Historical legacies of scientific racism, racial health inequities, and neo-eugenics
Andrew Kim, Professor
Anthropology
Applications for Spring 2026 are closed for this project.
Biotechnological innovations have forced us to reconsider the extent to which our histories and environments shape our health and biology, which has provided new perspectives on old debates from the eugenics movement such as ideas about "biological and genetic superiority", the conceptual relevance of “biological race", and threats of “degeneration”. As fast-paced biomedical research and clinical trials focused on molecular interventions continue to roll out and go unchecked, the potential for biotechology to promote neo-eugenic thinking is high.
How does the history of eugenics and scientific racism continue to reverberate into the present, and how do these legacies shape racial health inequities, healthcare experiences, and medical practice? How does the trauma of eugenic practice continue to influence marginalized communities in the present?
Role: Identifying relevant literature using library and online resources, summarizing academic texts, qualitative data management and analysis
Qualifications: None
Hours: 6-8 hrs
Off-Campus Research Site: Remote work available
Related website: https://anthropology.berkeley.edu/andrew-wooyoung-kim
Related website: https://andrewwooyoungkim.com/