Evaluation, Language, and Untranslatables

Dahler‐Larsen, Peter; Abma, Tineke; Bustelo, María; Irimia, Roxana; Kosunen, Sonja; Kravchuk, I.S.; Минина, Елена; Segerholm, Christina; Shiroma, Eneida Oto; Stame, Nicoletta; Tshali, Charlie Kabanga

doi:10.1177/1098214016678682

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Moreover, the weight‐related words were translated back into Dutch by someone else (Table ). However, the differences between the Dutch words dik and vet seemed “untranslatable” (Dahler‐Larsen et al, ), as both words were translated into fat. In Dutch, dik is used as an adjective, and vet as a noun (“the fat you lose”) or an adjective (“you are fat”), although their meaning and use as adjective slightly differ.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Youth perspectives on weight‐related words used by healthcare professionals: A qualitative study

Stuij

Maarschalkerweerd²,

Seidell³

et al. 2020

Child

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Background Although healthcare professionals often consider body weight a sensitive and difficult topic to discuss with children, a contextualized and comprehensive understanding of youth perspectives on weight‐related words used in healthcare has yet to be established. This qualitative study aims to explore perspectives of Dutch children on the terminology healthcare professionals use when discussing weight. Methods Fourteen interviews and one focus group discussion were held with children (age 8–16) who were in care because of their weight. A toolkit with customizable interview techniques was used in order to facilitate reflection and tailor the interview to each respondent. A narrative content analysis was conducted. Results Respondents attached both clear and subtle differences in meanings to (certain) weight‐related words. Their perspectives were not unanimous for any single word. Moreover, at times, respondents framed certain words in positive or negative ways or used a word they disliked to describe themselves. This illustrates that meanings of weight‐related words are not fixed but context and situation specific. Conclusion This study revealed that meanings children assign to weight‐related words are shaped by their experiences in the broader social context, especially at school, as well as with (previous) healthcare professionals. It pointed towards the importance of bedside manner, acquaintanceship, and support. Healthcare professionals treating children because of their body weight are advised to invest in a good patient–caregiver relationship, pay attention to children's previous (negative) social weight‐related experiences, and reflect critically on their own preconceptions about body weight and the impact these preconceptions might have on their patient–caregiver relationships.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Youth perspectives on weight‐related words used by healthcare professionals: A qualitative study

Stuij

Maarschalkerweerd²,

Seidell³

et al. 2020

Child

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Due to the multilingualism in Switzerland, the email invitation as well as the survey were provided in German and French. The questionnaire was drafted after consideration of what Dahler-Larsen et al (2017: 116) call ‘untranslatability’, or in other words the phenomenon that certain evaluation terms can be ‘unexpectedly ambiguous or confusing’ after translation. Following a considered appreciation of different wording possibilities, pretests with additional bilingual test persons were thus used to minimize potentially ambiguous translations.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The big bad wolf’s view: The evaluation clients’ perspectives on independence of evaluations

Pleger

Hadorn

2018

Evaluation

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The independence of evaluations has gained increasing attention in research. So far, research has mainly focused on evaluators' experiences when confronted with pressure, leading to a restricted view of the complex context in which evaluations take place. Therefore, this article broadens the debate and follows the call by previous studies to pay attention to evaluation clients, which have been identified as the main influencing stakeholders within evaluation processes. The findings of an online survey among Swiss evaluation clients show that most clients have never been told by evaluators that they put the latter under pressure, even though previous studies found that half of the evaluators feel pressured. Nonetheless, clients frequently experience conflicts during evaluations that are often caused by a lack of a common understanding between evaluators and clients. Thus, we conclude that preventive measures are needed to increase the parties' mutual comprehension, and ultimately, the quality of evaluation results.

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“…Social impact is a manifestation of the accountability discourse that occupy many organizations (corporations and nonprofits) since the '90s (Ebrahim and Rangan 2014). It is important to explain how we define evaluation, social impact and impact measurement, as there is a variety of evaluator language that sound similar but can have different meanings in different contexts (Dahler-Larsen et al 2017). Evaluation is a broad concept which is described in many ways (for an overview of definitions of the concept evaluation, see Dahler-Larsen 2011).…”

Section: Impact and Evaluationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Building Legitimacy and Learning Lessons: A Framework for Cultural Organizations to Manage and Measure the Social Impact of Their Activities

Vermeulen

Maas

2021

The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society

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Cultural participation is associated with many benefits. Therefore, it is seen as an instrument to achieve social change and development. However, clear empirical proof for these claims is limited. There is a need for new frameworks and clear evaluation methods. This paper presents a conceptual framework that enables cultural organizations to understand the purposes of impact measurement. It also shows the steps cultural organizations can take to measure and manage their social impact. Consequently, it enables them to measure the impact on their beneficiaries while the lessons learned can help them to improve and manage their performance.

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Evaluation, Language, and Untranslatables

Abstract: The issue of translatability is pressing in international evaluation, in global transfer of evaluative instruments, in comparative performance management, and in culturally responsive evaluation.

Cited by 9 publications

References 20 publications

Youth perspectives on weight‐related words used by healthcare professionals: A qualitative study

Youth perspectives on weight‐related words used by healthcare professionals: A qualitative study

The big bad wolf’s view: The evaluation clients’ perspectives on independence of evaluations

Building Legitimacy and Learning Lessons: A Framework for Cultural Organizations to Manage and Measure the Social Impact of Their Activities

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