Paper 24
Questions in the sociology of translation
This paper welcomes the current interest in a sociological approach in Translation Studies, as a way of focusing on part of the wider context of translation. Three sub-areas are distinguished: the sociology of translations as products, the sociology of translators, and the sociology of the translation process. Some current sociological models are outlined, and the notion of a ‘translation practice’ is introduced as a central component in a sociological approach. Actor Network Theory is outlined as a potentially useful framework, and a number of possible research questions are suggested.
Article outline
- 1.The sociocultural context
- 2.Current models and frameworks
- 2.1Polysystems
- 2.2Bourdieu
- 2.3Luhmann
- 2.4Translation historiography
- 2.5Critical discourse theory, pragmatics
- 2.6Sociolinguistic models
- 2.7Skopos theory
- 2.8Quality control, the translation market, language planning
- 3.Translation practices
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4.Actor-network theory
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5.Applications
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Notes