The Never-Ending Story: The Lengthy History of Sterilization Surgery in Alberta and California

• Author / Creator

  Barr, Allison Marilyn

• This study examines sterilization surgery in Alberta and California throughout the 20th century. There has been no comparative study of these two places, which were both actively involved in the eugenics movement. During the 44 years that the Alberta Sterilization Act was in place, over 2800 men, women and even children were surgically sterilized. In the United States, California performed over 20 000 sterilizations, or 1/3 of all sterilizations completed in the United States. Three large questions are examined: why did the two sterilization programs begin; why did they continue after World War Two; and who were the eugenicists behind the two programs?

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Eugenics
  • Sterilization
  • California
  • Alberta

• Graduation date

  Spring 2012

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Arts

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3VK8H

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.