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Steriliseringslagstiftningens framväxt - Inriktning på riksdagsdebatten

Winther Lundquist, Camilla LU (2013) LAGF03 20131
Department of Law
Abstract (Swedish)
Steriliseringslagstiftningens framväxt tog sin utgångspunkt i ”degenerationen” och oron för
att industrialiseringen hade skapat en biologisk försämring av befolkningen. Det var vid
denna tidpunkt som tankarna om rashygienen väcktes. Genom biologisk förädling skulle
befolkningskvalitén höjas. Det fanns en förhoppning att genom positiv och negativ eugenik
öka fortplantningen hos den ”goda” befolkningen och hindra fortplantningen hos den
”undermåliga” befolkningen. Syftet med uppsatsen är att visa hur dessa tankar resulterade i en
steriliseringslagstiftning.
Steriliseringslagstiftningens framväxt tog sin utgångspunkt i tre rättsutredningar. Den första
rättsutredningen år 1929 resulterade inte i någon lagstiftning. Anledningen till att... (More)
Steriliseringslagstiftningens framväxt tog sin utgångspunkt i ”degenerationen” och oron för
att industrialiseringen hade skapat en biologisk försämring av befolkningen. Det var vid
denna tidpunkt som tankarna om rashygienen väcktes. Genom biologisk förädling skulle
befolkningskvalitén höjas. Det fanns en förhoppning att genom positiv och negativ eugenik
öka fortplantningen hos den ”goda” befolkningen och hindra fortplantningen hos den
”undermåliga” befolkningen. Syftet med uppsatsen är att visa hur dessa tankar resulterade i en
steriliseringslagstiftning.
Steriliseringslagstiftningens framväxt tog sin utgångspunkt i tre rättsutredningar. Den första
rättsutredningen år 1929 resulterade inte i någon lagstiftning. Anledningen till att
rättsutredningen inte resulterade i någon lagstiftning var att den enbart grundades på
rashygieniska skäl. Den hindrade samhället att komma åt alla sociala kategorier som ansågs
nödvändiga för att sterilisera i samhällets intresse. När nästa rättsutredning tillsattes år 1933,
var det redan då tydligt att 1929 års utredning var ”utan värde” och tyngdpunkten i
utredningen var att skapa en lagstiftning som tillät sterilisering även på andra grunder än
rashygieniska. Utredningen resulterade i Sveriges första steriliseringslag som trädde i kraft
januari år 1935. Grunderna i 1934 års steriliseringslag var både rashygieniska och sociala.
Utredningen hade följaktligen uppnått sitt mål, genom att skapa en lagstiftning som gav staten
större möjligheter att ingripa i enskilda människors liv.
1934 års steriliseringslag reglerade endast sterilisering av rättsinkapabla individer. Efter en
samstämmighet i riksdagen vid dess antagande tillsattes en ny rättsutredning som skulle
utreda sterilisering av rättskapabla. Detta var en följd av att staten ville kontrollera att
sterilisering inte företogs i barnabegränsande syfte eller av rena njutningsskäl.
Befolkningskrisen i Sverige var som störst i början av 1930-talet, och det var därför inte
önskvärt att värdefulla arvsanlag skulle gå förlorade.
1936 års rättsutredning resulterade i 1941 års steriliseringslag som reglerade både
rättsinkapabla och rättskapabla individer. Utredningen hade följaktligen även denna gång
uppnått sitt mål. 1941 års steriliseringslag utvidgade steriliseringslagstiftningen på ett flertal
punkter, den skapade en möjlighet att för staten bestämma vilka individer som skulle ha rätten
att bli föräldrar.
Riksdagsdebatterna vid antagandet av steriliseringslagarna uppvisade totalt sett en enighet,
även om det vid antagandet av 1941 års steriliseringslag framfördes olika motiv bland
riksdagsledamöterna. Slutsatsen blev att motiven utmynnade i samma resultat, eftersom alla
ville uppnå någon form av nytta för samhället.
I analysen förs en diskussion om steriliseringslagstiftningen hade ett samband med
Socialdemokraternas uppbyggnad av ”folkhemmet” i början av 1930-talet.
Socialdemokraterna ville öka välfärden i landet och detta genom införande av en rad
socialreformer. Emellertid förstod de att införandet av socialreformerna krävde en offensiv
steriliseringspolitik på vissa befolkningsgrupper, som annars skulle komma att belasta
systemet ekonomiskt. Slutsatsen var således att införandet av socialreformerna hade ett
samband med steriliseringslagstiftningen. Staten kunde genom sterilisering utradera
individerna som ansågs vara en belastning i samhället, både ekonomiskt och rashygieniskt. (Less)
Abstract
The emergence of the sterilization law were based on "degeneration" and fear that the
industrialization had created a biological degradation of the population. It was at this point
that the ideas of the eugenics evoked. By biological processing the quality of the population
should increase. There was a hope that through positive and negative eugenics increase the
breeding of the "good" people and prevent the breeding of the "deficient" people. The purpose
of the essay is to show how these ideas resulted in a sterilization law.
The emergence of the sterilization law were based on three judicial inquiries. The first judicial
inquiry in 1929 did not result in any law. The reason that the judicial inquiry did not result in
any law was... (More)
The emergence of the sterilization law were based on "degeneration" and fear that the
industrialization had created a biological degradation of the population. It was at this point
that the ideas of the eugenics evoked. By biological processing the quality of the population
should increase. There was a hope that through positive and negative eugenics increase the
breeding of the "good" people and prevent the breeding of the "deficient" people. The purpose
of the essay is to show how these ideas resulted in a sterilization law.
