ABSTRACT
Pierre Bourdieu’s field theory stands out as having introduced an important theoretical and methodological framework to the field of translation and interpreting studies. Fields are sites for the confrontation of various forces, individual and institutional, and for the production, dissemination and authorization of different forms of symbolic and material capital. Each field is defined by specific stakes and interests which operate both within the field and in relation to other fields. In Bourdieu’s theory, fields are conceived of as differentiated domains that occupy positions in social space. Developments in the disciplines of sociology, anthropology and philosophy since the introduction of Bourdieu’s theory necessitate a continual reassessment of the value and relevance of his work in relation to contemporary society. The breadth and quality of research in translation and interpreting studies that employs Bourdieu’s field theory is a powerful endorsement of the relevance of his concepts as effective tools of analysis in the twenty-first century.
