ECPR Winter School in Methods and Techniques, 11-18 February 2012 Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) Famagusta, Cyprus

B7 - Lost in translation? Foreign languages in qualitative research 2. Instructor details First name, last name: Beate Littig Department/Unit: Department of Sociology Institution: Institute for Advanced Studies Full postal address for ECPR correspondence : Stumpergasse 56, A-1060 Vienna Phone: 0043-1-59991-215 Fax: :0043-1-59991-191 E-mail : littig@ihs.ac.at 3. Short Bio: PD Dr. Beate Littig is a sociologist and Head of the Department of Sociology of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Vienna. In addition to that she is a lecturer at the University of Vienna. Her current research interests include qualitative research methods; environmental sociology; gender studies and science and technology studies. http://www.ihs.ac.at/vienna/IHS-Departments-2/Sociology-1/StaffTeam-2/StaffTeam-9/staffType:Head+of+Department.htm 4. Short course outline: The course addresses methodological problems resulting from societal multi-ethnicity, migration and internationalisation of research for qualitative research designs. Especially in interviews, but also in ethnography and document analysis researchers are often confronted with the fact that individuals (and/or material) involved use different languages than the researchers’ mother tongue. The question of how to deal with multiple languages in the research process is relevant for different phases: the design, the generating of data, the analysis and the presentation of the results. Problematic from a methodological point of view are the limits of translation or in a broader perspective the challenges of understanding different/foreign cultures. From a practical perspective research has to be carefully planned: if professional interpreters shall be included financial compensation has to be provided; professional, but even more informal co-interpreters have to be trained and instructed, the researchers own language skills have to be reflected and possibly improved. 5. Long course outline: Empirical research always is mediated in language. Be it interviews, documents, memos, visual material etc., the data have to be transcribed or somehow translated into text. The aim of interpretative research is the reconstruction of social practices (agency and structures) and the understandings of the actors at stake. Hermeneutic implications and conditions of understanding have a long tradition within philosophy and also in empirical social research (especially in anthropology, cultural studies, sociology etc). But anyhow, the discussion about methodological issues resulting from multi-ethnicity and the internationalisation of research started just recently, but intensifies rapidly. Researchers can be confronted with problems of multiple (foreign) languages in all phases of the research process: starting with questions of the design of the research, for example the inclusion of professional or semi-professional interpreters, which is not only time consuming but also expensive. Questions of translation – the possibilities and limits of translation – are most relevant for the generating of date and the analysis. Shall a co-interpreter be involved? What qualification shall he or she have? How shall the transcripts be done: in the original language of the interview? Or should the interview be directly translated? How can quality control of the translation be assured? And finally: How, i.e. in which language shall the results be presented if the report is written in another language than the data used? How shall interviewees be cited? Social Research in general and especially international studies try to compare different cultural, social or political issues. From a methodological perspective the possibilities and limits of understanding different cultures are at stake here. This includes questions of intercultural communication and intercultural understanding. The debate is about the problems of going-native or of misinterpretation as a consequence of the outsider position. On a practical level the questions already mentioned above are relevant: organisational and financial precautionary measures need to be arranged for professional interpreter, co- interpreters or cultural mediators etc. Thus the course wants to discuss methodological and practical issues of multiple languages in the whole research process. In the first session the course will focus on the hermeneutic basis of multiple languages in qualitative research. The following sessions (2-4) will turn to practical issues of organising the research process (design, data generation, analysis, report). The final discussion will summarize the issue of multiple languages in qualitative research on a deepening level. A major part of the course will be dedicated to participants’ individual plans for the applicants’ methodological and practical questions regarding their own research. Exercises and practical training shall help them to improve their individual research skills. 6. Day-to-day schedule (Monday 13 February to Friday 17 February) Topic(s) Details NB : incl. timing of lecture v/s la... Day 1 Introduction to the course: What are the basic problems of translation in qualitative research, esp. in interviews? Input Littig and DVD: Die Falten des Königs (German with English undertitles) Workig groups on basic translation problems based on the compulsory reading Assignment: Summary of the compulsory reading Day 2 Challenges and Solutions in dealing with multiple languages in interviews Input of Littig and participants Assignment: Summary of the compulsory reading Day 3 Ctd. Expanding discussion to ethnography and document analysis Input of Littig and participants Assigment: Designing a research project with multiple languages; discussion of Day 4 Presentation and discussion of students’ research with regard to problems of translation(multiple languages involved Students’ presentations and discussion Assignment: Summary of the compulsory reading Day 5 Translation in Research and Society? Towards a Sociology of translation and consequences for qualitative research Final discussion