Sociology Of Translation Research Articles

”Kieli oli tässä kohtaa vain väline” – kulttuuritulkkien, opettajien ja kuraattoreiden näkemyksiä kielestä ja kulttuuritulkkien roolista

Alongside public service interpreting consisting of language interpretation, many institutions, including institutions of learning, increasingly use intercultural mediators to communicate with migrants. Drawing on the research tradition of sociology of translation, we analyze our data from two perspectives, mobilizing the sociological concepts of role, agency, and (affective) facework, as well as the linguistic anthropological concept of language ideology. The data consist of semi-structured thematic interviews with intercultural mediators and teachers and school social workers who work with them. The analysis shows that intercultural mediators’ affective labor, based on their broad agency, is fundamental in building trust between migrant families and the school. Intercultural mediation is different from public service interpreting, where monolithic, referential language ideologies are often felt to prevent the achievement of mutual understanding between the participants.

Translating Law and Code in Government: Algorithmic Decisions and Their Legal Effects in Canada

This article analyzes the translation of law into computer code and the use of automated decision-making systems in government to make legal distinctions. Specifically, how are algorithmic decisions tied to law, and what happens when legal effects are mediated through technologies? The sociology of translation and Bruno Latour's theory of law, as elaborated by Kyle McGee, provides the means to study associations between law and technology. I trace how the force of law can be extended when mediated through computer systems and analyze the associations of law and technology in Canada's government, through projects exemplifying the shift to “code-driven law.” These include the translation of “rules-as-code,” and several of the sociotechnical systems governing Canada's borders, demonstrating how design choices in government digital services inevitably shape the outcomes of public policy and can have legal effects. While Latour's legal scholarship avoided traditional questions of legitimacy, a key consideration for automated government systems is how legitimacy is constructed and contested. For rules-as-code, legitimate algorithmic outcomes should be traceable to law, but existing government systems commonly maintain legitimacy by identifying a human actor “in-the-loop” as the ultimate decision-maker, thereby obscuring how thoroughly imbricated human and algorithmic agency are in contemporary governance.

Internal Shariah audit change: an identification of specific Islamic legal maxim in Islamic banking institution

Purpose This paper aims to provide insight on internal Shariah audit change process in Islamic banking institution using sociology of translationin and the identification of specific Islamic legal maxim (ILM). Design/methodology/approach This paper gathered findings using qualitative approach where a single case study was selected. The study began with a preliminary study to assist the selection of the case study and later two phases of interviews done at the institution selected as the case study. Findings This paper has provided insights into the internal Shariah audit practices change using sociology of translation that incorporated ILM as the basis to strengthen the Islamic banking operations by achieving maqasid al-Shariah (MS). The findings of this paper provide distinguished insight on internal Shariah audit change process and ILM. The significance of this study is that a new contribution through exploring the viewpoints of the perception that satisfying the minimum legal requirements of Shariah compliance may not be sufficient for proper Shariah audit in IBIs. Therefore, the existence of ILM within a change process serves as a basis for best practices to be able to achieve MS through the means (wasa’il) used in realising IBIs’ objectives. Originality/value The application of ILM to internal Shariah audit change process that would guide Muslim auditors to be in line with Islamic principles. This paper focuses on the application of ILM to the Shariah audit practices changes as ILM embodied ethical value to the general concept of maslahah (well-being) under MS in the period of post-COVID-19.

The Deportation Gap as a Statistical Chimera: How Nonknowledge Informs Migration Policies

ABSTRACT Since the 2015 ‘migration crisis’, various measures have been introduced in Europe to enforce deportations. They include detention in prison-like facilities, unannounced executions of deportations at night-time and the scraping of legal safeguards like medical reasons prohibiting deportations. These evidently violent measures are justified with alarmist reports which suggest, supported by statistical knowledge, an ever-widening ‘deportation gap’. The term refers to the divergence between the number of migrants issued with a return order and the much smaller number of deportations. Illustrated through the case of Germany, this article combines insights from ignorance studies with a sociology of translation to show that the claim of a widening deportation gap is a statistical chimera that is based on various kinds and sources of nonknowledge. Contrary to actor-based approaches in ignorance studies, it is argued that this nonknowledge is not reducible to the production of ‘strategic ignorance’ (McGoey 2019) by policy actors seeking to advance their agenda. Rather, the production and circulation of nonknowledge appears to be dispersed and messy as it is facilitated by complex and fragile sociotechnical networks. In this way, a sociology of translation allows scholars to avoid the impression of entertaining a conspirational logic in the study of strategic ignorance and other forms of nonknowledge.

