The factors influencing the role of sign language interpreters: The case of Turkey

This chapter brings the current norms of sign language interpreting (SLI) in Turkey into light through an investigation into the perceptions of sign language interpreters regarding their role in interpreted communication settings, as well as the main actors in such settings and the direct users of sign language interpretation, the Deaf3 community. The findings ofthe study, which indicate that these perceptions are not only influenced by the power relations between the actors in the field, but also by their opinions on the Deaf community, have been analysed using the theoretical concepts of capital (Bourdieu 1986) and social representations (Moscovici 1961/1976). The theoretical analysis of the findings leads to the conclusion that the participants of this study perceive themselves more as helpers, advocates, consultants and volunteers in SLI settings and less as professionals, because of factors such as the interpreters' lack of institutionalised cultural capital, their position in the field of power and the social representation of deaf people among the participants.