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In:Translation Studies between Disciplines and Practices
Edited by Luc van Doorslaer and Yves Gambier
[Benjamins Translation Library 174] 2026
► pp. 187–203

Chapter 10
Imagology and translation studies

Moving images from one (geo)cultural memory into another

 | University of Tartu | KU Leuven | Stellenbosch University
 | University of Zagreb
This content is being prepared for publication; it may be subject to changes.
Abstract
This chapter explores the interdisciplinary dialogue between imagology and translation studies, examining how cultural and national images (mental images, that is, not necessarily visual images) are transferred, transformed, and recontextualized across linguistic and geocultural boundaries. Drawing on the authors’ respective expertise, it traces the historical development, methodological frameworks, and institutional status of both fields, highlighting their convergences and divergences. Imagology, traditionally rooted in comparative literature, is conceptualized as a lens or selection principle for analyzing discursive representations of ethnotypes and geocultural spaces. Translation studies, with its more established disciplinary infrastructure, increasingly engages with imagological approaches to investigate how translation mediates cultural memory and identity.
The chapter emphasizes the diachronic and intertextual nature of both disciplines, illustrating how translations function as cultural artifacts that co-construct meaning and reflect ideological shifts. The authors demonstrate the complex negotiation of auto-images, hetero-images, and translated images, and address the challenges posed by media diversification, non-narrative genres, and the politicization of image-building, particularly in contexts like cultural diplomacy.
Critically engaging with concepts such as hybridity, geocultural space, and intersectionality, the chapter questions essentialist and nation-based frameworks while acknowledging their persistent influence. It advocates for a reflective, historically grounded approach to image analysis, warning against ideological overreach and emphasizing the need for methodological transparency. Ultimately, the chapter argues that imagology and translation studies, through their shared focus on cultural transfer and representation, offer valuable insights into the dynamics of identity construction in a globalized yet increasingly identity-conscious world.
Article outline
  • 1.Disciplines with different fortunes
  • 2.Cultural memory and geocultural spaces
  • 3.The outlook
  • Author queries
  • References
References (43)
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