Toward a Toward a Overview Sociology of Sociology of - PDF document

6/9/2010 Toward a Toward a Overview Sociology of Sociology of Introduction • Interpreting Interpreting Traditional foci in Sign Language Interpreting Research – What a sociology of interpreting would look like. • Jeremy L. Brunson Jeremy L. Brunson Assistant Professor of Sociology Assistant Professor of Sociology gy gy Gallaudet University Gallaudet University Institutional ethnography as an approach of inquiry • VRS 2010 Presentation VRS 2010 Presentation Applying IE to the field of interpreting through an • examination of VRS. Conclusion/Questions • What would a Sociology of Interpreting Look Traditional Starting Place and Traditional Starting Place and Like? Foci of Sign Language Foci of Sign Language  It would answer three questions: Interpreting Research Interpreting Research What are the social structures that influence the • interpretation process? interpretation process? What are the generalizing effects of these social • structures? How is that influence carried out? • Applying Institutional Institutional Ethnography: Ethnography Using VRS as an Example Feminism  Standpoint (Smith 1987; 1990a; 2005; DeVault & McCoy,  2002; DeVault 2006).  My study problematic: “We are providing access.” Ruling Relations (Marx [1976]; Smith 1987; 1990a; 1990b;   1999; 2005; 2006; G. Smith 1988).  Texts (Smith 1990a; McCoy 1995; 1998; 2006)  Work (Smith 1990b; de Montigny 1995; DeVault 2007; Diamond 1992; Hochschild 1979; 1983; 1990; Generalizability vs. Generalizing Effect (Smith 2006)  Our participation in society’s (and our own) organization  1

6/9/2010 Background Information My Study  I have worked for 3 different VRS providers, in 5  Methodology different centers, located in 4 different states.  Setting  My focus here examines data collected while I worked  Interpreters for one provider.  Texts  Deaf People  Conclusion Methodology Setting  Participant observations  Architecture  Auto ethnographic  Technologies  Interviews  Space as a commodity Full-time interpreters get to claim their space   Focus Groups  Examination of Texts (not a textual analysis) Interviews Interpreter Excerpt  Recruitment of Informants I think the role of interpreters in general, not only by sign language interpreters, is greatly understated. I 25 Interpreters  think interpreters are really, what I call, the grunts of 5 Managerial Staff  building cultural understanding. If it wasn’t for those small little interactions that interpreters help facilitate p p  Focus of Interviews  F f I t i between two sets of people or two individuals who 1.5 hours in length on average  come from different experiences we [as a society] would be just so separate. (Estelle) Most took place at interpreters’ home or away from the  center All interpreters were certified   Themes were identified using a open-coding and then focused coding process. 2

6/9/2010 Interview Excerpt Interview Excerpt Video relay centers are now hiring newbie The caller came up on my screen. He was wearing a [interpreters] who have never interpreted in the white turban kind of thing. I was searching for any community to work in their centers. While [sign kind of clue to what the context was. When the language interpreting trainers] have been working to hearing person answered the phone, the caller spelled emphasize the importance of knowing the context for his name. I said to the hearing person, “Hi, it’s several years, we are now seeing video relay service several years we are now seeing video relay service Yamez.” The hearing person started to repeat the Y ” Th h i t t d t t th [providers] telling these newbie [interpreters] that the name, “Yamez? Yamez?” I realized I had probably said context is not important. They just want robots that it wrong. I started to place the emphasis on different will pick an English word for every sign. What a syllables. I knew it was Yamez but I just didn’t know how to say it. After what seemed like 30 minutes but mess. (Julia) was really just a really long minute, the hearing person said, “James, is that you?” I about died. (Sarah) Interview Excerpt Interview Excerpt The caller came up on my screen and I tried to do my When I know the person is going to be rude, I introduction. You know, Thank you for calling Ease interpret more strictly to what I see. So I don’t work Communication, Inc. VRS, I am interpreter number to put it into English. Now, I don’t think people have 4... She interrupted me. She said, “Same old thing. I to thank me. I am getting paid. But when someone is don’t need to know, just make the call.” I told her that , j just nice then I will work to make the message flow j g I would but that I had to give her my number. She like a conversation. (Tyler) didn’t want it. I had to tell her that the FCC required me to tell her. (Brenda) Interview Excerpt So why do it? Do you want to be a company known for good  Financial Motive: The Royal Treatment customer service? Good customer service takes time. If I want to develop a rapport with this person, and the way I do it might be different than how someone  Skill Enhancement: Sign-to-Voice Practice else does it and it might be ok for me, and if you g , y measure the amount of time it takes for us to develop this rapport and the amount of time it takes me is going to be different than the amount of time that it  Consumer Pool: “I want to go where nobody knows takes another person. Then what? If it doesn’t meet my name.” your target, are you asking me to change the way I establish this rapport with them? Ok, then tell me how you want me to do that? (Estelle) 3

6/9/2010 The Textual Organization Identifying the Texts of Interpreting in VRS  These interpreters all refer to policies, in the form of texts, as their justification for their behavior.  We need to remember that texts are being “activated” Ame cans W h ri it Disabili e Ac ti s t ( Func onally Equivalent ti ) RID (McCoy 1995) at different moments in different Code of P ofessiona r l Conduc t locations. Each time they are activated the person FCC Regu ations/Ru ng l li s ( Expands Relay o become t more unc onally “f ti activating them is interpreting them through a equivalent ”) particular lens. P oduc ivity Log r t s Activity Log Various Scripts Timecard (Demonstration of Kudos Cer ifica es t t  The work of sign language interpreting is invisible for (Demonstration of work ) (Standa dization r ) “ access” n a pe cen age i r t ) the most part. Texts make it visible. Focus Groups  Demographics The Impact of this The Impact of this  Adults Coordination Coordination  Th  Themes  Enjoy VRS  Equal Footing with non-deaf people Invisible labor   Emotion Work to gain access Conclusion Questions/Com Questions/Com  We need to begin to teach current and future interpreters to see the work of interpreting as part of a ments? ments? larger social institution. One that I have called “institution of access” (Brunson 2008). By doing this, Thank you. Thank you. interpreters can identify the influence this institution, p y , through texts that pass between translocal social structures, exerts over us in order to counter or promote this type of organization. We can then determine the trajectory of the field rather than having it determined for us. 4

6/9/2010 Bibliography Bibliography Available upon request. Available upon request. 5