Digital Data for the Sociology of Translation and the History of Translation

Digital Data for the Sociology of Translation and the History of Translation

Academy of Sciences and New Approaches to Economic Planning in the USSR (late 1950s – early 1960s)

In the article the author considers the emergence of new approaches to the planning of the national economy of the USSR in the second half of 1950-s – early 1960-s as a result of departmental struggle between the USSR Gosplan and academic economic institutes for influence on the economic policy of the country. Despite the abundance of historical works covering the planning debates of the 1920s, this subject is poorly covered in historiography in relation to the post-war period. The methodological basis of the article is Michel Kallon’s “sociology of translation”, according to which experts translate the problems of key clients into their language in such a way that their scientific programme and themselves are at the centre of the proposed solution to these problems. The author examines the process of weakening the role of the USSR Gosplan and the emergence of alternative centres of competence on economic policy issues. In accordance with the chosen approach, the rhetorical moves and political techniques that were used by major economists to promote new research directions (economic and mathematical methods, evaluation of capital investment efficiency, etc.) are highlighted. These political techniques were: inserting key words into party programme documents and/or speeches of the party leader; formation of broad coalitions; use of administrative resources of the Academy of Sciences; publishing and educational activities; repelling attempts of the Gosplan to fit into the new agenda, criticism of its staff as incapable of implementing the proposed ideas.

Understanding careers as translations: the importance of Bruno Latour for the study of careers

PurposeThis paper argues that Bruno Latour’s work on translation provides an alternative to dominant anthropocentric, individualistic and managerial approaches in career studies by considering careers as precarious effects of networks instead of the implicit assumption of individual strategic career actors in extant career research paradigms.Design/methodology/approachThe article first compares the three main current approaches to studying careers – structural functionalist, interpretivist and critical – illustrated by three exemplary empirical studies. Subsequently, three concepts from the sociology of translation that are relevant for the study of careers are introduced: career making as translating interests, careers as effects of networks and career action as dislocated and overtaken. Taken together, these three concepts allow us to conceive of careers as practices performed by human and nonhuman actors. Finally, an example from an ethnographic case study in the field of contemporary art illustrates how a Latourian approach can be used.FindingsLatour’s work on translation provides conceptual and methodological tools to investigate career processes and practices in an era of unpredictability.Originality/valueThe paper introduces Bruno Latour’s work on translation to the study of careers.

Translation from a Sociological Perspective: Translational Term Setting and Conceptualization

The present paper examines the concepts of Pierre Bourdieu’s sociological theory and the terms that have sprung from it, as well as how these terms have been transplanted into the field of translation. In order to set and conceptualize the translational term, this paper also addressesquestions of translation sociology and issues raised by Jean-Marc Gouanvic relating to traductology and its relationship to sociology.

Theorizing is not abstraction but horizontal translation

ABSTRACT The literature on theorizing usually implicitly assumes that theorizing is writing. A recent focus on theoretical diagrams seeks to correct this idea. But even this focus on diagrams measures them against writing. Instead, taking up ideas developed by the sociology of translation, I propose to understand theorizing as a specific kind of translation, namely horizontal translation. Horizontal translations create new worlds through conceptual invention and re-definition and by creating new geometries of how concepts relate to each other. Because such relationships are geometric forms, rather than sequential texts, diagrams are core media of theoretical work, because they allow the visualization of such conceptual forms.

Translator–Author Encounters: Two Cases of Translating from Arabic

The relationship between translators and authors in literary translation is an area that needs further inquiry. Specifically, it is essential to understand how the relationship between authors and translators influences translators’ status and, consequently, the recognition translators are granted. The objective of this study was to expand knowledge on literary translation by examining two cases of translation of Arabic novels to English. The research questions under investigation sought to understand a) the links between selected translation strategies and professional or personal histories and b) the impact of the background of translators on their collaboration with authors and, consequently, on their roles and status. A case study methodology was used to examine the translation of two Arabic novels, Sidi Wahdana and Banat AlRiyadh. Drawing on the sociology of translation, encounters between translators and authors and the impact of such encounters on the recognition attributed to the translators were examined. The findings revealed in the translation of Sidi Wahdana; the author, Alem, works closely with the translator, McDonough, to produce the English translation. Thus, McDonough became Alem’s co-author. In the translation of Banat AlRiyadh (Girls of Riyad) Alsanea, the author takes over the translation process and reshapes the English version. Thus, Alsanea becomes the first translator, and Booth is demoted to a co-translator. It is concluded that relations between an author and a translator can become complex, and translators may not get the recognition expected in an ideal situation.

