Eugenics at the edges of empire new zealand, australia, canada. The mental defectives act in new zealand was implemented in 1911 and it authorized the segregation of mental defectives. A special hell is an important contribution to scholarship on eugenics that both supplements and extends our understanding of the broad spectrum of eugenics in canada. Against this backdrop, the reform government introduced the mental defectives amendment act in 1928. While there are elements of truth to this narrative, the books shows. Research guide 6 mental health foundation of new zealand.
An early feminist and active member of the womens suffrage party, leta stetter hollingworth is best known for her landmark contributions to the psychology of women and to education of the gifted, the latter culminating in two books, gifted children 1926 and children above iq 180 1942. A 1937 fortune magazine poll found that 23 of respondents supported eugenic sterilization of mental defectives, 63% supported sterilization of criminals, and only 15% opposed both. Eugenics at the edges of empire is a judicious introduction to the subject and expands the readers appreciation for the international scope of eugenics. Provisions for mental defectives in some of the other states to give an adequate description of the legislative and other provisions for mental defectives of even one of the leading states would take more time than is allowed for this brief paper, as well as more investigation than one could make in several months. Be it enacted by the general assembly of new zealand in parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same,as follows. Alberta passes amendment to the mental defectives act of alberta. American red cross textbook on home hygiene and care of the sick english as author anglada, charles. Mental defectives were created by the mental deficiency act of 19 and abolished by the mental health act of 1959. Where can i find out more about the history of the mental capacity act 2005 and the court of protection. Nevertheless, the 1928 mental defectives amendment bill originally contained a clause providing for sterilization. Mentally defective definition of mentally defective by.
Although such programs have been made illegal in most countries of the world, instances of forced or coerced sterilizations persist. To which are added an account of the resurrection men in london and a short history of the passing of the anatomy act english as author baker, thomas, 1819. The wording on the paper began, registered under the mental defectives act, 1928. Clement 2012 albertas 1928 sexual sterilization act created a eugenics board that was empowered to recommend sterilization as a condition for release from a mental health institution. Mental hospitals, 1910s to 1930s te ara encyclopedia of new. Alberta passes amendment to the mental defectives act of. The medical officers or board will be fully informed of the reasons for doubting the sanity of the accused and, in addition to other requirements, should ordinarily be required to include in the report a statement, in as nontechnical language as practicable, of the mental condition of the accused both at the time of the offense and at the time of. The bureaus earliest studies of the institutional care of children concerned the care of mental defectives. The new zealand mental defectives amendment act, 1928, the. The act, drafted to protect the gene pool, allowed for sterilization of mentally disabled persons in order to prevent the transmission of undesirable traits to offspring. The high point of new zealand eugenics was the mental defectives amendment act in 1928, which established a eugenics board. This is to certify that naida wilma tait, aged twentyone.
Under the mental defectives amendment act 1928 it became the mental health department. This act was amended in 1928 and a new class of degeneracy was. Its full title was an act to consolidate certain acts relating to the care and control of mentally defective persons and to the administration of their estates. In 1928, the legislative assembly of alberta, canada, enacted the sexual sterilization act. The group emphasized wellraised and genetically superior children as the hope for a future utopian society.
Grain growers guide 19081928 erna kurbegovic and colette leung. In the 1930s, the british governments joint committee on mental deficiency reported that their testing indicated the presence of at least 300,000 mental defectives in england and wales. The history of eugenics in america, part iv debunking denial. The words mentally defective person in this act shall mean and include any person afflicted with mental deficiency from birth, or from an early age, so pronounced that he. Likewise, in his book entitled constructive eugenics and rational marriage. The act put institutions under an inspectorgeneral. Upkeep of mental hospitals is costly in chinook advance, july 5, 1928. This encouraged early treatment of some mental illnesses and helped reduce the stigma of committal compulsory admission and residence in a mental institution. It situates the 1924 inquiry into mental defectives and sexual offenders in new zealand and the sterilization debate of the 1930s as representative of womens role as both the agents and subjects of eugenics in this period. The ufas successor, the social credit party, led by radio evangelist william aberhart, and later by his protege ernest manning, removed the need to obtain consent to sterilize mental defectives or huntingtons chorea patients with dementia. A book for family welfare and safety leslie baker, colette leung, and amy.
The sexual sterilization act the act was passed in 1928 and revised in 1937 and. It aimed to provide care and training to facilitate the integration of individuals with intellectual disabilities into their communities. Mental defectives definition of mental defectives by the. Experts could be powerful, for example dr theodore gray, the head of the mental hospitals department, who recommended the sterilization of the mentally unfit, which became clause 25 in the 1928 bill. Reid, proposed sterilization of mental defectives as a preferable. Mental deficiency act 19 wikimili, the free encyclopedia. Sexual sterilization act was introduced in alberta. Eugenics at the edges of empire new zealand, australia.
Furthermore, persons granted relief from disabilities under 18 u. This was twice as many as had been found in a 1908 study. Malacridas primary interest is in what she calls a passive form of eugenics, namely the lifelong internment of mental defectives 4 at the michener centre, a provinciallyrun institution located outside. Mental defective definition of mental defective by. Mental hospitals, 1910s to 1930s te ara encyclopedia of. Eugenics was practiced in the united states many years before eugenics programs in nazi germany 5 and u. The bureau of education the present office of education, the public health service, and the childrens bureau cooperated in a. The 1919 mental defectives act of alberta, canada is amended to the 1923 mental defectives amendment act, which offers a redefinition of the term, mentally defective person.
