Abstract
Interviews have been commonly used as a data-gathering instrument in research which approaches interpreting as a socially-situated practice (e.g. Angelelli, 2004; Inghilleri, 2006 & 2012). This paper focuses on a set of six interviews conducted with indigenous community leaders who had participated in an interpreter-mediated consultation process led by the Peruvian government in the Ucayali region between March and September of 2015. The aim is not to discuss the findings derived from the interviews themselves, but, rather, to evaluate critically the implications of adapting a well-established method for the purposes of studying the role of interpreting in a novel socio-political context. The objective of the interviews was to garner information regarding the interviewees’ perceptions of the role of the interpreters, not from a clients’ perspective (the interpreters had been trained and employed by the government), but as end-users, or beneficiaries, of the interpreters’ work. They were conducted in Spanish, which was the second language of all the interviewees, who had varying degrees of bilingualism. Thus, the underlying hypothesis was that they would have been able to evaluate the competence of the interpreters throughout the consultation process, which could color their perceptions as to their performance and also, potentially, their remit. The decision was made to depart from clear-cut methodological distinctions between types of interview and adopt a hybrid approach: the questions were open-ended, but fixed, as in structured interviews; on the other hand, the possibility of seeking clarification or of prompting a follow-up (e.g. examples) to the interviewees’ answers was left open, as in semi-structured interviews. An interest in how Peruvian indigenous communities construct meaning from their experience of linguistically and culturally mediated exchanges between themselves and the state underpins the choice of method. Its potential limitations is considered and measured against the benefits of tailoring research tools to the study of new realities which result from the involvement of interpreters in emerging legislated scenarios.
Highlights
The aim of this paper is to assess critically the implications of adapting a wellestablished method for the purposes of studying the Translation & Interpreting Vol 9 No 1 (2017)role of interpreting in a novel socio-political context: the legislated intercultural dialogue between the Peruvian state institutions and the indigenous peoples of the country
Role of interpreting in a novel socio-political context: the legislated intercultural dialogue between the Peruvian state institutions and the indigenous peoples of the country. It focuses on the use of qualitative interviews to garner information as to the perceptions of the interpreter’s role held by indigenous leaders who had participated in an interpreter-mediated prior consultation process led by the Peruvian government
Its purpose is not to discuss the findings derived from the interviews themselvesii, but, rather, to explore the usefulness of the chosen research tool to find answers to a specific research question: how do the representatives of the indigenous peoples of Peru understand and conceptualise the scope of the interpreter’s remit in prior consultation settings?
Summary
The aim of this paper is to assess critically the implications of adapting a wellestablished method (qualitative interviews) for the purposes of studying the Translation & Interpreting Vol 9 No 1 (2017)role of interpreting in a novel socio-political context: the legislated intercultural dialogue between the Peruvian state institutions and the indigenous peoples of the country. Its Article 6 states that “governments shall consult the peoples concerned, through appropriate procedures and in particular through their representative institutions, whenever consideration is being given to legislative or administrative measures which may affect them directly” (ILO, 1989) In accordance with this principle, the Prior Consultation Actiii was passed in Peru in 2011. This piece of legislation aimed to formalize the processes whereby indigenous peoples entered a dialogue with relevant State actors prior to an administrative or legislative measure that affects their rights and way of living being approved by the latter. Such a measure concerns the exploitation of the country’s natural resources in land inhabited by indigenous communities, which often leads to the consultations becoming emotionally charged and, sometimes, confrontational
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