The cultural turn in Community Interpreting. A brief analysis of epistemological developments in Community Interpreting literature in the light of paradigm changes in the humatities

Abstract

This paper aims to take stock of the current status quo in the literature of Community Interpreting. The paper will examine what has been written to date on the subject of community interpreting in academic journals and books in T/I literature (and will also include non-published articles presented at international conferences- suggesting trends and foci in the community generally). It will describe and critique the different premises, models, perspectives and fields of application in the literature to see how these fit in with the larger trends in T/I studies and in the humanities more generally. (For example, an interface emerges between philosophical issues pertinent in other disciplines in issues such as ethics, role and professionalism.) Going beyond a traditional literature review, the paper provides a brief critical analysis of the most important single contributions and/or schools of thought within the literature. As such, the paper also aims to contribute towards the mapping of what will in future constitute the early history of CI research. Prefaced by a brief preliminary discussion of what constitutes 'theories' and 'models' in the humanities, the paper provides a filter through which to analyse the texts. Finally, the paper will suggest what might be the most novel/fruitful/interesting avenues to follow in the future - both from a theoretical and a practical perspective - and propose research in other areas (esp. medical, legal, sociological, anthropological, discourse analysis) that may be fruitful for the continuing advancement of this exciting and intrinsically interdisciplinary field of studies.