Analysis of knowledge production about Eugenics in the Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem – REBEn, 1932 a 2002. / "Análise da produção do conhecimento em eugenia na Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem - REBEn, 1932 a 2002"

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2004

RESUMO

This paper constitutes an analysis about the eugenic content produced by Brazilian nursing which was published in national periodical – Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem (REBEn), during the period of 1932 to 2002. Considering the difficulty of finding nursing scientific papers about the configuration of new eugenic practices, positives and negatives, associated to biogenetic improvements, increased during the nighties decade, we can assume that nursing, since it was estabilished as profession, had incorpored different eugenics outlines until the present moment, when the transformations in course have not been expressed in theoretical production yet. Under a qualitative approach through the Contents Analysis, thematic modality, its objectives were: to identify how eugenic content has been constructed by nursing and to investigate conceptual bases of positive and negative eugenics that gave support to nursing practice. 263 texts were analysed from 227 published magazines, in its majority in the form of article (90,11%), in descriptive form (70,72%), produced by nursing professionals (60,89%), female sex (86,74%) and related to nursing schools (60,22%). It was noticed that there is a continued production in the period that shows the preocupation with future generations health and constitution, highlighting three emphasis in the expression of ‘eugenics’ term in REBEn: concept and objectives (1932-51); ethical, legal and moral conflicts (1954-76) and eugenics as an aspect of the first decades of the XX century (1993-2002). Three categories as conceptual bases were analysed: “battle necessary for eugenic improvement of our people”; “nurse responsability, over life, is direct” and “there isn’t a solution for social evils outside Biological laws”. Some idealized concepts have been cosntructed around the biotype, society, family and woman/mother which, starting from the construction of antinomies and under biological bases, have guided eugenic actions connected to a human recourses preparation, health education and assistance, establishing what must be improved or limited around human reproduction. Guided by scientific knowledge already constructed, which have been gradually overcome, and through a eugenics concept connected to reproductive control, it is conclude that nursing have not signaled the changes in eugenics concept and its new intervention forms linked to biotechnology, which implies the urgent incorporation of the recent biogenetics knowledge and the reflexion about their extent and ethical, legal and moral implications, to socialize these advancements and to preserve the fundamental human rights in all nursing activities developed by education, investigation and assistance areas.

ASSUNTO(S)

eugenia biogenetics eugenics biogenética enfermagem nursing

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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