In the course of increasing globalisation and rising numbers of refugees and migrants, qualitative social research represents an elementary instrument of scientific debate. But is the methodological toolbox of qualitative social research up to the challenges of intercultural and multilingual research fields and survey situations? With my doctoral project, I postulate that the methodological toolkit must be expanded in order to be able to guarantee sensitive research of interpreted interviews or other intercultural conversations. Particularly in official dealings with refugees, for example, specific translation requirements manifest themselves and thus a situation of intercultural communication that must be considered separately. The planned doctoral thesis accordingly examines how translation can be traced in its various modes in specifically framed, multilingual communication situations.

Procedure and milestones:

As the first step of the doctoral thesis, the author embarks on a theoretical examination of the concept of translation and the implications of the connection between linguistic communication and interculturality. Subsequently, the empirical design is developed, which in the following third step includes the collection of interpreted, narrative interviews and expert interviews with interpreters as well as an ethnographic-explorative survey in the context of public authorities. After the collection and evaluation of the empirical material, the final step is the elaboration and formulation of the doctoral thesis.