Tendency of Translating Educationally Valued Texts from Japanese Culture into Bangla Used in Reading Literacy

No previous study has explored why the translators selected children’s literature while translating Japanese literature into Bangla. This study aims to identify the tendency of selecting Japanese texts for translation into Bangla1, which have educationally valued contents. It employed descriptive translation studies approach to prepare a periodized catalog of translated Japanese children’s literature in the quantitative section to develop a history. The qualitative part is conducted based on two recent concepts of the sociology of translations: sociology of translation process in functioning and interpreting and sociology of translation as a cultural product. This study reveals that the translators primarily select tales with moral values a child or an adult learns from the societal sectors other than the educational institutions. They intend to circulate those moral values in the target society because the contents are socially apposite and deemed socio-culturally necessary in the target region. Totto-chan is analyzed as a cultural product to explore why and to what extent it is circulated. The interpreted texts are used to enhance reading literacy in reading programs. This study establishes a fundamental basis for translation, society and education altogether in the target society focusing on Japanese literature translations. In future, this study could be used as a foundational work in the field of translation studies in Bangladesh.

Europeanisation, westernisation or globalisation of the book market in Poland? Evidence from translation flows in Poland (1980-2022)

The article provides evidence for the opening of Polish culture in the last four decades, focusing on incoming translation flows, i.e., the books translated from foreign languages to Polish. It answers the question of whether the circulation of cultural goods has followed the same pattern as the economy, i.e., a shift towards Western European influences. It shows, with quantitative data completed with qualitative data, that the Polish culture has opened up to Western culture but also to an increasingly global culture. The article explains the differences between both databases used for the research. The evidence further demonstrates that the sociology of translation influences the geography of translation flows.

A Study of Community Interpreters’ Roles from the Perspective of Bourdieu Translation Sociology

A Study of Community Interpreters’ Roles from the Perspective of Bourdieu Translation Sociology

How Can History Support Translation Studies? A Case of the Polish Translators of Faust Between 1826 and 1938

This paper aims to answer the question of who the translators of Faust into Polish between 1826 and 1938 were. The problem is analysed thanks to the application of two research methods. In addition to the translator biography taken from the sociology of translation, a method taken from history, called microhistory, can be used. The use of microhistory in the translator study is useful to identify general trends prevailing in the field of translation and situations common to translators working in the same time frame and geographical-historical space. In this way, it has been possible to establish that the Faust translators working between 1826 and 1938 were predominantly males, well educated, affected by the political events of the time, and chose to translate Faust as a result of personal literary fascinations.

New Public Management and Internationalization in Latin American Top-Tier Universities: A Multiple Case Study

The internationalization of universities has become increasingly important in recent decades. A dominant internationalization model, influenced by principles of new public management, has emerged. Latin American universities have undergone significant changes as a result of this trend. This paper takes inspiration from the sociology of translation to examine how leading Latin American institutions are addressing these challenges at both organizational and cultural levels. The findings indicate that cultural transformation is prevalent, strongly influenced by the Latin American tradition of extension. However, at the organizational level, imitation is more relevant, as evidenced by the adoption of new public management principles to devise strategies, plans, and programs that prioritize professionalization and the widespread use of indicators. This development gives rise to a distinct cultural internationalization model for Latin American universities.

Uncovering the sociomaterial assemblage of a culinary heritagization: The Wildschönauer Krautinger schnapps

In the search for geographical and historical distinctiveness, the issue of culinary heritage has taken an important role in agri-food studies for safeguarding local culinary knowledge and traditions of food cultivation and production practices. However, it remains unclear how salient culinary heritage emphasizes the intertwining of tangible and intangible elements, and how sociocultural values and notions of terroir, tradition, and identity enable or constrain community-driven heritagization processes. In this paper, we aim to shed light on the sociomaterial assemblage of culinary heritagization by focusing on the case of a distilled turnip schnapps from the Alpine community of Wildschönau in Austria. We demonstrate how the Krautinger schnapps transitions from a subsistence to a commercial product, and how increasing marketization and demand challenges the relationship between commercialization and preservation of cultural heritage. By combining relational perspectives, sociomaterial approaches, and assemblage thinking, we discuss the constituent intertwining of human and nonhuman entities in the process of culinary heritagization. We apply the sociology of translation as a conceptual framework and identify four decisive moments that highlight the progression and continuity of the Krautinger's sociomaterial assemblage. Our study reveals issues and challenges that may arise for the local community in these moments of heritagization, including the chance of internal reconsolidation by recognizing nonhuman agency and bridging potential risks.