The emergence of the sterilization law were based on three judicial inquiries. The first judicial
inquiry in 1929 did not result in any law. The reason that the judicial inquiry did not result in
any law was because it were based only on eugenic grounds. It prevented the society to reach
all social categories that were considered necessary to sterilize in the interest of the public.
When the next judicial inquiry was appointed in 1933, it was already clear that the inquiry of
1929 was "worthless" and the main focus of the inquiry was to create a law that allowed
sterilization on other grounds than eugenics. The inquiry resulted in Sweden's first
sterilization law which entered into force in january 1935. The grounds in the sterilization law
of 1934 was both eugenic and social. The inquiry had consequently achieved its goal, by
creating a law that gave the state greater opportunities to interfere in the lives of individuals.
The sterilization law of 1934 only regulated sterilization of people incapable of consent. After
a consensus in the parliament when it was adopted a new judicial inquiry was appointed to
investigate the sterilization of people capable of consent. This was a result of that the state
wanted to control that sterilization was not undertaken by birth control purposes or by pure
pleasure grounds. The population crisis in Sweden peaked in the early 1930s, and it was not
desirable that valuable genes would be lost.
The judicial inquiry of 1936 resulted in the sterilization law of 1941 which regulated both
people incapable of consent and people capable of consent. The inquiry had consequently also
this time achieved its goal. The sterilization law of 1941 extended the sterilization law on
several points, it created an opportunity for the state to define which individuals who would
have the right to become parents.
The parliamentary debates on the adoption of the sterilization laws showed overall a
consensus, although on the adoption of the sterilization law of 1941 were expressed differing
motives among the members of the parliament. The conclusion was that the motives lead to
the same result, because everyone wanted to achieve some sort of benefit for the society.
The analysis includes a discussion if the sterilization law had a connection with the Social
Democrats construction of the ”folkhemmet” in the early 1930s. The Social Democrats
wanted to increase the welfare of the country and this by introducing a series of social
reforms. They understood however that the introduction of the social reforms demanded an
aggressive sterilization policy in certain population groups, which would otherwise burden the
system financial. The conclusion was therefore that the introduction of social reforms were
related to the sterilization law. The state could by sterilization wipe out those individuals who
were considered to be a burden of the society, both financial and eugenic. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Winther Lundquist, Camilla LU
supervisor
organization
course
LAGF03 20131
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Rättshistoria, sterilisering
language
Swedish
id
3800820
date added to LUP
2013-10-18 12:56:45
date last changed
2013-10-18 12:56:45
@misc{3800820,
  abstract     = {{The emergence of the sterilization law were based on "degeneration" and fear that the
industrialization had created a biological degradation of the population. It was at this point
that the ideas of the eugenics evoked. By biological processing the quality of the population
should increase. There was a hope that through positive and negative eugenics increase the
breeding of the "good" people and prevent the breeding of the "deficient" people. The purpose
of the essay is to show how these ideas resulted in a sterilization law.
The emergence of the sterilization law were based on three judicial inquiries. The first judicial
inquiry in 1929 did not result in any law. The reason that the judicial inquiry did not result in
any law was because it were based only on eugenic grounds. It prevented the society to reach
all social categories that were considered necessary to sterilize in the interest of the public.
When the next judicial inquiry was appointed in 1933, it was already clear that the inquiry of
1929 was "worthless" and the main focus of the inquiry was to create a law that allowed
sterilization on other grounds than eugenics. The inquiry resulted in Sweden's first
sterilization law which entered into force in january 1935. The grounds in the sterilization law
of 1934 was both eugenic and social. The inquiry had consequently achieved its goal, by
creating a law that gave the state greater opportunities to interfere in the lives of individuals.
The sterilization law of 1934 only regulated sterilization of people incapable of consent. After
a consensus in the parliament when it was adopted a new judicial inquiry was appointed to
investigate the sterilization of people capable of consent. This was a result of that the state
wanted to control that sterilization was not undertaken by birth control purposes or by pure
pleasure grounds. The population crisis in Sweden peaked in the early 1930s, and it was not
desirable that valuable genes would be lost.
The judicial inquiry of 1936 resulted in the sterilization law of 1941 which regulated both
people incapable of consent and people capable of consent. The inquiry had consequently also
this time achieved its goal. The sterilization law of 1941 extended the sterilization law on
several points, it created an opportunity for the state to define which individuals who would
have the right to become parents.
The parliamentary debates on the adoption of the sterilization laws showed overall a
consensus, although on the adoption of the sterilization law of 1941 were expressed differing
motives among the members of the parliament. The conclusion was that the motives lead to
the same result, because everyone wanted to achieve some sort of benefit for the society.
The analysis includes a discussion if the sterilization law had a connection with the Social
Democrats construction of the ”folkhemmet” in the early 1930s. The Social Democrats
wanted to increase the welfare of the country and this by introducing a series of social
reforms. They understood however that the introduction of the social reforms demanded an
aggressive sterilization policy in certain population groups, which would otherwise burden the
system financial. The conclusion was therefore that the introduction of social reforms were
related to the sterilization law. The state could by sterilization wipe out those individuals who
were considered to be a burden of the society, both financial and eugenic.}},
  author       = {{Winther Lundquist, Camilla}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Steriliseringslagstiftningens framväxt - Inriktning på riksdagsdebatten}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}