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Author ORCID Identifier

N/A

AccessType

Open Access Dissertation

Document Type

dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Program

Communication

Year Degree Awarded

2014

Month Degree Awarded

February

First Advisor

Leda Cooks

Second Advisor

Martha Fuentes-Bautista

Third Advisor

Edwin Gentzler

Subject Categories

Agency | Anthropological Linguistics and Sociolinguistics | Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Business and Corporate Communications | Business Law, Public Responsibility, and Ethics | Civil Law | Civil Rights and Discrimination | Communications Law | Communication Technology and New Media | Comparative and Foreign Law | Controls and Control Theory | Criminology and Criminal Justice | Critical and Cultural Studies | Cultural History | Cultural Resource Management and Policy Analysis | Curriculum and Social Inquiry | Digital Communications and Networking | Disability Law | European History | European Languages and Societies | European Law | Game Design | History of Science, Technology, and Medicine | Human Geography | Human Rights Law | Immigration Law | Indigenous, Indian, and Aboriginal Law | Industrial Organization | Inequality and Stratification | Intellectual History | Interactive Arts | International and Intercultural Communication | International Business | International Economics | International Law | Interpersonal and Small Group Communication | Labor History | Law and Politics | Law and Society | Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility | Linguistic Anthropology | Linguistics | Mental and Social Health | Models and Methods | Modern Languages | Nonfiction | Operational Research | Organizational Behavior and Theory | Organizational Communication | Organizations Law | Other American Studies | Other Languages, Societies, and Cultures | Peace and Conflict Studies | Performance Studies | Philosophy of Language | Philosophy of Mind | Philosophy of Science | Policy Design, Analysis, and Evaluation | Political Economy | Political History | Political Theory | Politics and Social Change | Psycholinguistics and Neurolinguistics | Public Administration | Public Affairs | Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration | Public Economics | Public Health | Public Law and Legal Theory | Public Policy | Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies | Risk Analysis | Science and Technology Law | Science and Technology Policy | Science and Technology Studies | Social and Cultural Anthropology | Social History | Social Influence and Political Communication | Social Policy | Social Psychology | Social Psychology and Interaction | Social Welfare | Social Welfare Law | Sociology | Sociology of Culture | Speech and Rhetorical Studies | State and Local Government Law | Systems and Communications | Systems Engineering | Teacher Education and Professional Development | Theory, Knowledge and Science | Training and Development | Transnational Law | Typological Linguistics and Linguistic Diversity | Urban Studies | Work, Economy and Organizations

Abstract

What do community interpreting for the Deaf in western societies, conference interpreting for the European Parliament, and language brokering in international management have in common? Academic research and professional training have historically emphasized the linguistic and cognitive challenges of interpreting, neglecting or ignoring the social aspects that structure communication. All forms of interpreting are inherently social; they involve relationships among at least three people and two languages. The contexts explored here, American Sign Language/English interpreting and spoken language interpreting within the European Parliament, show that simultaneous interpreting involves attitudes, norms and values about intercultural communication that overemphasize information and discount cultural identity. The default mode of interpreting shows a desire for speed that suppresses differences requiring cultural mediation. It is theorized this imbalance stems from the invention and implementation of simultaneous interpreting within a highly charged historical moment that was steeped in trauma. Interpreting as a professional practice developed in keeping with technological capacities and historical contingencies accompanying processes of industrialization and modernity. The resulting expectations about what interpreting can and cannot achieve play out in microsocial group dynamics (as inequality) and macrosocial policy (legalized injustice). Interpreting invites an encounter with difference: foreignization is embedded within the experience of participating in simultaneous interpretation because interpreting disrupts the accustomed flow of consciousness, forcing participants to adapt (or resist adapting) to an alternate rhythm of turn-taking. This results in an unusual awareness of time. Discomforts associated with heightened time-consciousness open possibilities for deep learning and new kinds of relationships among people, ideas, and problem-setting. An analysis of the frustrations of users (interpretees) and practitioners (interpreters) suggests the need for other remedies than complete domestication. Reframing training for interpreters, and cultivating skillful and strategic participation by interpretees, could be leveraged systematically to improve social equality and reduce intercultural tensions through a balanced emphasis on sharing understanding and creating mutually-relevant meanings. This comparative cultural and critical discourse analysis enables an action research/action learning hypothesis aimed at intercultural social resilience: social control of diversity can be calibrated and contained through rituals of participation in special practices of simultaneously-interpreted communication.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7275/n04n-bv72

Included in

Agency Commons, Anthropological Linguistics and Sociolinguistics Commons, Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons, Business and Corporate Communications Commons, Business Law, Public Responsibility, and Ethics Commons, Civil Law Commons, Civil Rights and Discrimination Commons, Communications Law Commons, Communication Technology and New Media Commons, Comparative and Foreign Law Commons, Controls and Control Theory Commons, Criminology and Criminal Justice Commons, Critical and Cultural Studies Commons, Cultural History Commons, Cultural Resource Management and Policy Analysis Commons, Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons, Digital Communications and Networking Commons, Disability Law Commons, European History Commons, European Languages and Societies Commons, European Law Commons, Game Design Commons, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Commons, Human Geography Commons, Human Rights Law Commons, Immigration Law Commons, Indigenous, Indian, and Aboriginal Law Commons, Industrial Organization Commons, Inequality and Stratification Commons, Intellectual History Commons, Interactive Arts Commons, International and Intercultural Communication Commons, International Business Commons, International Economics Commons, International Law Commons, Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Commons, Labor History Commons, Law and Politics Commons, Law and Society Commons, Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Commons, Linguistic Anthropology Commons, Mental and Social Health Commons, Models and Methods Commons, Modern Languages Commons, Nonfiction Commons, Operational Research Commons, Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons, Organizational Communication Commons, Organizations Law Commons, Other American Studies Commons, Other Languages, Societies, and Cultures Commons, Peace and Conflict Studies Commons, Performance Studies Commons, Philosophy of Language Commons, Philosophy of Mind Commons, Philosophy of Science Commons, Policy Design, Analysis, and Evaluation Commons, Political Economy Commons, Political History Commons, Political Theory Commons, Politics and Social Change Commons, Psycholinguistics and Neurolinguistics Commons, Public Administration Commons, Public Affairs Commons, Public Economics Commons, Public Health Commons, Public Law and Legal Theory Commons, Public Policy Commons, Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies Commons, Risk Analysis Commons, Science and Technology Law Commons, Science and Technology Policy Commons, Science and Technology Studies Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons, Social History Commons, Social Influence and Political Communication Commons, Social Policy Commons, Social Psychology Commons, Social Psychology and Interaction Commons, Social Welfare Commons, Social Welfare Law Commons, Sociology of Culture Commons, Speech and Rhetorical Studies Commons, State and Local Government Law Commons, Systems and Communications Commons, Systems Engineering Commons, Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons, Theory, Knowledge and Science Commons, Training and Development Commons, Transnational Law Commons, Typological Linguistics and Linguistic Diversity Commons, Urban Studies Commons, Work, Economy and Organizations Commons

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