Piecing Together Interpreting

Piecing Together Interpreting How to look at interpreting work through the demand control schema (DC-S)

Our circles have a name… The Constellation of Demands

Demands & Controls Any job can be divided up into demands (what the job requires of the employee) and controls (what the worker brings to bear in response to job demands).

This understanding of work components and definitions of demands and controls was originally defined by Robert Karasek (1979) for his research on occupational health

High Control Karasek’s Quadrants ACTIVE LOW STRAIN High Demand Low Demand PASSIVE HIGH STRAIN Low Control

Application to our field Robyn Dean and Robert Pollard’s 2001 article introduced their ideas about the application of this schema to the interpreting field.

Application to our field Dean and Pollard’s initial concerns were: Shifting our quadrant Determining categories specific to the field in order to assist with this shift

Definitions of Demands • Requirements of the job • Factors that impact the worker • Factors that are significant and should be acknowledged, at the least • Demands are not necessarily demanding, just factors that impact work

The Constellation of Demands is: All of the demands relevant to any given decision-making moment But how do you know what factors to consider?

Use Dean & Pollard’s 4 Demand Categories (EIPI) • Environmental That which is specific to the setting (i.e., goal, professional roles, terminology, physical surroundings) • Interpersonal That which is specific to the interaction of the consumers and interpreter (i.e., culture, FOI, goals) • Paralinguistic That which is specific to the expressive skills of the deaf/hearing consumers (i.e., style, pace, volume) • Intrapersonal That which is specific to the interpreter (i.e., thoughts, feelings, physical reactions)

Environmental Demands • Goal of the environment • Terminology associated with this setting • Personnel or clientele in this setting • Physical surroundings of the setting • Room temperature • Chemicals and odors • Seating arrangements/sight lines • Lighting quality • Visual distractions • Background noise • Space (people, furniture, equipment)

CAIR (Council on Islamic American Relations) Community Panel Presentation on Defamation of Muslims and Islam in the Media

Interpersonal Demands • Dynamics that exist between consumers and consumer to interpreter, such as: • Power & authority dynamics • Communication style and goals • Emotional tone or mood • Role and cultural differences • Communication flow (e.g., turn taking) • Relationship nuances (new, familiar, intimate) • “Thought worlds” of hearing & deaf people (not interpreter)

Paralinguistic Demands: • Idiosyncrasies of speaking • Volume • Pace • Accents • Clarity of speech • Physical position • Physical limitations • Physical Barriers to seeing/hearing communication

Intrapersonal Demands • Feelings or ruminations one may have about: • one’s safety • one’s interpreting performance • liability • the people and the dynamics • the environment • physiological distractions • psychological responses or distractions This is the stuff that gets in your way, not what helps you.

CAIR (Council on Islamic American Relations): Community Panel Presentation on Defamation of Islam and Muslims in the Media

EIPI Context vs. Constellation of Demands • The EIPI context is a more thorough, detailed way of describing an entire interpreting assignment • The constellation of demands refers only to those demands from the EIPI context that are relevant in a given decision-making moment

Definitions of Controls • Decision latitude afforded to the worker • Response to job demands • Better understood as noun and not verb (to control, to be in control, feel out of control are not accurate applications of control) • Controls are about the employee • Controls in interpreting must also include characteristics of interpreter (gender, age, ethnicity, etc.) because interpreting is a practice profession & about human interaction

Dean & Pollard’s Control Categories • Pre-assignment controls: controls that exist or are employed before for the formal assignment. • Assignment controls: controls that are employed during the interpreting assignment. • Post-assignment controls: controls that are employed after the assignment is over.

Pre-assignment Controls • Physical, cognitive, and psychological attributes • Gender, age, ethnicity, etc. • Interpreting education: Direct and Indirect • Credentials: Certification or QA • Experience: Work-related and personal • Prior Relationships • Direct preparation for the assignment • Clothing • Contacts (team, hearing & deaf consumers) • Readings, prep materials, Internet

Assignment Controls • Identifying demands • Positive Self-talk • Direct interventions • Interpretations/Translations • Code of Ethics/Code of Professional Conduct • Role metaphors (machine, window, telephone line, Bi-Bi, Ally)

Post-assignment Controls • Supervision • Formal (with supervisor) • Informal (with colleagues) • Debriefing/venting • With support system • Follow up • With people involved • With further education • With referring party • Self-care

Theoretical Construct of DC-S Dean & Pollard’s application Karasek’s concepts: Demands Controls Environmental Interpersonal Paralinguistic Intrapersonal Pre, During, & Post

Example of DC-S Analysis

First Grade Classroom at Reading Time • The teacher in a first grade class has called her students over to the carpet for story time. The story is about penguins and their adventures as a performing group. The students are seated on the carpet and listening to the continuing story of the penguins. There is an interpreter seated next to the teacher and a deaf student seated on the carpet in the middle facing both teacher and interpreter.

Environmental Demands • Goal: Education • Entertainment • Personnel/Clientele: • 20 first graders: Most Caucasian, some African-American • Teacher: Hispanic female, mid-30’s • Physical Surroundings: students seated on “reading carpet”, crowded, teacher in front on rocking chair, visually busy walls, door to the hallway is open, gerbil cage with running wheel • Terminology: associated with penguins, performance, specific character names, vocabulary and grammar instruction

Interpersonal Demands • Teacher uses facial expressions and gestures for correcting children • A student complains she can’t see the picture • Teacher asks students to predict what might happen • The story is visually interesting and students are fascinated watching the interpreter • Student calls out “How do you sign penguin?” • Another student is sneaking candy from his pockets and distributing it to some; others ask but he refuses; teacher is not aware

Paralinguistic Demands • “Read” material • Teacher has a Hispanic accent • She reads slowly and pauses for emphasis • Deaf kid signs with one hand (other hand is propping himself up) using his voice • Kid’s are whispering to each other about the candy • Intermittent noise from the hallway makes the story hard to hear

Demands

Let’s build a constellation Student is sneaking candy and distributing it to some children. 1. Interpreter does nothing 2. Interpreter quietly informs teacher that the boy is passing out candy What demand(s) might make the difference here?

Possible Pre-assignment Controls • Read the chapter ahead of time • Find a comfortable place to sit • Make sure I am placed close enough to the teacher and the book • Mentally prepare myself for a lot of distracting sights and sounds • Ask teacher if some signs from the story could be taught to the class (via deaf student and/or interpreter) so to avoid too many interruptions during story and to encourage interest in their classmate’s language

Possible Assignment Controls • Use good visual ASL (use of space and facial expressions) to show the comedic and active nature of the story • Make teacher’s subtle correction of behavior more overt by “signing” the inferred meaning • Make eye contact with the boy passing out candy and give the “I see you” facial expression • Make eye contact with students who are watching the ASL with interest and smile with encouragement

Possible Assignment Controls • When the deaf student signs with one hand use consecutive interpreting to figure it out, if still unclear ask for clarification, highlighting the disclarity or ask student to use both hands • Pause with teacher to show similar emphasis techniques in ASL • Use sign vocabulary taught to class deliberately for those paying attention

Possible Post-Assignment Controls • Briefly highlight any plot changes or developments in the story with deaf student to ensure clarity of translation • Encourage students’ new vocabulary and encourage interaction with deaf student after story (redirecting attention back to their classmate) • Thank teacher for taking time out at the beginning of the story to respond to students’ curiosity • Consider whether the “candy” disruption should be reported to the teacher and ask for guidance on future behavior issues ( i.e., how she would like me to deal with them -- ignore or report).

Piecing Together Interpreting