Translating “Translation Studies”: Relational and (Self)reflexive Analysis on (the absence of) Translated Articles in Translation Studies Journals in Turkey

Abstract

Bourdieusian sociology of translation calls for relational and (self)reflexive analysis in translation studies (TS). This call urges researchers to objectify TS itself and themselves as objectifying subjects. TS scholars are invited to analyse TS as a field, scrutinise their own positions in the field, question their own scientific knowledge production processes critically, and thus discern how the organisation of the field, their positionings, and power relations within the field influence their practices. Heeding this call, this study aims to conduct relational and (self)reflexive analysis on (the absence of) translated articles in TS journals in Turkey and tries to trace the possible reasons why there are almost no translated “translation studies” articles in the journals although translation has played a pivotal role in the birth and development of TS field in Turkey. To this end, the archives of the TS journals on the DergiPark database were scanned first. It was observed that except for a few translated short stories and articles, there are almost no translated TS articles in the journals. As a TS scholar inhabiting the field for almost 10 years, my observations, experiences, and interactions with other TS scholars in the field suggest that copyrights, the assumption that TS scholars are polyglot and thus do not need translation, the fact that translated articles are not included in academic promotion criteria and intellectual bias considering translation secondary and derivative act are the possible reasons for this situation. Collective and critical reflexivity and various changes in the TS field In Turkey will be offered as potential solutions at the end of the study.