Translation in the field of Turkish children's literature (1970-1980)

This study examines translation as a concept and product in the field of litera-ture for children in Turkish between 1970-1980 through relational thinking. The de-cade is characterized by political polarizations and social developments at national and international levels, which have had a shaping effect on the field of Turkish children's literature. Questioning translation, a significant component of Turkish children's literature, along with historical and social conditions contributes to Turkish children's literature historiography and translation historiography. In this line, sociologist Pierre Bourdieu's social action theory and the concepts he offered form the theoretical basis of the study. The field of Turkish children's literature is tackled as a field of struggle and a historical and social perspective is developed through the levels of production, distribution, consumption, control and acceptance. Based on the assertion that the field of literature for children in Turkish might be comprehended holistically through private publishing houses as the leading producers in the field and their publishing activities, it is suggested that the concept of trajectory might be applied to define a certain publication line shaped by the publishing activities of pri-vate publishing houses in the field of literature for children in Turkish. Thus, the ten-dencies and preferences of various agents, which take positions in the field of strugg-le, can be critically questioned in terms of their shaping effects on the field. For this aim, critical discourse analysis and compiling bibliography are used as methodological tools and discourse on the field of literature for children in Turkish and translation is examined. Discourse analysis is supported with the empirical data obtained through the compilation of the original and translated books positioned in the field of literature for children in Turkish and with certain production patterns in the field. In the study, it is found that the field of literature for children in Turkish is heavily dependent on education and political fields and, thus, shows a predominantly dependent functioning. The position-takings and trajectories of the agents in the field determine the selection and presentation of the translated books they publish; while it is observed that the certain production patterns are differentiated from the definite patterns in each trajectory to a limited extent. It is indicated that the concept of trans-lation in literature for children is multidimensional, which includes various text pro-duction practices and denotes a reciprocal relationship with the genre of translated books. It is ascertained that the concept of translation in literature for children is (re)defined through its relationality with adult literatures and social construction of child.