Actors and Networks in Court Interpreting Services in the Context of Migration in Türkiye

Authors : Mehtap Aral, Alev Bulut

Pages : 1-26

Doi:10.37599/ceviri.1567313

View : 153 | Download : 98

Publication Date : 2024-12-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :The primary aim of this study is to determine the network and the actors involved in court interpreting services in Türkiye. The second aim is to explore if the actors in the network have an impact on the other actors’ perceptions on the position and the duty of the court interpreters or not. In this context, two case studies were conducted in trials, where the refugees benefit from the interpreting service in Arabic-Turkish in two provinces (Kayseri and Antalya) in Türkiye. The data are composed of the semi-structured interviews with the court interpreters, open-ended questionnaires administered to the judges and the officers in the court registry and the short interviews conducted with the refugees. Additionally, the second data includes the observation notes during the hearings, research diaries and available codes, regulations and documents in the field. The findings have been analysed within the frameworks of position, interaction, and intervention, utilising Actor-Network Theory proposed by Callon and Latour. In the first category, the interpreters’ physical and social positions, the actors’ attitudes towards the profession, status and role are addressed. In the second category, the communication of actors before and after interpreting and the cooperation between the interpreters are discussed. The third category encompasses interpreting techniques, challenges faced during interpretation, interventions in the interpreting process, and the roles of the interpreter and the speaker. It has been determined that each network is ephemeral and unstable. Additionally, court interpreters have established local and small networks prior to interpreting performances to ensure safe involvement in the network, addressing procedural deficiencies. The study finally notes that the bilingualism of interpreters, the definition of the interpreter\\\'s role in the code, and the communication among actors prior to interpreting in the network may influence the perceptions of human actors regarding the position and responsibilities of court interpreters.
Keywords : Mahkeme çevirmeni, göç, toplum çevirmenliği, Aktör-Ağ Kuramı