Toward a Toward a Overview Sociology of Sociology of - - PDF document

6/9/2010

Toward a Toward a Sociology of Sociology of Interpreting Interpreting

Jeremy L. Brunson Jeremy L. Brunson Assistant Professor of Sociology Assistant Professor of Sociology gy gy Gallaudet University Gallaudet University VRS 2010 Presentation VRS 2010 Presentation

Overview

• Introduction

–

Traditional foci in Sign Language Interpreting Research

• What a sociology of interpreting would look like.
• Institutional ethnography as an approach of inquiry
• Applying IE to the field of interpreting through an

examination of VRS.

• Conclusion/Questions

Traditional Starting Place and Traditional Starting Place and Foci of Sign Language Foci of Sign Language Interpreting Research Interpreting Research

What would a Sociology

• f Interpreting Look

Like?

 It would answer three questions:

• What are the social structures that influence the

interpretation process? interpretation process?

• What are the generalizing effects of these social

structures?

• How is that influence carried out?

Institutional Ethnography



Feminism



Standpoint (Smith 1987; 1990a; 2005; DeVault & McCoy, 2002; DeVault 2006). 

Ruling Relations (Marx [1976]; Smith 1987; 1990a; 1990b; 1999; 2005; 2006; G. Smith 1988).



Texts (Smith 1990a; McCoy 1995; 1998; 2006)



Work (Smith 1990b; de Montigny 1995; DeVault 2007; Diamond 1992; Hochschild 1979; 1983; 1990;



Generalizability vs. Generalizing Effect (Smith 2006)



Our participation in society’s (and our own) organization

Applying Institutional Ethnography: Using VRS as an Example

 My study problematic:



“We are providing access.”

1

6/9/2010

Background Information

 I have worked for 3 different VRS providers, in 5

different centers, located in 4 different states.

 My focus here examines data collected while I worked

for one provider.

My Study

 Methodology  Setting  Interpreters  Texts  Deaf People  Conclusion

Methodology

 Participant observations  Auto ethnographic  Interviews  Focus Groups  Examination of Texts (not a textual analysis)

Setting

 Architecture  Technologies  Space as a commodity



Full-time interpreters get to claim their space

Interviews

 Recruitment of Informants



25 Interpreters



5 Managerial Staff  F

f I t i

 Focus of Interviews



1.5 hours in length on average



Most took place at interpreters’ home or away from the center



All interpreters were certified



Themes were identified using a open-coding and then focused coding process.

Interpreter Excerpt

I think the role of interpreters in general, not only by sign language interpreters, is greatly understated. I think interpreters are really, what I call, the grunts of building cultural understanding. If it wasn’t for those small little interactions that interpreters help facilitate p p between two sets of people or two individuals who come from different experiences we [as a society] would be just so separate. (Estelle)

2

6/9/2010

Interview Excerpt

The caller came up on my screen. He was wearing a white turban kind of thing. I was searching for any kind of clue to what the context was. When the hearing person answered the phone, the caller spelled his name. I said to the hearing person, “Hi, it’s Y ” Th h i t t d t t th Yamez.” The hearing person started to repeat the name, “Yamez? Yamez?” I realized I had probably said it wrong. I started to place the emphasis on different

• syllables. I knew it was Yamez but I just didn’t know

how to say it. After what seemed like 30 minutes but was really just a really long minute, the hearing person said, “James, is that you?” I about died. (Sarah)

Interview Excerpt

Video relay centers are now hiring newbie [interpreters] who have never interpreted in the community to work in their centers. While [sign language interpreting trainers] have been working to emphasize the importance of knowing the context for several years we are now seeing video relay service several years, we are now seeing video relay service [providers] telling these newbie [interpreters] that the context is not important. They just want robots that will pick an English word for every sign. What a

• mess. (Julia)

Interview Excerpt

The caller came up on my screen and I tried to do my

• introduction. You know, Thank you for calling Ease

Communication, Inc. VRS, I am interpreter number 4... She interrupted me. She said, “Same old thing. I don’t need to know, just make the call.” I told her that , j I would but that I had to give her my number. She didn’t want it. I had to tell her that the FCC required me to tell her. (Brenda)

Interview Excerpt

When I know the person is going to be rude, I interpret more strictly to what I see. So I don’t work to put it into English. Now, I don’t think people have to thank me. I am getting paid. But when someone is just nice then I will work to make the message flow j g like a conversation. (Tyler)

Interview Excerpt

Do you want to be a company known for good customer service? Good customer service takes time. If I want to develop a rapport with this person, and the way I do it might be different than how someone else does it and it might be ok for me, and if you g , y measure the amount of time it takes for us to develop this rapport and the amount of time it takes me is going to be different than the amount of time that it takes another person. Then what? If it doesn’t meet your target, are you asking me to change the way I establish this rapport with them? Ok, then tell me how you want me to do that? (Estelle)

So why do it?

 Financial Motive: The Royal Treatment  Skill Enhancement: Sign-to-Voice Practice  Consumer Pool: “I want to go where nobody knows

my name.”

3

ri it ti s t ( ti ) r l t ) r ) r t s “ i r t ) t t l li s ( t “f ti ”)

6/9/2010

Identifying the Texts

 These interpreters all refer to policies, in the form of

texts, as their justification for their behavior.

 We need to remember that texts are being “activated”

(McCoy 1995) at different moments in different

• locations. Each time they are activated the person

activating them is interpreting them through a particular lens.

 The work of sign language interpreting is invisible for

the most part. Texts make it visible.

The Textual Organization

• f Interpreting in VRS

Ame cans W h Disabili e Ac Func onally Equivalent RID Code of P ofessiona Conduc Activity Log (Demonstration of work Timecard Various Scripts (Standa dization P oduc ivity Log (Demonstration of access” n a pe cen age Kudos Cer ifica es FCC Regu ations/Ru ng Expands Relay o become more unc onally equivalent

The Impact of this The Impact of this Coordination Coordination Focus Groups

 Demographics



Adults  Th  Themes



Enjoy VRS



Equal Footing with non-deaf people



Invisible labor

 Emotion Work to gain access

Conclusion

 We need to begin to teach current and future

interpreters to see the work of interpreting as part of a larger social institution. One that I have called “institution of access” (Brunson 2008). By doing this, interpreters can identify the influence this institution, p y , through texts that pass between translocal social structures, exerts over us in order to counter or promote this type of organization. We can then determine the trajectory of the field rather than having it determined for us.

Questions/Com Questions/Com ments? ments?

Thank you. Thank you.

4

6/9/2010 5

Bibliography Bibliography

Available upon request. Available upon request.