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The Language Barrier as an Aid to Communication
- Source :
- Social Studies of Science. 37:561-584
- Publication Year :
- 2007
- Publisher :
- SAGE Publications, 2007.
-
Abstract
- The communication between distinct social worlds or forms of life is a central topic in the sociology of knowledge. How do different communities interact with each other? Based on a sociological analysis of the work of Japanese—Portuguese interpreters in the Brazilian steel industry, I argue that the `language barrier', which is normally thought as a problem, can aid communication by preventing people who hold potentially clashing concepts, beliefs and customs from directly confronting each other. The importance for such people of not understanding each other is revealed in the work of interpreters, who facilitate the interaction between representatives of different steel companies and support the transfer of technology from Japan to Brazil. They maintain cordial relationships by acting as `buffers' between the Japanese and Brazilian forms of life. Three `models of mediation' are discussed in a comparison of the Japanese—Portuguese interpreters with other cases of interaction.
- Subjects :
- Social worlds
History
060101 anthropology
business.industry
05 social sciences
General Social Sciences
Language barrier
06 humanities and the arts
Public relations
Aid communication
050905 science studies
computer.software_genre
History and Philosophy of Science
Work (electrical)
Sociology of knowledge
Mediation
0601 history and archaeology
Sociology
0509 other social sciences
Social science
business
computer
Interpreter
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 14603659 and 03063127
- Volume :
- 37
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Social Studies of Science
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........ea42cb3a77acb9b970dc675ac71af61f