Virginia Abernethy
Encyclopedia
Virginia Deane Abernethy (born in Cuba in 1934) is an American
professor
(emerita) of psychiatry
and anthropology
at Vanderbilt University
School of Medicine. She received a B.A. from Wellesley College, an M.B.A. from Vanderbilt University
, and Ph.D. from Harvard University
. She is an anthropology fellow
of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
.
Abernethy describes herself as an "ethnic separatist". An outspoken opponent of immigration, Abernethy has called for a complete moratorium on immigration into the United States
. She claims that immigrants devalue the work force, deplete scarce resources, adversely impact carrying capacity
, and that Third World
immigration has led to a rise in dangerous diseases within the United States
.
Abernethy is a close friend of minister Jesse Lee Peterson
.
and culture
. Her most famous work discounts the demographic transition
theory, which holds that fertility drops as women become more educated and contraceptives become more available. In its place she has developed a fertility-opportunity hypothesis which states that fertility
follows perceived economic opportunity. A corollary to this hypothesis
is that food aid to developing nations will only exacerbate overpopulation
. She has advocated in favor of microloans to women in the place of international aid, because she believes microloans allow improvement in the lives of families without leading to higher fertility.
She has opposed programs that would spur economic development in less developed countries on the grounds that they are self-defeating. In the December 1994 issue of The Atlantic Monthly
she authored an article entitled "Optimism and Overpopulation" in which she argued that "efforts to alleviate poverty often spur population growth
, as does leaving open the door to immigration. Subsidies, windfalls, and the prospect of economic opportunity remove the immediacy of needing to conserve. The mantras of democracy, redistribution, and economic development raise expectations and fertility rates, fostering population growth and thereby steepening a downward environmental and economic spiral."
, The Social Contract Press
, The Atlantic Monthly
, and numerous academic journal
s. She has also made occasional contributions to the weblog VDARE
.
(CofCC), a neo-Confederate
organization. She has also appeared as a guest on the CofCC-affiliated radio show, The Political Cesspool
. Abernethy regularly addresses meetings of the CofCC. She is on the editorial advisory board of The Occidental Quarterly
, a pro-European-American scholarly journal of "nationalist thought and opinion." Abernethy is on the Board of Directors of the Carrying Capacity Network, an immigration-reduction
and sustainability
organization, and also on the Board of Population-Environment BALANCE, which advocates an immigration moratorium in order to balance population size
with resources and the environment's capacity to cope with pollution
.
On June 29, 2011, the American Third Position party announced that Abernethy joined their Board of Directors.
's Proposition 200 campaign. She was Chair of the National Advisory Board of the Protect Arizona Now (PAN) committee which promoted Proposition 200 in that state's 2004 election. (Proposition 200, which passed November 2, further limits access to voting and government benefits by anyone without documentation.)
During the campaign Abernethy replied to a journalist's question about her views by stating that she considers herself a separatist, not a supremacist: "I'm in favor of separatism—and that's different than supremacy. Groups tend to self-segregate. I know that I'm not a supremacist. I know that ethnic groups are more comfortable with their own kind."
In a letter to The Washington Times printed September 30, 2004, she rebutted their reporting of her as a "self-described 'racial separatist, indicating that she is an ethnic separatist instead. She went on to note that the nation has abandoned the motto, "e pluribus unum
." She wrote, "The goals of the multicultural game are ethnic separatism, ethnic privilege and ethnic power." European-Americans are "late on the playing field" and need to catch up because if they don't play the game "my family and kin will lose out".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
(emerita) of psychiatry
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
and anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
at Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
School of Medicine. She received a B.A. from Wellesley College, an M.B.A. from Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
, and Ph.D. from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. She is an anthropology fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
.
Abernethy describes herself as an "ethnic separatist". An outspoken opponent of immigration, Abernethy has called for a complete moratorium on immigration into the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She claims that immigrants devalue the work force, deplete scarce resources, adversely impact carrying capacity
Carrying capacity
The carrying capacity of a biological species in an environment is the maximum population size of the species that the environment can sustain indefinitely, given the food, habitat, water and other necessities available in the environment...
, and that Third World
Third World
The term Third World arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either capitalism and NATO , or communism and the Soviet Union...
immigration has led to a rise in dangerous diseases within the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Abernethy is a close friend of minister Jesse Lee Peterson
Jesse Lee Peterson
Jesse Lee Peterson is president and founder of The Brotherhood Organization of A New Destiny , an American group dedicated to a conservative agenda among African Americans. Rev. Peterson is also the Founder and President of BOND Action, Inc., a nonprofit, 501 organization. He has hosted a cable...
.
Fertility-opportunity hypothesis
Abernethy's research has focused on the issues of populationPopulation
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
and culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
. Her most famous work discounts the demographic transition
Demographic transition
The demographic transition model is the transition from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates as a country develops from a pre-industrial to an industrialized economic system. The theory is based on an interpretation of demographic history developed in 1929 by the American...
theory, which holds that fertility drops as women become more educated and contraceptives become more available. In its place she has developed a fertility-opportunity hypothesis which states that fertility
Fertility
Fertility is the natural capability of producing offsprings. As a measure, "fertility rate" is the number of children born per couple, person or population. Fertility differs from fecundity, which is defined as the potential for reproduction...
follows perceived economic opportunity. A corollary to this hypothesis
Hypothesis
A hypothesis is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon. The term derives from the Greek, ὑποτιθέναι – hypotithenai meaning "to put under" or "to suppose". For a hypothesis to be put forward as a scientific hypothesis, the scientific method requires that one can test it...
is that food aid to developing nations will only exacerbate overpopulation
Overpopulation
Overpopulation is a condition where an organism's numbers exceed the carrying capacity of its habitat. The term often refers to the relationship between the human population and its environment, the Earth...
