ABSTRACT
The postmodern era has been buttressed by the phenomenon of globalisation, which appears to have largely pervaded all aspects concerning political, economic and popular thought. This chapter aims to investigate the historical and sociological developments of conference interpreting against the background of the postmodern and globalised era. It focuses on the evolution of the interpreter's sociological profile, the spatial-temporal dimension in which interpreting originated and has progressed over the years and the role played by technological developments in shaping the popular representations of the profession. The evolution of the profession was illustrated by drawing on the theories formulated by Giddens (1991), who argued that the question of identity in modern society largely depends on the changes that occur in the external world. There is widespread agreement among postmodern theorists that the mass media have a prominent role in shaping values and beliefs because they transform real events into symbols.
