Mankind
Quarterly, Vol. 50, No. 1-2 (Fall-Winter 2009)
pp. 120-126
Eugenics and the Public
John Glad, University of Maryland
A random survey of fifty adults in the city of Glen Burnie, Maryland, which has demographic characteristics similar to that of the United States as a whole, showed that 76% of the respondents did not know the meaning of the word ‘eugenics’ and that the general attitude toward the word on the part of those who knew its meaning can be summarized as mildly cautious. When asked if persons suffering from genetic illnesses should have children, the response was neutral, but when asked if persons of high intelligence should have more children than persons of low intelligence, the response was moderate to strong disagreement with such an assertion.