. She has advocated in favor of microloans to women in the place of international aid, because she believes microloans allow improvement in the lives of families without leading to higher fertility.
She has opposed programs that would spur economic development in less developed countries on the grounds that they are self-defeating. In the December 1994 issue of The Atlantic Monthly
The Atlantic Monthly
The Atlantic is an American magazine founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1857. It was created as a literary and cultural commentary magazine. It quickly achieved a national reputation, which it held for more than a century. It was important for recognizing and publishing new writers and poets,...
she authored an article entitled "Optimism and Overpopulation" in which she argued that "efforts to alleviate poverty often spur population growth
Population growth
Population growth is the change in a population over time, and can be quantified as the change in the number of individuals of any species in a population using "per unit time" for measurement....
, as does leaving open the door to immigration. Subsidies, windfalls, and the prospect of economic opportunity remove the immediacy of needing to conserve. The mantras of democracy, redistribution, and economic development raise expectations and fertility rates, fostering population growth and thereby steepening a downward environmental and economic spiral."
Publications
Abernethy has written or edited several books, including: Population Politics: The Choices that Shape our Future, 1993, and Population Pressure and Cultural Adjustment, 1979. Abernethy has written articles that have appeared in ChroniclesChronicles (magazine)
Chronicles is a U.S. monthly magazine published by the Rockford Institute. Its full current name is Chronicles: A Magazine of American Culture. The magazine is known for promoting anti-globalism, anti-intervention and anti-immigration stances within conservative politics, and is considered one of...
, The Social Contract Press
The Social Contract Press
The Social Contract Press is an American publisher. It is a proponent of immigration reduction and population control, with an emphasis on issues such as culture and the environment...
, The Atlantic Monthly
The Atlantic Monthly
The Atlantic is an American magazine founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1857. It was created as a literary and cultural commentary magazine. It quickly achieved a national reputation, which it held for more than a century. It was important for recognizing and publishing new writers and poets,...
, and numerous academic journal
Academic journal
An academic journal is a peer-reviewed periodical in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as forums for the introduction and presentation for scrutiny of new research, and the critique of existing research...
s. She has also made occasional contributions to the weblog VDARE
VDARE
VDARE.com, or VDARE, is a website that advocates reduced immigration, especially illegal immigration, into the United States. Former Forbes editor Peter Brimelow supports the site through his VDARE Foundation, also known as Lexington Research Institute Limited...
.
Positions held
Abernethy served 1989-1999 as the editor of the academic journal Population and Environment. She also served on the editorial board of The Citizen Informer, the newsletter of the Council of Conservative CitizensCouncil of Conservative Citizens
The Council of Conservative Citizens is an American political organization that supports a large variety of conservative and paleoconservative causes in addition to white nationalism, and white separatism...
(CofCC), a neo-Confederate
Neo-confederate
Neo-Confederate is a term used by some academics and political activists to describe the views of various groups and individuals who have a positive belief system concerning the historical experience of the Confederate States of America, the Southern secession, and the Southern United...
organization. She has also appeared as a guest on the CofCC-affiliated radio show, The Political Cesspool
The Political Cesspool
The Political Cesspool is a weekly talk radio show founded by James Edwards, and syndicated by Liberty News Radio Network and Accent Radio Network in the United States...
. Abernethy regularly addresses meetings of the CofCC. She is on the editorial advisory board of The Occidental Quarterly
Occidental Quarterly
The Occidental Quarterly is a journal "devoted to the ethnic,racial, and cultural heritage that forms the foundation of Western Civilization"...
, a pro-European-American scholarly journal of "nationalist thought and opinion." Abernethy is on the Board of Directors of the Carrying Capacity Network, an immigration-reduction
Immigration reduction
Immigration reduction refers to a movement in the United States that advocates a reduction in the amount of immigration allowed into the country. Steps advocated for reducing the numbers of immigrants include advocating stronger action to prevent illegal entry and illegal immigration, and...
and sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
organization, and also on the Board of Population-Environment BALANCE, which advocates an immigration moratorium in order to balance population size
Population growth
Population growth is the change in a population over time, and can be quantified as the change in the number of individuals of any species in a population using "per unit time" for measurement....
with resources and the environment's capacity to cope with pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
.
On June 29, 2011, the American Third Position party announced that Abernethy joined their Board of Directors.
Protect Arizona Now
Abernethy was involved in ArizonaArizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
's Proposition 200 campaign. She was Chair of the National Advisory Board of the Protect Arizona Now (PAN) committee which promoted Proposition 200 in that state's 2004 election. (Proposition 200, which passed November 2, further limits access to voting and government benefits by anyone without documentation.)
During the campaign Abernethy replied to a journalist's question about her views by stating that she considers herself a separatist, not a supremacist: "I'm in favor of separatism—and that's different than supremacy. Groups tend to self-segregate. I know that I'm not a supremacist. I know that ethnic groups are more comfortable with their own kind."
In a letter to The Washington Times printed September 30, 2004, she rebutted their reporting of her as a "self-described 'racial separatist, indicating that she is an ethnic separatist instead. She went on to note that the nation has abandoned the motto, "e pluribus unum
E pluribus unum
E pluribus unum , Latin for "Out of many, one", is a phrase on the Seal of the United States, along with Annuit cœptis and Novus ordo seclorum, and adopted by an Act of Congress in 1782...
." She wrote, "The goals of the multicultural game are ethnic separatism, ethnic privilege and ethnic power." European-Americans are "late on the playing field" and need to catch up because if they don't play the game "my family and kin will lose out".
External links
- Dr. Virginia Deane Abernethy's home page
- Anthropologist proposes link between per capita energy use and fertility rate - Vanderbilt University news release