Translation (sociology)
In actor-network theory (ANT), translation is the process that allows a network to be represented by a single entity, which can in itself be an individual or another network. It encompasses all negotiations, intrigues, calculations, and acts of persuasion, thanks to which an actor (or actant) takes authority to speak or act on behalf of other actors.Callon, M. & Latour, B., 1981"Unscrewing the big Leviathan: how actors macro-structure reality and how sociologists help them to do so" In K. Knorr-Cetina & A. V. Cicourel, eds. Advances in social theory and methodology: Towards an integration of micro- and macro-sociologies. Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul, pp. 277-303. According to ANT, an actor is an actant, something made to act, therefore it includes both human and non-human entities. Non-humans can have interests, they can enroll others, in exactly the same way as humans do. The concept of translation was developed by the French philosopher Michel Serres, and then applied to sociol ...
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