Norms, Creativity or Social Constraints? Questioning quality in community interpreting in public services

Abstract

The evolution of Translation and Interpreting Studies as scholarly disciplines in the last decades shows a series of shifts from micro to macro approaches, from text to context, and from language to society. These shifts are also accompanied by the development or reinforcement of what could be considered new areas of study such as Translation and Interpreting in Public Services (TIPS), Sign Language Interpreting, Remote Interpreting or Interpreting in Conflict. This paper concentrates on TIPS. The growing interest in TIPS is undoubtedly linked to the migration phenomenon; and the intervention of intermediaries who make communication possible is generally recognised. Despite this fact, the controversy regarding the role(s) these intermediaries perform appears to be a barrier to academic and institutional acceptance and recognition. Following the influence of Bourdieu’s social theory, it is my intention to apply it to TIPS in an attempt to explain the performance of these ‘visible’ interpreters.