Towards a translational sociology 1

This chapter introduces the main theoretical and methodological perspectives of a translational sociology, distinguishing it from mainstream approaches to translation in both translation studies and sociology, as well as from alternative approaches at the intersection of translation and sociology. Its first three sections elaborate on its more basic presuppositions and points of departure, highlighting a broad definition of translation as a social relation, a materialist approach to translation, and the distinct nature of its interdisciplinary intervention, conceived as a two-way process of disciplinary transformation, critique and renewal. The last three sections relate some of the more significant contributions of a translational sociology, which include an exploration of the ordinary role of translation in social life and in sociological practice, a reconceptualization of the politics of translation, and a reflection on the relationship between translation and modernity. A concluding section argues that translational reflexivity is a necessary component of a reflexive sociology which critically examines its own conditions of possibility.