Wolf Michaela, Fukari Alexandra. Constructing a Sociology of Translation

John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2007. — vii + 226 p. — (Benjamins Translation Library 74). — ISBN 978-90-272-1682-3.The view of translation as a socially regulated activity has opened up a broad field of research in the last few years. This volume deals with central questions of the new domain and aims to contribute to the conceptualisation of a general sociology of translation. Interdisciplinary in approach, it discusses the role of major representatives of sociology like Pierre Bourdieu, Bruno Latour, Bernard Lahire, Anthony Giddens or Niklas Luhmann in establishing a theoretical framework for a sociology of translation. Drawing on methodologies from sociology and integrating them into translation studies, the book questions some of the established categories in this discipline and calls for a redefinition of long-assumed principles. The contributions show the social involvement of translation in various fields and focus especially on the translator’s position in an emerging sociology of translation, Bourdieu’s influence in conceptualising this new sub-discipline, methodological questions and a sociologically oriented meta-discussion of translation studies.Introduction: The emergence of a sociology of translation.
Michaela Wolf.
The debate on the translator’s position in an emerging sociology of translation.
Priests, princes and pariahs. Constructing the professional field of translation.
Erich Prunč.
Translation, irritation and resonance.
Theo Hermans.
Bourdieu’s influence in conceptualising a sociology of translation.
Objectivation, réflexivité et traduction. Pour une re-lecture bourdieusienne de la traduction.
Jean-Marc Gouanvic.
Outline for a sociology of translation. Current issues and future prospects.
Johan Heilbron and Gisèle Sapiro.
The location of the translation field. Negotiating borderlines between Pierre Bourdieu and Homi Bhabha.
Michaela Wolf.
Mapping the field: Issues of method and translation practice.
Locating systems and individuals in translation studies.
Mirella Agorni.
Translations in the making.
Hélène Buzelin.
Bridge concepts in translation sociology.
Andrew Chesterman.
Constructing a sociology of translation studies: Overview and perspectives.
Between sociology and history. Method in context and in practice.
Daniel Simeoni.
Y a-t-il place pour une socio-traductologie?
Yves Gambier.
Notes on contributors.
Author index.
Subject index.