Book contents
- Population Control as a Human Right
- Human Rights in History
- Population Control as a Human Right
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures, Maps, and Tables
- Acknowledgments
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Overpopulation Discourse and the Post-1945 Order
- 3 Interventionist Population Policies of the 1950s
- 4 Breakthrough of a Human Rights Framework in the 1960s
- 5 Interpretive Struggles in the 1960s and 1970s
- 6 Crisis and Expansion of Human Rights in the 1970s
- 7 Domestic Interpretations of the Human Right to Family Planning
- 8 Conflicts over Reproductive Rights since the 1980s
- 9 Conclusion
- References
- Index
3 - Interventionist Population Policies of the 1950s
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 October 2025
Book contents
- Population Control as a Human Right
- Human Rights in History
- Population Control as a Human Right
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures, Maps, and Tables
- Acknowledgments
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Overpopulation Discourse and the Post-1945 Order
- 3 Interventionist Population Policies of the 1950s
- 4 Breakthrough of a Human Rights Framework in the 1960s
- 5 Interpretive Struggles in the 1960s and 1970s
- 6 Crisis and Expansion of Human Rights in the 1970s
- 7 Domestic Interpretations of the Human Right to Family Planning
- 8 Conflicts over Reproductive Rights since the 1980s
- 9 Conclusion
- References
- Index
Summary
The chapter discusses the opposition faced by population control advocates within the United Nations from Socialist and Catholic states in the 1940s and 1950s. It outlines early discussions on population issues within the UN, the roles of organizations like UNESCO, FAO, and WHO, and challenges faced by proponents such as Julian Huxley. The document explores debates on overpopulation, humanitarian framings of birth control, and progress in anchoring population discourse in international institutions despite setbacks. It reflects on reframing birth control within a politically complex landscape shaped by the Cold War, decolonization, and economic development agendas. Additionally, the chapter delves into the emergence of interventionist population policies in the 1950s, focusing on initiatives by the Population Council and IPPF. It highlights the humanitarian and human rights arguments used to advocate for population control, discussing conferences and influential figures such as Margaret Sanger and Frederick Osborn in shaping the discourse around population control, eugenics, and individual rights in the Cold War era.
Information
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- Population Control as a Human RightInternational Law and the Global Quest to Curb Overpopulation, pp. 32 - 54Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2025
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