In the world of interpreting, where communication is key, the Demand-Control Schema (DC-S) provides a vital framework for understanding the complex interplay between job demands and the interpreter’s ability to control them effectively. Developed by Karasek in 1979, the DC-S theory has been applied to various professions to enhance psychological well-being and work effectiveness. In this blog post, we explore how the DC-S theory applies specifically to interpreting and how it can revolutionise the way interpreters approach their work.
What is DC-S?
At its core, the Demand-Control Schema (DC-S) is a theory that explains how job characteristics influence employees’ psychological well-being. For interpreters, job demands such as a heavy workload, role ambiguity, and job-related strain can cause stress and affect their performance. However, by identifying these demands and implementing controls, interpreters can improve their health and work effectiveness.
DC-S provides structure and reasoning for interpreting work, replacing vague statements like “it depends” with a systematic analysis of job demands and controls. It encourages self-reflective practice, fosters the development of broader judgment, and provides a common language for analysis and discussions within the interpreting profession.
How Does DC-S Work in Interpreting?
In interpreting, demand refers to any factor that influences decision-making. These demands can be categorised into four main types:
- Environmental Demands: These are specific to the setting and include factors such as the goal of the environment, physical surroundings, and specialised terminology.
- Interpersonal Demands: These are specific to the interaction and include power dynamics, communication style, emotional tone, and cultural dynamics.
- Paralinguistic Demands: These refer to the quality of the consumers’ expressive languages, including physical limitations, cognitive limitations, and accents.
- Intrapersonal Demands: These are specific to the interpreter and include factors such as feelings, thoughts, physiological distractions, and psychological distractions.
Controls, however, refer to the interpreter’s resources to respond to these demands. Every interpreter brings different controls based on their skills, knowledge, experience, and personal characteristics. Controls can be categorised into three main types:
- Pre-assignment Controls: These are implemented before interpreting work begins and include personal characteristics, education, experience, and preparation.
- Assignment Controls: These are implemented during interpreting work and include factors such as acknowledgment of demands, positive self-talk, behavioural interventions, and quality of relationships.
- Post-assignment Controls: These are implemented after the interpreting work is concluded and include follow-up with consumers and organisations, further education, debriefing, self-care, and supervision/mentoring.
By recognising demands and controls, interpreters can expand their toolbox of strategies and become more adept at successfully completing interpreting jobs.
How Does DC-S Work in Interpreting?
Consider a scenario where a hearing speaker is blocking the visual space of a deaf consumer. The interpreter faces several concurrent demands, including:
- frequency of the occurrence,
- the duration of the speaker’s obstruction,
- the preferences of the deaf consumer, and
- the interpreter’s position (standing or sitting).
By recognising these demands and implementing appropriate controls, such as intervening or repositioning, the interpreter can successfully manage the situation and facilitate effective communication.
Each interpreting assignment inherently contains demands that can be considered to impact the interpreter’s performance directly and/or indirectly. Settings ranging from education – classroom – to conference – platform – interpreting, have varying demands unique to each assignment. Consider another example, educational setting, where the DC-S framework has been applied:
How Does DC-S Work in Interpreting?
DC-S also helps interpreters understand the consequences of their actions. Positive consequences refer to the intended results of their controls, while harmful consequences refer to unintended outcomes or resulting consequences. Resulting consequences occur from applying a control, which has negatively impacted the situation and the interpreter. Not all resulting consequences are harmful; some can be an unintended result that assists in improving the situation but were not initially considered when applying a control. Interpreters must take professional responsibility for their choices and prioritise and deprioritise demands according to their values and experience.
For those interested in further learning, various resources are available, including:
- DC-S Online course by Robyn Dean,
- Demand Control Schema Interpreting as a Practice Profession (book),
- ASLITA mentoring programs, and
- Street Leverage
In conclusion, Demand-Control Schema (DC-S) is a valuable framework for effectively understanding and managing job demands. By recognising demands, implementing appropriate controls, and understanding the consequences of their actions, interpreters can improve their psychological well-being and work effectiveness, ultimately enhancing the quality of communication for all parties involved.
References
Karasek, R. A. (1979). Job demands, job decision latitude, and mental strain: Implications for job redesign. Administrative Science Quarterly, 24(2), 285. https://doi.org/10.2307/2392498
Osei-Poku, T. (2020, December 3). The demand control schema and its use in interpreting. issuu. https://issuu.com/ausit-intouch/docs/in_touch_volume_28___3__summer_2020_21/s/11428515