en
Scientific article
English

Interpreting for the Afghanistan Spanish Force

Published inWar & society, vol. 39, no. 1, p. 42-57
Publication date2020
Abstract

The participation of interpreters as linguistic and cultural mediators is considered essential to the success of military operations in a foreign country. This study examines the situation of two categories of civilian interpreters who worked for the Spanish armed forces in Afghanistan: interpreters recruited in Spain and interpreters recruited in Afghanistan. The distinct positionalities of these groups of interpreters emerge as a recurring theme in the interviews carried out as part of this research. The findings indicate that the interpreter's positionality impacted the interpreter's agency, the trust placed in him or her by the armed forces, and exposure to danger. In highlighting interpreters' active participation in the communicative situation, this paper increases understanding of the positionality of interpreters in war zones.

Keywords
  • Interpreters
  • Military
  • Counterinsurgency
  • Mentoring
  • Afghanistan
  • ISAF
  • ASPFOR
Citation (ISO format)
RUIZ ROSENDO, Lucia. Interpreting for the Afghanistan Spanish Force. In: War & society, 2020, vol. 39, n° 1, p. 42–57. doi: 10.1080/07292473.2019.1701620
Main files (1)
Article (Published version)
accessLevelPrivate
Identifiers
ISSN of the journal0729-2473
407views
3downloads

Technical informations

Creation12/13/2019 1:24:00 PM
First validation12/13/2019 1:24:00 PM
Update time03/15/2023 6:36:04 PM
Status update03/15/2023 6:36:03 PM
Last indexation01/17/2024 8:32:55 AM
All rights reserved by Archive ouverte UNIGE and the University of GenevaunigeBlack