaching across and beyond UCL.

References

Britzman, D. P. (1998). Lost Subjects, Contested Objects: Toward a Psychoanalytic Inquiry of Learning. Albany: State University of New York Press.

Gravett, K., & Lygo-Baker, S. (2024). Affective encounters in higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 50(2), 228–238. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2024.2332427

Haraway, D. J. (2016). Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene. Durham: Duke University Press.

Paulson, J. (2023). Reparative Pedagogies. In Y. Hutchinson, A. A. Cortez Ochoa, J. Paulson, & L. Tikly (Eds.), Decolonizing Education for Sustainable Futures (pp. 220-240). Bristol: Bristol University Press.

Sriprakash, A. (2022). Reparations: theorising just futures of education. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 44(5), 782-795. DOI: 10.1080/01596306.2022.2144141.

Zembylas, M. (2014). Unmasking the Entanglements of Violence, Difficult Knowledge, and Schooling. Religious Education, 109(3), 258-262. DOI: 10.1080/00344087.2014.911622.

Zembylas, M. (2021). The affective turn in educational theory. In Oxford research encyclopaedia of education.