Cultural transfer and the sociology of translation

Abstract The sociology of translation has opened up a broad field of research in recent years. Nevertheless, the autonomy of this research line has been relativized since this ‘sociological turn’ was preceded by the ‘cultural turn’ in translation studies (TS). Consequently, the focus of research should be on the interaction between translation and culture when analyzing sociological aspects in TS. Therefore, in this article, the concept of cultural transfer is used as a processual basis for the study of sociological aspects of a literary transfer in tandem with the way a target culture influences a translation and subjects it to its own ideas. This allows for interpreting all activity regulated by various actors from the perspective of the receiving culture. Focusing on the reception of recent Dutch and Belgian literatures in Germany, the presented approach offers innovations in the study of literary transfer while also acknowledging methodological challenges.

Translating politeness on public notices with a directive function in Thessaloniki

Abstract This paper examines notices with a directive function that have been translated from Greek into English in the public spaces of Thessaloniki. In particular, it explores the ways in which Greek politeness is expressed and how this politeness is rendered in the English translation of the original Greek texts. The paper uses photographic data collected in 2020. Using Brown and Levinson’s (1987) concept of face, the methodology used is a combination of the qualitative ethnographic approach employed in contemporary linguistic landscape research and Bourdieu’s habitus approach used in the sociology of translation. The analysis shows that the translations examined often retain aspects of Greek politeness strategies, affecting the message of the English target text to varying degrees.

Design-Driven Conflicts: A Design-Oriented Methodology for Mindset and Paradigm Shifts in Human Social Systems

Transformability is one of the essential attributes of social systems. To improve transformability, one should create the preconditions for strategic intervention on the underlying social structures. This paper proposes a design-driven conflict (DDC) methodology in response to the limitation of the systemic design approach by aggregating a network of allies essential for the paradigmatic shifts. The proposed methodology has more strategic implications. It starts with unfolding the actors and shared resources (phase one context mapping). It continues with defining the power relations between them, drivers, and spillovers that cause conflicts and disagreements (phase two analysis). After this, it shows how one can synthesize the commonalities and the core narratives of actors in the form of boundary objects (phase three synthesis). By using the existing narratives and the commonalities between actors as inputs for the translation phase, DDC creates the preconditions for a network of allies construction. Next, the methodology uses translation as a method, in relation to the four moments of a ‘sociology of translation’, problematization, interessement, enrolment, and mobilization, in order to gradually change the learning paradigm of the system. In the scaling-up phase (phase five), DDC proposes ways of creating a narrative platform, shedding light on how to mobilize the results of translation from the community level onto a broader social scale. The framework for the design methodology has been evaluated based on a method content analysis and by a group of experts from diverse backgrounds and disciplines. The results show, except for the efficiency of the method, which requires additional investigation in a real-life context, the efficacy and effectiveness of the method have been elaborated in a sufficient way.

Knowledge Translation as Cultural and Epistemic Translation Comment on "Sustaining Knowledge Translation Practices: A Critical Interpretative Synthesis".

This commentary examines the claim made by Borst et al that knowledge translation (KT) should look to Science and Technology Studies (STS), the sociology of translation, and constructionist views on knowledge, and begin to think of the sustainability of a certain practice as construction work in continuous progress, and not as states to be reached once and for all. While endorsing this claim, the present commentary also argues that what it calls the "epistemic reframing" behind the new construal of KT in Borst must be supplemented with approaches that goes beyond the sociology of translation. The commentary claims that this epistemic shift hinges upon a shift in the narrative framing of KT, and that we need to consider the broader narrative and historical ideology of knowledge dissemination behind KT, and that a failure to do so, leaves us with KT seen as a linear transmission of "true" knowledge to peoples and places lacking such knowledge.