Getting Lost in Translation

• In Event: The Problem of the Symbolic

Abstract

Of the complex issues surrounding the symbolic, I propose to investigate translation. Derived from the Latin tranlatio (to carry across), this paper argues that our disciplinary conversations about the symbolic, while theoretically productive, often fail to “carry across” to constituencies we ostensibly serve. Peering at discussions about the symbolic through the lens of translation suggests that meaning from one source (or text) is in need of an equivalency for another source (or receiver). It is my contention that one of the challenges facing the symbolic as a paradigm of understanding is translating the theoretical conversations about the symbolic that emerge from it into vernaculars beyond the academy. I will explore some of the implications of leaving these challenges unattended as well as some strategies for addressing these challenges.

Author

• David Schulz, Trinity Lutheran College