Abstract

This edited collection brings together new research on public service interpreting and translation (PSIT) with a focus on ideology, ethics and policy development. The contributions provide fresh theoretical and empirical perspectives on the inconsistencies in translation and interpreting provision observed in different geonational contexts and the often-reported tensions between prescribed approaches to ethics and practitioner experience. The discussions are set against the backdrop of developments in rights-based discourses on language support services and the professionalisation of the field, drawing attention to how stakeholders and interpreting practitioners navigate the realities of service in the context of shifting ideological landscapes. Particular innovations in the collection include theorisations about policy and practice that draw on political science, applied ethics and paradigms of trauma-informed care. The volume also presents research on settings that have received limited attention to date such as prison and charitable services for survivors of violence and trauma.

This formidable collection is a significant contribution to research and teaching. New ground is explored as the authors focus on the interconnections between the concepts of ethics and ideology, as well as the far-reaching implications for policy development within the social and political contexts in which it is embedded. Truly a compelling and engaging volume.

Carmen Valero-Garcés is the Programme Director for the MA in Intercultural Communication, Public Service Interpreting and Translation at the University of Alcalá, Spain. Her research interests lie in training, accreditation and assessment in PSIT, theoretical approaches to PSIT and market-academia relationships.

Rebecca Tipton is the Programme Director for the MA in Translation and Interpreting Studies at the University of Manchester, UK. Her research interests lie in the history of PSIT in Britain, interpreting for victims of violence in domestic and international contexts and language policy for migrant and refugee populations.

This timely volume sheds light on the relevance of translation in mediation and its implications in policy making in public services. Not only does it offer an overview of the theoretical backgrounds which help draft further research; but it effectively shows what are the main benefits from achieving societal impacts through translation and interpreting practices.

Revealing the imbrication of ideological and ethical issues in PSI, this book presents an enlightening collection of articles that offer new insights into the conceptualization and understanding of public service interpreting policies, the contexts in which these are implemented and resulting practices.

This volume is richly rewarding - if demanding - reading, on areas and issues that are imperative for interpreters to understand, and a call to arms to be more alert to the wider social and ideological forces impacting on our profession.

Ideology, Ethics and Policy Development in Public Service Interpreting and Translation is a wonderful contribution to Interpreting Studies, because it brings together the world of academia (current research exploring ideological, policy-making and ethical issues) and voices from the field, thus consolidating theory and practice.