Bourdieu’s trajectory concept as an approach to microhistorical research in translation
What is it about?
This article explores the potential of Bourdieu’s trajectory concept as an approach to microhistorical research, using the life history of Egypt’s late Minister of Culture Tharwat Okasha as a case study. The focus throughout is on Okasha’s multipositionality throughout his trajectory as a military officer and then as a military attaché in France between 1939 and 1956. Through a close reading of memoirs, translations and writings, the article investigates how he traversed different fields (the military, psychology, history and journalism) and the effect of this movement on his translation practices. In so doing, the article integrates this analysis into a sociological examination of the politics of the Free Officers, who led the 1952 coup, and argues that the relational concept of trajectory allows the reconstruction of history at the intersection between the lived experience of an individual and the network of agents engaged in the same fields.
Why is it important?
The study’s significance lies in exploring the potential of using Bourdieu’s sociology to construct microhistories of translators, whereby the trajectory concept is grounded in the broader framework of Bourdieu’s conceptual tools, such as capital and habitus. Furthermore, the study also uses micro-examples of translations and writings as key items of evidence to piece together the broader picture of the Egyptian military establishment and the political landscape between 1939 and 1956. Special attention is paid to the role of translation in the politics of the Free Officers, who led the 1952 coup that overthrew the Egyptian monarchy and established the modern Republic of Egypt.