Interpreting, mediation and mediation in multilingual Basel Dealing with diversity and foreign language skills - survey among leaders of public institutions
Abstract
As European countries become more diverse, so do the client populations in public institutions. Switzerland has, like all modern societies, been affected by major cultural and social changes, characterised by a pluralisation of lifestyles, ways of life, languages and value systems. For Swiss society as a whole and for its public institutions, this raises questions about how this pluralistic society can be held together and, more specifically, how the integration of members of immigrant groups can be supported. Integration is to be understood here as the creation of an institutional framework for social pluralism and the establishment of equal rights and non-discrimination. In practical terms, this means that everyone living in Switzerland should have equal access to the services of public institutions and that the services that these institutions offer should take into account the needs of different communities. One instrument that can contribute effectively to the inclusion of immigrant communities is intercultural mediation. By this we include three forms of mediation: linguistic mediation (interpreting), cultural mediation and conflict mediation. How do public institutions deal with diversity characterised by migration and foreign languages? Basel, one of the larger Swiss cities, is a case in point. With a high proportion of foreigners among the resident population (31%), Basel’s public institutions have been dealing with the increasing diversity of their clientele in different ways. One of them is the use of interpreters, cultural mediators and conflict mediators.
Full text article
References
Sloterdijk, P., In the World Interior of Capital - For a Philosophical Theory of Globalization. 2005, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag.
Simmel, G., Sociology. Studies on the forms of socialization. 1908, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot Verlag.
Wicker, H.-R., From Complex Culture to Cultural Complexity, in The Foreign in Society: Migration, Ethnicity and the State, H.-R. Wicker and E. al., Editors. 1996, Seismo: Zurich. p. 373-392.
Saladin, P., R. Bühlmann, D. Dahinden, R. Gall Azmat, G. Ebner, and J. Wohnhas, Diversity and Equal Opportunities - Foundations for Successful Action in the Microcosm of Healthcare Institutions. 2006, Berne: BAG.
Dahinden, J., What is integration? conference report. Well intentioned, well integrated? What makes a good integration project? Conference on October 21, 2005. Gertrud Kurz Foundation, 2005: p. 6-14
Wanner, P., Migration and Integration: Foreigners in Switzerland. Federal census 2000. 2004, Neuchâtel: Federal Statistical Office.
BAG, migration and health: strategic direction of the federal government - 2002-2006. 2002, Federal Office of Public Health, Federal Office for Refugees, Federal Office for Foreigners' Questions and Federal Commission for Foreigners: Bern.
Busch, D. and H. Schröder, Perspectives on intercultural mediation, basic texts on the communication-scientific analysis of triadic understanding. Studies in Intercultural Mediation, ed. H. Schröder and D. Busch. Vol. 2. 2005, Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang - European publisher of science.
Poechhacker, F., The community interpreter's task: self-perception and provider views, in The Critical Link 2: Interpreters in the community, R. Roberts, et al., Editors. 2000, John Benjamins Publishing Company: Philadelphia.
Verrept, H. and F. Louckx, Health Advocates in Belgian Health Care, in Health & Social Services among International Labor Migrants, a comparative perspective, A. Ugalde and G. Cárdenas, Editors. 1998, Center for Mexican American Studies: Texas.
Verrept, H., A. Perissino, and A. Herscovici, Médiation interculturelle dans les hôpitaux / Interculturele Bemiddeling in de Ziekenhuizen. 2000, Ministère des Affaires Sociales, de la Santé Publique et de l'Environnement: Brussels.
Ginsberg, C, V Martin, D Andrulis, Y Shaw-Taylor, and C McGregor, Interpretation and Translation Services in Health Care: a survey of US public and private teaching hospitals. 1995, New York: National Public Health and Hospital Institute.
Wilson-Stronks, A. and E. Galvez, Exploring Cultural and Linguistic Services in the Nation's Hospitals - A Report of Findings. 2007, San Francisco: The California Endowment.
Ozolins, U., Interpreting & translating in Australia: current issues and international comparisons. 1998, Melbourne: Language Australia.
Bischoff, A. and L. Loutan, Interpreting in Swiss hospitals. Interpreting, 2004. 6(1): p. 183-206.
Janson, S., PG Svensson, and S. Ekblad, Migration and Health in Sweden, in Country Reports on Migration and Health in Europe, compiled on behalf of the Commission of the European Communities, A. Huismann, C. Weilandt, and A. Geiger, Editors. 1997, WIAD: Bonn.
Wadensjö, C., Interpreting as interaction. On dialogue-interpreting in immigration hearings and medical encounters. 1992, Linköping University: Linköping.
Castiglioni, M., La mediazione linguistico-culturale - principi, strategie, esperienze. 1997, Milan: Franco Angeli.
