Unfolding occupational boundary work: Public service interpreting in social services for structurally vulnerable migrant populations in Finland
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7203/Just.1.25002Keywords:
Public service interpreting, Finland, social work, linguistic justice, boundary work, migrants
Abstract
This article explores occupational boundaries in the context of public service interpreting with structurally vulnerable migrant populations, raising questions about what kind of knowledge becomes valued and what kind of intersectional hierarchies are produced within a transforming social service landscape. Drawing on conceptualisations of boundary work and occupational (mis)recognition, we analyse written and oral diaries produced by public service interpreters in spring 2022. The research participants are of diverse professional and ethnic backgrounds and based in different urban and rural regions of Finland. We show how occupational misrecognition, at the structural and at the floor level, impacts on the possibilities of public service interpreters’ professional and ethical conduct. As such, it ultimately also affects the right to fair and equal treatment for structurally vulnerable service users who are dependent on interpreter-mediated social services.
Downloads
References
Alaszewski, Andy. 2006. Using diaries for social research. London: Sage. https://doi.org/10.4135/9780857020215.
Avineri, Netta, Laura R. Graham, Eric J. Johnson, Robin Conley Riner & Jonathan Rosa, eds. 2019. Language and social justice in practice. New York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315115702.
Banks, Sarah. 2004. Ethics, accountability and the social professions. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-11536-2.
Biagini, Marta, Michael S. Boyd & Claudia Monacelli, eds. 2017. The changing role of the interpreter: Contextualising norms, ethics and quality standards. New York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315621531.
Bischoff, Alexander, Elisabeth Kurth & Alix Henley. 2012. “Staying in the middle: A qualitative study of health care interpreters’ perceptions of their work.” Interpreting 14 (1): 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1075/intp.14.1.01bis.
Bonotti, Matteo, Nina Carlsson & Colin W. Rowe. 2021. “Introduction: Linguistic justice, migration and the nation-state.” Nations and Nationalism 28 (2): 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1111/nana.12799.
Colley, Helen & Frédérique Guéry. 2015. “Understanding the new hybrid professions: Bourdieu, illusio and the case of public service interpreters.” Cambridge Journal of Education 45 (1): 113–131. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2014.991277.
Dam, Helle Vrønning & Kaisa Koskinen. 2016. “The translation profession: Centres and peripheries. Introduction.” JoSTrans: Journal of Specialised Translation 25: 2–14.
European Union. The European Parliament and Council. 2010. The right to interpretation and translation in criminal proceedings. Directive 2010/64/EU. Adopted 20 October 2010. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32010L0064.
Ferguson, Iain, Vasilios Ioakimidis & Michael Lavalette. 2018. "Two: Neoliberalism, social work and the state: Retreat or restructuring?" In Global social work in a political context, edited by Iain Ferguson, Vasilios Ioakimidis & Michael Lavalette, 21–36. Bristol, UK: Policy Press. https://doi.org/10.51952/9781447322689.ch002.
Finland. The Parliament of Finland. 1999. The Constitution of Finland. 1999. Finlex 731/1999. Adopted in Helsinki on 11 June 1999. https://www.finlex.fi/en/laki/kaannokset/1999/en19990731.pdf.
Finland. The Parliament of Finland. 2015. Act on Social Welfare Professionals. Finlex 817/2015. Adopted in Helsinki on 26 June 2015. https://finlex.fi/en/laki/kaannokset/2005/en20050272_20050272.pdf.
Finnish Immigration Service. 2022. First residence permit to Finland. Helsinki: Finnish Immigration Service. 8 August 2022. https://statistik.migri.fi/index.html#applications/21205/59?l=en&start=600&end=611.
Fraser, Nancy. 2005. “Reframing justice in a globalizing world.” New Left Review 36: 69–88.
Fraser, Nancy. 2008. “Why overcoming prejudice is not enough: A rejoinder to Richard Rorty.” In Adding insult to injury: Nancy Fraser debates her critics, edited by Kevin Olson, 82–88. London: Verso.
Gentile, Paola. 2017. “Political ideology and the de-professionalisation of public service interpreting: The Netherlands and the United Kingdom as case studies.” In Ideology, ethics and policy development in public service interpreting and translation, edited by Carmen Valero-Garcés & Rebecca Tipton, 63-83. Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781783097531-008.
Grbić, Nadja. 2010. “‘Boundary work’ as a concept for studying professionalization processes in the interpreting field.” Translation and Interpreting Studies 5 (1): 109–123. https://doi.org/10.1075/tis.5.1.07grb.
