Salman, Bora2026-01-082026-01-082026-01-082026-01-08http://hdl.handle.net/1993/39542My research examines the legal and societal dimensions of genetic discrimination in North America, focusing on the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act in the U.S. and the Genetic Non-Discrimination Act in Canada. Using Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis and Pistor’s theory of legal coding, I explore how legal frameworks and discursive practices in North America construct genetic information as a governable object that is protected, rendered usable, and valuable within biomedical innovation. Amid advances in genomic technologies and rising concerns over data misuse, legislative efforts have emerged to protect individuals. However, such protections are narrow in scope, primarily covering employment and health insurance. By analyzing legal texts, policy documents, and media narratives, this research illustrates how genetic information is discursively constructed as a form of capital, turning patients into health consumers and economic value sources. It also highlights how discourses of self-responsibility and empowerment often mask deeper neoliberal logics of autonomous individuals and the commodification of genetic data. Through a multilevel examination of this phenomenon at textual, discursive, and social levels, my dissertation reveals how genetic discrimination laws protect against certain harms while simultaneously legitimizing the marketization of genetic data. My research also illustrates the dual role of legislation that protects individuals from discrimination while embedding genetic data within the structures of market mechanisms. The findings contribute to ongoing debates about privacy, health equity, and the use of genetic information.engGenetic DiscriminationGenetic Discrimination LawsGenetic Information Non-Discrimination ActGenetic Non-Discrimination Act