Mapping the field: Sociological perspectives on translation

Abstract

In recent years, translating as a social practice has been increasingly determining daily routines in a globalizing world. Traditional approaches in Translation Studies have shown a certain awareness of these implications on translation and have progressively focused on socially oriented questions in translation. However, they have not coherently synthesized the various issues raised, and, consequently, most of these issues are still under-theorized. This paper aims to highlight sociological perspectives on translation, coming from both inside and outside the discipline over the last few years. Additionally, I will try to trace the conjunctions of Translation Studies and sociology in terms of their methodological contributions to the construction of a “sociology of translation”. The view of translation as a social practice entails specific questions which relate to the ethical and sociopolitical responsibility of the agents involved in the translation process. If these questions are taken further, it is paramount to take account of the shifting meanings attributed to the concept of translation as adopted within Translation Studies but also in other disciplines.