This groundbreaking study examines the social construction of cochlear implants, exploring how debates around this technology reflect deeper societal attitudes towards deafness, disability and the nature of human identity. Drawing on a wealth of interdisciplinary research, the authors shed new light on the complex relationship between technology and culture. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.