Complicated translations. Philanthropic endeavours of pollution and purification in Denmark 1920-2014

Liv Egholm; ” Complicated translations”. Chap. 3 in Civil sphere and the Nordic countries. Ed. Alexander, J., Voyer, A and Lund, A. Polity Press 2019 (in print Nov19)

Abstract:
In his work on civil sphere theory, Alexander (2006) describes the translation processes of inclusion and exclusion mechanisms as mainly taking place through the disruptive actions of social movements. However, CST’s theoretical framework on the translation process of civil repair could be further developed conceptually. In particular, two questions can be raised: do translations take place only through highly dramatic performances, or do they also occur through mundane, everyday practices? Why are some translations successful and others not? These questions will be discussed in this chapter through a fine-grained archival ethnographic analysis of a foundation-owned business (FOB) in Denmark from 1920 to 2016. The empirical study will advance the theoretical framework of translation and contribute to CST research on translation in four ways. 1, social movements are not the only organizational forms privileged and capable of changing whom to include in – and exclude from – the common good in society. In Denmark, voluntarism and philanthropic endeavours have played a significant role in changing definitions of the common good throughout history. 2, the success of translations depends on how they draw on and recombine historical established legitimation, networks, and authority. 3, translations do not only take place through highly dramatic disruptions, but also in the more mundane everyday settings of re-articulation, reconceptualization, and relocation of classifications and moral practices. 4, the performativity of translations not only affects the distinction between the non-civil and civil sphere but also simultaneously creates new entities.

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