CHAPTER IV 



DYSGENIC INFLUENCES OF THE INSTITUTIONAL 



TABOO 



Taboo survivals act dysgenically within the family under 

 present conditions ; Conventional education of girls a 

 dysgenic influence ; Prostitution and the family ; 

 Influence of ancient standards of " good " and " bad." 

 The illegitimate child ; Effect of fear, anger, etc., on 

 posterity ; The attitude of economically independent 

 women toward marriage. 



It is evident that in the working of old taboos 

 as they have been preserved in our social insti- 

 tutions there are certain dysgenic influences 

 which may well be briefly enumerated. For 

 surely the test of the family institution is the 

 way in which it fosters the production and 

 development of the coming generation. The 

 studies made by the Galton Laboratory in Eng- 

 land and by the Children's Bureau in Washing- 

 ton combine with our modern knowledge of 

 heredity to show that it is possible to cut down 

 the potential heritage of children by bad matri- 

 monial choices. If we are to reach a solution 

 of these population problems, we must learn to 

 approach the problem of the sex relation with- 

 out that sense of uncleanness which has led so 



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