Claudia Malacrida, “A Special Hell: Institutional Life in Albertas Eugenic Years” (U of Toronto Press, 2015)

In A Special Hell: Institutional Life in Alberta’s Eugenic Years (University of Toronto Press, 2015), Claudia Malacrida explores the practices of the Michener Center in Red Deer, Northern Alberta, to uncover a close relationship between the institutionalization of persons with disabilities and eugenics. Canadian province of Alberta was infamous for its eugenics program, which lasted until the 1970s with a significant number of people being involuntary sterilized. Malacrida has opened many important questions including the normalization of eugenics, gender aspect of eugenics, social exclusion, dehumanization, violence, and loss of identity of the inmates. During this interview we have talked about ideological underpinnings of eugenics program, horror practices of the Michener Center, and about struggles of the inmates to cope with daily violence and neglect.

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