The last few years have seen a great increase in works on what has been labeled a "sociological turn" in translation studies. This turn has particularly taught us to sharpen our "sociological eye" on the various agencies and agents involved in any translation procedure, and more specifically in the textual factors operating in the translation process. In this paper I will discuss the conditions underlying the "sociological turn" and examine both its limitations and its potential, with particular attention to the translator's habitus as elaborated in sociology and in translation studies. My focus will be on the political factors which in recent years have contributed to molding the habitus, not least in the domain of "translation and activism, " where new codes of reference have been created for translatorial activity that also pose searching questions for Western concepts of translation and their social implications, ultimately triggering what might be called an "activist turn. "
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. 1
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