Esperança Bielsa’s interdisciplinary research draws upon sociology, critical theory and translation studies. 

Her current research is aimed at the renewal of a cultural critique that addresses and responds to the deep and interconnected crises of the present.

Recent research dealt with the social and political dimensions of translation and the theoretical and methodological implications of a translational approach for sociology. This included an investigation of the central significance of translation for an understanding of contemporary cosmopolitanism and of processes of globalization, and empirical studies on the translation of world literature, social theory and global news. 

Older research investigated the Latin American urban crónica as a hybrid genre of the contact zone between literature and popular culture.