“The brains of a nation”: The eugenicist roots of Canada’s mental health field and the building of a white non-disabled nation
Keywords:
mental hygiene, Canadian nationhood, racism, immigration, eugenicsAbstract
This paper examines the literature published by the Canadian National Committee for Mental Hygiene (CNCMH), a precursor to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), from 1918-1921, and its connection to eugenicist social policies. Specifically, this study involves a critical discourse analysis of the Canadian Journal of Mental Hygiene (CJMH) published by the CNCMH, which illustrates how the roots of Canada's mental health field are linked to a nation-building project deeply intertwined with eugenicist notions of race and disability. Foundation myths that reinforce the Canadian nation were also imbued in the literature, including: Canadian identity as linked to white non-disability, Canada as tabula rasa, and eugenicist fears of the ‘over-population’ of ‘undesirables’. On the basis of these foundation myths, the CNCMH considered mental hygiene discourse and practice as a means to further Canada as a white nondisabled nation. The desire to further the Canadian nation in this manner led to the promotion of eugenicist social policies. Many of these policies - especially, immigration controls - were put into place by the Canadian government and remain to this day.
“ Les cerveaux d'une nation”: Les racines eugéniques du domaine de la sante mentale et la construction d'une nation blanche et non-handicapée.
Résumé
Cet article examine des documents publiés entre 1918-1921 par le comité national d’hygiène mentale du Canada (CNHMC), organisation précurseur de l'association canadienne pour la santé mentale (ACSM). Il examine surtout sa connexion avec des politiques sociales eugéniques. L’article déploie une analyse critique du Canadian Journal of Mental Hygiene (CJMH), publié par le CNHMC, qui démontre que les origines du domaine de la santé mentale au Canada est liée au projet de nation canadienne, lui-même profondément entrelacées de notions eugéniques de race et de handicap. Des mythes fondateurs qui réifient la nation canadienne imprègnent également ces documents: l'identité canadienne définie comme blanche et non-handicapée, le Canada existant en tant que tabula rasa, et les craintes que la surpopulation des « indésirables » nous menace. Se reposant sur ces mythes, le CNHMC considérait que les discours et les pratiques sur l'hygiène mentale étaient des moyens de promouvoir une nation canadienne blanche et non-handicapée. Promouvoir une telle nation canadienne a mené a soutenir des politiques sociales eugéniques. Plusieurs de ces politiques- surtout sur l'immigration et le contrôle policier- ont été mise en place par le gouvernement canadien alors, et demeure en place aujourd'hui.
Mots clefs: hygiène mentale; identité national canadienne; racisme; immigration; eugénisme
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