Read the new zealand mental defectives amendment act, 1928, the howard journal of criminal justice on deepdyve, the largest online rental service for scholarly research with thousands of academic publications available at your fingertips. She argues there was little consensus over how eugenic marriage was to be achieved, while eugenists struggled to gain public approval for their proposed interventions, reflected in the rejection of clause 21, which set prohibitions on marriage, from inclusion in the mental defectives amendment act 1928. Eugenics in the united states cultural anthropology. Leta stetter hollingsworth national womens history museum. This legislative act allowed and promoted the surgical sterilization of mental defectives. Several countries implemented sterilization programs in the early 20th century. Yet new zealanders were apparently ambivalent about embracing eugenics, notably never enacting an explicitly eugenic sterilization law. Committee of inquiry into mental defectives and sexual offenders. The story of the mental defectives amendment act of 1928. Only a magistrate could order people to be received or detained by mental hospitals. This post was written by nazlin bhimani of the ucl institute of education newsam library and crossposted from the newsam librarys news page this month sally perry and i are focussing on the subject of inclusivity in education.
Eugenics at the edges of empire new zealand, australia, canada and south africa. The 1919 mental defectives act of alberta, canada is amended to the 1923 mental. Nevertheless, the 1928 mental defectives amendment bill originally contained a clause providing for sterilization on eugenic grounds. At a time when leadership is challenged at every turn, that legacy looms larger and. In 19, the mental deficiency act called on local authorities to certify all mental defectives and establish longstay institutions for people with. The mental defectives act 1911 defined six classes of mentally defective person for whom a degree of oversight, care or control was deemed necessary. Eugenics at the edges of empire book subtitle new zealand, australia, canada and south africa editors. Alberta passes sexual sterilization act database eugenics archives.
It proposed an institutional separation so that mental defectives should be taken out of poor law institutions and prisons. The mental deficiency act 19 was an act of the united kingdom which made provisions for the institutional treatment of people deemed to be feebleminded and moral defectives. It situates the 1924 inquiry into mental defectives and sexual offenders in. Another name for individuals with mental disorders, which is no longer used. Mental defectives amendment act 1928 19 geo v 1928 no 23. What books do you recommend on the mental capacity act and the court of protection. There is a display of relevant content on the curriculum resources display shelves and in the special collections cabinet in the library. Federal register amended definition of adjudicated as a. It contains information about organisations, people, policies, legislation and events related to the history of.
Although new zealand passed this law and established a eugenics board to oversee the confinement of defectives, it had little success enforcing the law. Mental defectives were seen as genetically tainted. What do commentators say about the mental capacity act, the deprivation of liberty safeguards and the court of protection. By the enactment referred to, however, the foundations have now k e n laid for the devclo ment of a sound and enlightened policy in. The international churchill society ics, founded in 1968 shortly after churchills death, is the worlds preeminent member organisation dedicated to preserving the historic legacy of sir winston churchill. Legislation and policy for mental defectives in new zealand, 19111928. I this act may be cited as the mental defectives amendment. The mental defectives branch was responsible for the treatment of intellectually disabled adults and children and the mental hygiene branch was responsible for the care of those suffering from mental illness. The mental deficiency act 19 meanwood park hospital. Steven richards and aasya mughal, working with the mental capacity act 2005 3rd edition, matrix training 2018. New zealand has had a reputation for being a social laboratory. People under this title included individuals with developmental or cognitive disabilities, single mothers, immigrants, first nations and metis peoples, etc. The lmhb already operated the nearby brockhall institution, originally constructed as an inebriate reformatory to accommodate mental defectives from 1915, gradually becoming the sole occupants of that site in response to the failure of the inebriate reformatory movement and a change of legislation, the mental deficiency act of 19 obliging. Much of the bill was uncontroversial, including clauses that reorganised mental health.
At a time when leadership is challenged at every turn, that legacy looms larger and remains more relevant than ever. Compulsory sterilization, also known as forced or coerced sterilization, is a term used for governmentmandated programs which bring about sterilization of people. I this act may be cited as the mental defectives amendment act, 1928, and shall be read together with and deemed part of the mental defectives act. New zealand passes mental defectives act the eugenics archive. The act, drafted to protect the gene pool, allowed for sterilization of mentally disabled persons in order to prevent the transmission of undesirable traits to offspring at that time, eugenicists argued that mental illness, mental retardation, epilepsy, alcoholism, pauperism, certain criminal.
The words mentally defective person in this act shall mean and include any. Churchill and eugenics the international churchill society. Leta met her future husband, harry hollingworth, at the. The new zealand mental defectives amendment act, 1928 the new zealand mental defectives amendment act, 1928 dowsett, edward h.
In 1928, the nonpartisan united farmers of alberta passed the first sexual sterilization act. The report of the royal commission, published in 1908 as the radnor report, was in turn the main influence on the 19 mental deficiency act, which was the first legislation by the british government specifically related to services for people with learning disabilities. At that time, eugenicists argued that mental illness, mental retardation. Nzlii databases new zealand acts as enacted mental defectives amendment act 1928 19 geo v 1928 no 23. Much of the bill was uncontroversial, including clauses that re.
The provincial training school for mental defectives pts in red deer, alberta, canada operated as an institution for mentally disabled children and adults between 1923 and 1977, at which time it was renamed the michener centre. The purpose was to ensure that the danger of procreation with its attendant risk of multiplification of the evil by transmission of the disability to progeny were eliminated. The mental defectives act 1911 allowed people to admit themselves to mental hospitals voluntarily. Malacridas primary interest is in what she calls a passive form of eugenics, namely the lifelong internment of mental defectives 4 at the michener centre, a provinciallyrun institution located outside of. Mentally defective meaning in the cambridge english. Not surprisingly, those individuals were concentrated among the lower classes. Be it enacted by the general assembly of new zealand in parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows. Nov 18, 2017 new zealand has had a reputation for being a social laboratory.