Ethics codes as tools for social change in public service interpreting: Symbolic, social and cultural dimensions

Abstract

This paper explores the deontological dimension of public service interpreting (PSI) by analysing various documents designed to guide the professional practice of public service interpreters — codes of ethics, standards of practice, etc.—, so as to shed new light on PSI deontology and professional ethics. Ethics has always been a main focus of attention in the discipline. The development of a professional ethos, a collective identity forged through practice, is a necessary step — among others — that an occupation needs to take in order to become a fully-fledged profession. Once 'profession' status has been gained, the values of such a field of practice and thought become incorporated into the entire social system. This paper will explain how these documents try to set out principles, guidelines and policies in order to effect change. This regulatory effort reflects the aspiration of the professional community to become recognised and established. In order to carry out this research, I analysed the data gathered using the grounded theory methodology. This method led to the emergence of a conceptualisation of the object of study in three dimensions: a symbolic, a social and a cultural dimension. This conceptual structure allows us to understand deontological documents from a sociological perspective that fits well with Bourdieu's theory of practice and its different forms of capital (Bourdieu 1986).