A Bourdieusian Perspective on the Public Service Interpreters Working at the Non-Governmental Organizations

Yıl 2020, Sayı: 28, 144 - 176, 24.07.2020

Asli Polat Ulaş , Atalay Gündüz

https://doi.org/10.37599/ceviri.675408

Cited By: 2

Öz

Due to the Syrian civil war, nearly 3.5 million Syrians have taken refuge in Turkey in the last nine years. Although Syrians and Turks are regionally and culturally close to each other, there is the linguistic difference, leading to communication barriers between them. Public service interpreters are recruited to meet the communication needs in healthcare institutions, especially in provinces with the highest Syrian populations, and in other state institutions and courts. Furthermore, a limited number of non-governmental organizations, such as Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekers and Migrants (ASAM), recruit interpreters. Turkey is a country which has faced flows of refugees only recently, and thus adequate steps regarding immigration policies have not been taken yet in the country. Therefore, public service interpreting for refugees has not developed sufficiently, and the number of well-trained interpreters among those providing service is quite low. In this regard, this study aims to examine the professional trajectory of the interpreters working at ASAM through the interpreters' professional perceptions and the institutional conditions affecting their interpreting activities. More specifically, based on Pierre Bourdieu's concepts of habitus, capital and illusio, the motives that have driven the interpreters to the job they are engaged in and the forms of capital (un)available to them in their work trajectory will be discussed. To this end, the interviews conducted with the interpreters, the interviews with ASAM officials and the institutional documents are used as data sources in the discussion. Within the frame of the professional trajectory of the interpreters, who have been engaged in NGO interpreting with the motives of using their available cultural and linguistic competence and of helping refugees, the social bonds developed with refugees, albeit in a restricted manner, and their limited authority against other professional groups emerge as the leading issues. 

Anahtar Kelimeler

public service interpreters, habitus, capital, illusio, non-governmental organization

Teşekkür

We would like to express our gratitude to the officials and interpreters of the Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekers and Migrants (ASAM) in İzmir, Mersin, Adana and Gaziantep for their collaboration and assistance.

Sivil Toplum Kuruluşlarında Çalışan Toplum Çevirmenlerine Bourdieu’nun Sosyal Kuramı Işığında Bir Bakış

Öz

Son dokuz yılda Suriye iç savaşından dolayı yaklaşık 3,5 milyon Suriyeli Türkiye’ye sığınmıştır. İki toplum bölgesel ve kültürel olarak birbirine yakın olsa da aralarında iletişim engellerine yol açan dil farklılığı mevcuttur. Dil engeline yönelik başta mülteci nüfusun fazla olduğu şehirlerdeki sağlık kuruluşları olmak üzere diğer devlet kurumları ve mahkemelerde toplum çevirmenleri hizmet vermektedirler. Ayrıca, Sığınmacılar ve Göçmenlerle Dayanışma Derneği (SGDD) gibi sınırlı sayıdaki sivil toplum kuruluşu da tercüman istihdam etmektedir. Türkiye büyük bir göç dalgası ile ancak son zamanlarda karşılaşan bir ülkedir ve ülkede göçmen politikaları konusunda henüz yeterli adımlar atılamamıştır. Bu nedenle, mültecilere sağlanan toplum çevirmenliği hizmetleri yeterli düzeyde gelişmemiştir ve yeterli düzeyde eğitim almış tercümanlar da oldukça azdır. Bu bağlamda, bu çalışmada SGDD’de çalışan tercümanların mesleki faaliyetleri, tercümanların kendi mesleki algıları ile çeviri faaliyetlerini etkileyen kurumsal koşullar üzerinden incelenecektir. Tercümanları bu işe yönelten saikler ve mesleki faaliyetleri sırasında kendileri için mevcut olan/olmayan sermaye türleri Pierre Bourdieu'nun habitus, sermaye ve illusio kavramları ışığında tartışılacaktır. İncelemede tercümanlar ile gerçekleştirilen mülakatların yanı sıra kurum yetkilileri ile gerçekleştirilen mülakatlar ve kurumsal dokümanlar veri kaynakları olarak kullanılmaktadır. Var olan dil becerilerini kullanmak ve mültecilere yardım etmek gibi saiklerle SGDD’de çalışmaya başlayan tercümanların sınırlı da olsa mültecilerle kurdukları sosyal bağlar ve diğer meslek grupları karşısındaki sınırlı yetkileri mesleki faaliyetleri kapsamında öne çıkan durumlardır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

toplum çevirmenleri, habitus, capital, illusio, sivil toplum kuruluşu

Kaynakça

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