Towards Empowerment

Abstract

The translation profession has recently undergone a shift from a predominantly humanist occupation to a globalized industry. Consequently, the need for educators to prepare translators-in-training for the conflicting expectations of their new working environment, defined in this article as ‘translation production networks’, has risen sharply. Characterized by a hierarchical structure, extreme division of labour, and the involvement of multiple actors, production networks are rife with ethical dilemmas. The challenges posed by such dilemmas provided the impetus for a new course at the University of Tampere in Finland. The Translators’ and Interpreters’ Professional Business Skills course was developed to sensitize students to a range of ethical concerns that arise in the contemporary translation industry and to help them retain their agency in making moral judgements. This paper examines students’ reflections on professional ethical dilemmas faced by micro-entrepreneur translators in production networks. The analysis suggests that reflecting on ethical dilemmas of a collective nature sensitizes students to the conflict between their own ethical principles and the principles outlined in business codes of ethics and enables them to act more responsibly.