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Translation and identity in the Americas: new directions in translation theory
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2009
Year
Translation StudiesLatin American StudyMultilingualismLiterary StudiesCultural TextTranslation TheoryEdwin GentzlerCultural StudiesLiterary ExperimentationLatino/a StudiesCultural IdentityComparative LiteratureLatin American DiasporaAmerican IdentityCultural DiversityLatin American SocietyLanguage StudiesLatin American CultureLatin American StudiesTranslation HistoryCultureHumanitiesNew DirectionsEthnographySpanishCultural AnthropologyInter-american RelationCase Studies
Translation in the Americas is contested, with competing literary and political groups vying for space and approval. The book positions itself as essential reading for scholars in translation studies, comparative literature, and cultural studies. The study shows that the Americas are a fertile terrain for translation research, that translation is a key mechanism of cultural construction, and that translation policies can marginalize minority groups, causing social exclusion, identity loss, and psychological trauma.
Translation is a highly contested site in the Americas where different groups, often with competing literary or political interests, vie for space and approval. In its survey of these multiple and competing groups and its study of the geographic, socio-political and cultural aspects of translation, Edwin Gentzler's book demonstrates that the Americas are a fruitful terrain for the field of translation studies. Building on research from a variety of disciplines including cultural studies, linguistics, feminism and ethnic studies and including case studies from Brazil, Canada and the Caribbean, this book shows that translation is one of the primary means by which a culture is constructed: translation in the Americas is less something that happens between separate and distinct cultures and more something that is capable of establishing those very cultures. Using a variety of texts and addressing minority and oppressed groups within cultures, Translation and Identity in the Americas highlights by example the cultural role translation policies play in a discriminatory process: the consequences of which can be social marginalization, loss of identity and psychological trauma. Translation and Identity the Americas will be critical reading for students and scholars of Translation Studies, Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies.