Translations and Context

​During class our speaker, Professor Thula discussed translations and context. When someone is speaking about their experiences, that is their narrative and cannot be translated into another language or context because it changes the meaning. By context she meant what is specific to that person, where they grew up, their social class, their family upbringing, etc. We have to take that as truth, but often it is overlooked. We take narratives from English or French people about other cultures as truth without giving the same validity to the local people.

This makes you more conscious of the fact that each person has a unique worldview and perspective which should be respected and understood in its context. The moment we add our translation and commentary, it takes away their voice and the validity of their narrative. For example, a black person experiencing discrimination in Brazil may different from another black person living in the U.S. Even if they lived in the same country, their economic status affects the way they grew up and the privileges they have, shaping their worldview.

It's recognizing that a person's mindset and opinions are shaped by their experiences.