Guéry, Fréderique. 2014. Learning to be a public service interpreter: Boundaries, ethics and emotion in a marginal profession. Manchester, UK: Manchester Metropolitan University.
Hall, Jonathan & Sonia Valdiviezo. 2020. “The social worker as language worker in a multilingual world: Educating for language competence.” Journal of Social Work Education 56 (1): 17–29. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2019.1642275.
Hewitt, Elizabeth. 2017. “Building bridges: The use of reflective oral diaries as a qualitative research tool.” International Journal of Research & Method in Education 40 (4): 345–359. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743727X.2015.1114601.
Holzinger, Clara. 2020. “‘We don’t worry that much about language’: Street-level bureaucracy in the context of linguistic diversity.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 46 (9): 1792–1808. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2019.1610365.
Inghilleri, Moira. 2005. “Mediating zones of uncertainty: Interpreter agency, the interpreting habitus and political asylum adjudication.” The Translator 11 (1): 69–85. https://doi.org/10.1080/13556509.2005.10799190.
Intke-Hernández, Minna & Gunilla Holm. 2015. “Migrant stay-at-home mothers learning to eat and live the Finnish way.” Nordic Journal of Migration Research 5 (2): 75–82. https://doi.org/10.1515/njmr-2015-0012.
Jönsson, Jessica. 2019. “Servants of a ‘sinking titanic’ or actors of change? Contested identities of social workers in Sweden.” European Journal of Social Work 22 (2): 212–224. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2018.1529659.
Kamali, Masoud & Jessica H. Jönsson. 2018. "Introduction: Neoliberalism and social work in the Nordic welfare states." Neoliberalism, Nordic welfare states and social work, edited by Masoud Kamali & Jessica H. Jönsson, 1–22. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315111834-1.
Karinen, Risto, Tuomas Luukkonen, Laura Jauhola & Simo Määttä. 2020. Selvitys asioimistulkkauksen nykytilasta [A report on the current state of public service interpreting]. Helsinki: Työ- ja elinkeinoministeriön julkaisuja 2020: 45.
Koskinen, Kaisa, Vuori, Jaana & Anni-Kaisa Leminen. 2018. “Johdanto” [Introduction]. In Asioimistulkkaus: Monikielisen yhteiskunnan arkea [Public service interpreting: Everyday life in a multilingual society], edited by Kaisa Koskinen, Jaana Vuori & Anni-Kaisa Leminen, 7–28. Tampere: Vastapaino.
Lamont, Michèle & Virág Molnár. 2002. “The study of boundaries across the social sciences.” Annual Review of Sociology 28: 167–95. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.soc.28.110601.141107.
Määttä, Simo. 2017. “Community interpreters in Finland: A heterogeneous community divided by ethnicity.” In Communities in translation and interpreting, edited by Kristiina Taivalkoski-Shilov, Liisa Tiittula & Maarit Koponen, 183–216. Montréal: Les Éditions québécoises de l’oeuvre.
Manssila, Jaana. 2020. Licensed to protect: Social welfare professionals in Finland. Presentation on Social Welfare Professionals in Finland at the 2020 IFSW Conference. Union of Professional Social Workers Talentia, Finland.
Martin, Anne & Carmen Valero-Garcés. 2008. “Introduction.” In Crossing borders in community interpreting: Definitions and dilemmas, edited by Anne Martin & Carmen Valero-Garcés, 1–7. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.76.01mar.
Masterson, Abigail. 2002. “Cross-boundary working: A macro-political analysis of the impact on professional roles.” Journal of Clinical Nursing 11 (3): 331–339. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2702.2002.00604.x.
Monzó-Nebot, Esther. 2009. "Legal and translational occupations in Spain: Regulation and specialization in jurisdictional struggles." Translation and Interpreting Studies 4 (2): 135–154. https://doi.org/10.1075/tis.4.2.07mon.
Nordberg, Camilla. 2018. "Social work restructuring and paradoxes of professional identity in Finland." In Neoliberalism, Nordic welfare states and social work: Current and future challenges, edited by Masoud Kamali & Jessica H. Jönsson, 126-136. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315111834.
Norris, Pauline. 2001. “How ‘we’ are different from ‘them’: Occupational boundary maintenance in the treatment of musculo-skeletal problems.” Sociology of Health & Illness 23 (1): 24–43. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.00239.
