This dissertation project focuses on the interface between technology and the human environment in the context of injuries wrought by technology. It explores the critical balance between technology and the human environment in the contested zone of the design and regulation of technical artifacts in products liability law. The project will analyze the ways in which products liability law adjudicates the concerns of businesses, designers, consumers, and policy makers - all of which are crucial in constituting and governing the relationships between technology and human bodies in contemporary United States. The project hypothesizes that products liability law is a unique site at which to examine the ways in which body/technology relationships are constructed and regulated. The propositions are addressed through a close examination of two major alleged product injuries that are currently undergoing massive litigation, namely silicone breast implant injuries, and computer instigated repetitive strain injuries. The project will also contribute to and interconnect the literature and methods of culture studies, disability studies, women studies, and design history.
