Harry Potter in Turkey : the sociocultural framework of translation in a global context

Abstract

This study focuses on the sociocultural framework of translational phenomena which governs the selection, production and reception processes. In this light, the external forces effective in the creation of a translated text, how these forces influence the adoption of translation strategies and the impact of translation as a cultural product are analyzed. The implications of cultural exchange through translation in a globalized background are studied in line with the analysis of the interactional character between broader social structures with all its agencies and their effect on the functional mechanisms of translation markets, the publishing industry and the procedural stages of translation. Itamar Even-Zohar’s polysystem theory, Pierre Bourdieu’s relevant concepts of cultural production and circulation model, Gideon Toury’s concept of norms and Lawrence Venuti’s discourse on a cultural and political agenda are explored and questioned in terms of their sociological implications. The applicable aspects of these theoretical approaches are put into test to analyze the implications of the Harry Potter translations in the Turkish target culture and the intercultural relations of translations across various cultural settings. The analysis of the case study has shown that the translations are initially conditioned by the macro clusters of social structures, such as the workings of the publishing industry, the politics of media concerns and specific social, cultural and economic concerns of the decisionmakers particular to the target culture. In this light, translation strategies gain sense and significance against the backdrop of a sociocultural framework in which the translation is processed. As a result, this study has shown that the social implications of translation theories need to be more refined in order to account for all the processes of crosscultural translational change so as to develop more meticulous methodologies to formulate a sociology of translation and study the translations in their broader social context.