American Progressivism: Supreme Court of the United States and the legitimization of eugenic practices

Edyta Sokalska

Uniwersytet Warmińsko-Mazurski w Olsztynie
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0903-7726


Abstrakt

Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie kierunków reform i rozwoju idei eugenicznych w dobie Progressive Era w Stanach Zjednoczonych oraz ocena orzeczeń Sądu Najwyższego Stanów Zjednoczonych w kontekście praktyk eugenicznych. Na początku XX w. można dostrzec największą aktywność zwolenników nurtu progresywnego w USA. Ich działalność była odpowiedzią na zwiększoną industrializację, rozwój dużych korporacji i obawy przed korupcją w amerykańskiej polityce. Druga połowa ery progresywnej przyniosła wiele wymiernych, legislacyjnych zwycięstw progresywnych ekonomistów i ich apologetów. Reformy obejmowały regulacje stanowe, które dotyczyły warunków pracy, ustalały płace minimalne, określały godziny pracy i zakazywały pracy dzieci. Poglądy eugeniczne uzasadniały ustawodawstwo imigracyjne niekorzystne dla obcokrajowców. Ekonomiści powiązani z American Association for Labor Legislation i opowiadający się za reformami prawa pracy byli pod wpływem teorii race suicide. Orzecznictwo Sądu Najwyższego Stanów Zjednoczonych miało ogromny wpływ na kształt porządku prawnego w dziedzinie prawa gospodarczego i prawa pracy. Niektóre decyzje odzwierciedlały raczej ideologiczne nastawienie sędziów niż dążenie do reform. Skutkiem orzeczenia w sprawie Buck v. Bell była legitymizacja praktyk eugenicznych w Stanach Zjednoczonych. Sprawa ta była również klasycznym przykładem rywalizacji między jednostką a państwem o możliwość kontroli reprodukcji.


Słowa kluczowe:

prawo konstytucyjne, Sąd Najwyższy Stanów Zjednoczonych, orzecznictwo, era progresywna, sterylizacja, eugenika


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2023-12-20

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Sokalska, E. (2023). American Progressivism: Supreme Court of the United States and the legitimization of eugenic practices. Studia Prawnoustrojowe, (62). https://doi.org/10.31648/sp.9251

Edyta Sokalska 
Uniwersytet Warmińsko-Mazurski w Olsztynie
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0903-7726