Norström, Eva, Ingrid Fioretos & Kristina Gustafsson. 2012. “Working conditions of community interpreters in Sweden: Opportunities and shortcomings.” Interpreting 14 (2): 242–260. https://doi.org/10.1075/intp.14.2.06nor.
Official Statistics of Finland (OSF). 2022a. Population structure [e-publication]. ISSN=1797-5395. 2020, Appendix table 2. Population according to language 1980–2020. Helsinki: Statistics Finland. 8 August 2022. http://www.stat.fi/til/vaerak/2020/vaerak_2020_2021-03-31_tau_002_en.html.
Official Statistics of Finland (OSF). 2022b. Foreign language speakers. Helsinki: Statistics Finland. 8 August 2022. https://www.stat.fi/tup/maahanmuutto/maahanmuuttajat-vaestossa/vieraskieliset_en.html.
Ozolins, Uldis. 2010. “Factors that determine the provision of public service interpreting: Comparative perspectives on government motivation and language service implementation.” In “Interpreting,” edited by Jan Cambridge. Special issue, JoSTrans: Journal of Specialised Translation 14 (1): 194–215.
Piller, Ingrid & Kimie Takahashi. 2011. “Linguistic diversity and social inclusion.” International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism 14 (4): 371–381. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2011.573062.
Pohjola, Anneli. 2016. “Language as a cultural mediator in social work: Supporting Sámi culture with services in Sámi.” International Social Work 59 (5): 640–652. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872816646818.
Sela-Sheffy, Rakefet. 2011. “Introduction: Identity and status in the translational professions.” In Identity and status in the translational professions, edited by Rakefet Sela-Sheffy & Miriam Shlesinger, 1–9. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. https://doi.org/10.1075/bct.32.
Statistics Finland. 2022. Foreign-language speakers helped maintain population increase. 8 August 2022. https://www.stat.fi/til/vaerak/2020/vaerak_2020_2021-03-31_tie_001_en.html.
Svahn, Elin, Minna Ruokonen & Leena Salmi. 2018. “Boundaries around, boundaries within: Introduction to the thematic section on the translation profession, translator status and identity.” Hermes. Journal of Language and Communication in Business 58: 7–17. https://doi.org/10.7146/hjlcb.v0i58.111655
Tallroth, Paulina. 2012. “Multilingualism in Finland: A legal perspective.” International Journal of Language & Law 1: 33–49.
TENK. 2019. The ethical principles of research with human participants and ethical review in the human sciences in Finland. Finnish National Board on Research Integrity TENK guidelines 3/2019. https://tenk.fi/sites/default/files/2021-01/Ethical_review_in_human_sciences_2020.pdf.
Tipton, Rebecca. 2012. “Public service interpreting and the politics of entitlement for new entrants to the United Kingdom.” In “Translation and the Genealogy of Conflict,” edited by Luis Pérez-González. Special issue, Journal of Language and Politics 11 (2): 185–206. https://doi.org/10.1075/jlp.11.2.02tip.
Tipton, Rebecca. 2016. “Perceptions of the ‘occupational other’: Interpreters, social workers and intercultures.” British Journal of Social Work 46 (2): 463–479. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcu136.
Tiselius, Elisabet. 2022. “Swedish interpreter professions: How legislation and public institutions contribute to creation and disruption of work, remuneration and education.” The Translator. https://doi.org/10.1080/13556509.2022.2104664.
Tuori, Salla. 2013. “Enabling and disabling spaces within multicultural projects.” Nordic Journal of Migration Research 3 (1): 36–39. https://doi.org/10.2478/v10202-012-0012-x.
Vuori, Jaana, Sari Hokkanen, Marta Choroszewicz & Anni-Kaisa Leminen. 2022. “Etninen eriarvoisuus asioimistulkkien ammatissa ja työoloissa” [Ethnic inequalities in the profession and working conditions of public service interpreters]. Työelämän tutkimus/Arbetslivsforskning 20 (2): 185–210. https://doi.org/10.37455/tt.103367.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
-
Abstract681
-
PDF361
Issue
Section
License
Authors grant the journal the right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license, allowing third parties to copy and redistribute the work in any medium and format for any purpose, even commercially, as long as the material is not transformed, and ensuring that its authorship and initial publication in this journal are credited.
Authors retain copyright and are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) once it has been published, as it can lead to productive exchanges (see The Effect of Open Access). Gender aware practices are advised.
Similar Articles
Language
Information
Keywords
Make a Submission
