Description
Science and Power in the Nineteenth-Century Tasman World provides a comprehensive analysis of popular phrenology’s remarkable influence across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand during the 1800s. Alexandra Roginski investigates how this controversial pseudoscience became intertwined with colonial expansion, racial hierarchies, and the establishment of scientific institutions in the region.
The book traces phrenology’s adoption by scientists, physicians, and public intellectuals, revealing how it shaped discussions of criminality, intelligence, and racial difference. Roginski demonstrates that phrenology was not merely a discredited historical curiosity but rather a powerful tool that legitimized colonial governance and social stratification. By examining this forgotten scientific practice, the work illuminates broader patterns of how scientific authority has been constructed and weaponized within colonial contexts, offering crucial insights into the history of science and imperialism in the Tasman world.
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