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" The Franklin Books Program: Translation and Image-Building in The Cold War "
Arrabai, Ali M.
Baer, Brian
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Latin Dissertation
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English
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| Record Number
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1052804
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| Doc. No
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TL51921
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| Main Entry
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Arrabai, Ali M.
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| Title & Author
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The Franklin Books Program: Translation and Image-Building in The Cold War\ Arrabai, Ali M.Baer, Brian
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| College
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Kent State University
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| Date
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2019
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| Degree
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Ph.D.
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2019
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| Note
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339 p.
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| Abstract
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Image construction in translation has recently attracted the interest of scholars in Translation Studies (Doorslaer, Flynn & Leerssen 2016). Much of the discussion, however, has been on the target culture’s construction of the image of the Other. Rarely discussed is the construction and projection of self-images (auto images) through translation. The Cold War was perhaps the single most important period in contemporary history in which this self-image construction manifested itself. Both the United States and the Soviet Union initiated massive translation programs in the developing world to boost their images and reputations, often referred to as “soft diplomacy.” The goal was to present themselves as the exemplary models for modernity and in the process “win the hearts and minds” of the newly independent nations of the developing world. The non-governmental Franklin Books Program (1952–1979) marks one important and highly visible attempt to increase the political and cultural cachet of the US in the Arab World during this period. The books chosen for translation appear to propagate and reinforce the self-proclaimed image of the US as a “shining city on a hill,” as well as, on a more profound level, a developmental model of history. The Franklin Books Program operated at a time when the US information and cultural agencies in the region were actively seeking to discredit and dismiss the USSR as the antithesis of modernity, liberty and progress. By drawing mainly on notions of image construction, this dissertation examines whether and—if so—how FBP participated in this image-building campaign. The dissertation relies primarily on two sets of archival paratextual material: 1) FBP’s archival records, and 2) the prefaces, introductions to and covers of the translated titles themselves. The former sheds light on FBP’s selection process as well as on how those in charge viewed the program’s mission. The latter illuminates whether and—if so, how—these materials emphasized notions of American exceptionalism, built on a developmental model of history. In both cases, the dissertation aims to uncover traces of any alignment with US foreign policy and image-building objectives in the region.
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International relations
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Language
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Mass communications
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Middle Eastern history
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Modern history
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Near Eastern studies
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Baer, Brian
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Kent State University
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