Comparative Literature 691SJ - S-Translation & Social Justice

This course will explore the role of translation and interpreting in the distribution of social justice within communities, nations and at the global level. It will consider issues such as the position of refugees, asylum seekers and foreign contract and domestic workers, as well as the question of which minority languages are selected for translation in multicultural societies, a decision that can underscore the relative power and significance of one migrant or minority culture in relation to another. A central focus of the course will be on how translators and interpreters actively inhabit their position, which may involve omitting, declining or deciding to advocate for the rights of vulnerable individuals and groups. Students will engage with relevant scholarship, ethnographic materials and literary texts to examine ways in which translators and interpreters have sought to actively challenge their professional codes of ethics, which call for neutrality and impartiality in their role, in situations where a clear bias, injustice or imbalance of power is evident. It will also explore in depth the complex ethical issues and challenges that emerge in the process.