Sauvêtre, M., De l'interprétariat au dialogue à trois: pratiques européennes de l'interprétariat en milieu social, in The Critical Link 2: Interpreters in the Community. 1998: Vancouver.
Novak-Zezula, S., B. Schulze, U. Karl-Trummer, K. Krajic, and J. Pelikan, Improving interpreting in clinical communication: models of feasible practice from the European project 'Migrant-friendly Hospitals'. Diversity in Health and Social Care, 2005. 2: p. 223-232.
Nierkens, V., A. Krumeich, R. de Ridder, and M. van Dongen, The future of intercultural mediation in Belgium. Patient Education and Counseling, 2002. 46(4): p. 253-9.
Himmelstein, J. and G. Friedman, Charts. 2002, Center for Mediation in Law: New York/Mill Valley.
Six, J.-F., Le temps des médiateurs. 1990, Paris: Editions du Seuil.
Guex, P. and P. Singy, Quand la médecine a besoin d'interprètes. 2003, Geneva: Editions Médecine & Hygiène.
Busch, D., Intercultural Mediation - A theoretical foundation of triadic conflict management in intercultural contexts. Studies on Intercultural Mediation ed. D. Busch and H. Schröder. Vol. 1. 2005, Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang - European publisher of science.
Von Sinner, A. and M. Zirkler, Behind the scenes of mediation - contexts, perspectives and practice of conflict resolution. 2005, Berne: Haupt Verlag.
Splinter, D. and L. Wüstehube, Mediation is not always 'triangular'. Mediation settings in the context of ethnicized conflicts, in Behind the scenes of mediation - contexts, perspectives and practice of conflict management, A. Von Sinner and M. Zirkler, Editors. 2005, main publisher: Bern. p. 219-238.
Dahinden, J., What does intercultural mean? Mediation in times of globalization, in Behind the scenes of mediation - contexts, perspectives and practice of conflict management, A. Von Sinner and M. Zirkler, Editors. 2005, main publisher: Bern. p. 101-114.
Bischoff, A., The mediator as interpreter - the interpreter as mediator, in Behind the scenes of mediation - contexts, perspectives and practice of conflict resolution, A. Von Sinner and M. Zirkler, Editors. 2005, main publisher: Bern. p. 115-126.
Métraux, J., O. Weber, P. Singy, and P. Guex, Quand la médecine a besoin d'interprètes: Introduction, in Quand la médecine a besoin d'interprètes, P. Guex and P. Singy, Editors . 2003, Editions Médecine & Hygiène: Genève. p. 11-36.
Rodríguez, M., L'interprétariat communautaire: un gain pour tous. terra cognita - revue suisse de l'integration et de la migration, 2007(10): p. 86-87.
Dahinden, J. and A. Bischoff, Intercultural mediation: which form of integration? Bulletin NRP 51, 2005(2).
Heiniger, M., Foreigners in Switzerland - 2004, ed. BFS. 2004, Neuchâtel: Federal Statistical Office.
Ayer, A., L'accès aux soins des patients allophones. Plea - Magazine for law and politics, 2004(6): p. 56-59.
Krajic, K., C. Strassmayr, U. Karl-Trummer, S. Novak-Zezula, and J. Pelikan, Improving ethnocultural competence of hospital staff by trainwing: experiences from the European 'Migrant-friendly Hospitals' project. Diversity in Health and Social Care, 2005. 2: p. 279-290.
Brubaker, R., The Return of Assimilation? Changing Perspectives on Immigration and its Sequels in France, Germany, and the United States. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 2001. 24(4): p. 531-548.
Flores G Language barriers to health care in the United States. N Engl J Med, 2006. 355(3): p. 229-31.
Singy, P., O. Weber, and B. Stoll, Un jeu des positions modifié, in Quand la médecine a besoin d'interprètes, P. Guex and P. Singy, Editors. 2003, Editions Médecine & Hygiène: Genève. p. 4758.
Singy, P., P. Guex, O. Weber, and J. Métraux, Conclusion et perspectives, in Quand la médecine a besoin d'interprètes, P. Guex and P. Singy, Editors. 2003, Editions Médecine & Hygiène: Genève. p. 165-172.
Karliner, LS, Jacobs, EA, Chen, AH, and Mutha, S. Do professional interpreters improve clinical care for patients with limited English proficiency? A systematic review of the literature. Health Serv Res, 2007. 42(2): p. 727-54.
Authors
Copyright (c) 2008 Alexander Bischoff, Janine Dahinden
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This journal provides immediate and free open access to all its content and is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). This means readers are permitted to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author, as long as proper attribution is given. This policy is consistent with the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI) definition of open access.