A review of actor-oriented capitals and investments in the field of interpreting in Türkiye

Abstract

This study aims to reveal the significance of the habitus and capitals of interpreters in Türkiye and the investments made to acquire such capital, and by employing a descriptive approach through the framework of Bourdieu's Field Theory and Latour's Actor-Network Theory (ANT) (1999). Within the scope of our study, Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus and capital have been used to discuss the position of interpreters in the field in Türkiye. Using a historical perspective, we will discuss the “actants” i.e. human and non-human actors that have played an influential role since the emergence of the profession in Türkiye. According to the ANT, it could be concluded that in Türkiye, these actors may consist not only of individuals but also of agents such as organizations such as TKTD and Türkiye AIIC VEGA, remote working conditions that have become widespread with Covid-19, and volunteering movements that emerged after the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. During the research process of this study, sources such as interviews, webinars held on virtual platforms, newspaper clippings, the online archives of TKTD, and memories shared in books, theses and books on the history of translation and interpreting have been explored. Following our research, it has been determined the first interpreters in Türkiye acquired similar capitals and habituses, whereas present interpreters that accumulate different types of capitals depending on current circumstances and needs such as use of technology and first aid knowledge for community interpreting. Our study shows that the valued capitals play a key role in determining the position of actants in academia and the interpreting sector, resulting in a new dynamic between actants with the network.