Translation in the social sciences and humanities in Canada. General dynamics and impact of the ASPP
Canada represents a particularly interesting case for studying the dynamics of translation in the fields of social sciences and humanities (SSH). As a bilingual country whose two main languages—English and French—are dominant languages in the international field of SSH, Canada has benefitted for over four decades from the institutional backing required for encouraging dialogue between these two linguistic communities. This article reviews the concrete achievements of the programs set up in order to map the network of exchanges they represent as well as to measure their real impact on the SSH as a whole. As a first step, we present a history of assistance given to the translation of scholarly works in Canada in order to understand both the reasons behind this initiative of the federal government and the repercussions this has had on the selected works. In a second step, we measure the reach of the translated works. Using a simple grid based on the criteria of the symbolic and social capital at stake, we try to present an appreciation of the impact of the sums invested in the translation of Canadian scientific works in the field of SSH.