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Article published In: Translators’ and Interpreters’ Job Satisfaction
Edited by Minna Ruokonen, Elin Svahn and Anu Heino
[Translation Spaces 13:1] 2024
► pp. 102–125

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Scrutinizing job satisfaction during COVID-19 through Facebook

Voices of Chinese translators

ORCiD logo with link | The Education University of Hong Kong
Published online: 4 April 2024
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/ts.23017.liu
Abstract
Due to the advent of social media, translators have started communicating about their work- and non-work-related experiences and associated attitudes on these platforms. COVID-19 accelerated a shift toward a greater reliance upon digital media (Tsao, Shu-Feng, Helen Chen, Therese Tisseverasinghe, Yang Yang, Lianghua Li and Zahid A. But. 2021. “What social media told us in the time of COVID–19: A scoping review.” The Lancet Health 3(3): 175–194. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; Wong, Adrian, Serene Ho, Olusegun Olusanya, Marta Velia Antonini and David Lyness. 2021. “The use of social media and online communications in times of pandemic COVID–19.” Journal of the Intensive Care Society 22(3): 255–260. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar). This paper uses social media data to examine how Chinese translators and/ or interpreters used their Facebook pages as a channel to express their job dis/satisfaction between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2022. Conclusions regarding practitioner job satisfaction are based on an analysis of information gathered concerning expressed attitudes on access to expanded networking opportunities, client appreciation, and the acquisition of new knowledge. Practitioners value their role as cultural mediators. COVID-19 introduced unprecedented changes, requiring practitioners to adapt to remote work settings and an increased reliance upon digital tools. Despite income and job security concerns due to the pandemic, practitioners remain committed to delivering quality work.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Studying job satisfaction through online social media posts
  • 3.Research objectives and questions
  • 4.Methodology
  • 5.Findings and discussion
    • 5.1The Facebook pages
    • 5.2Expressed job satisfaction and/or dissatisfaction
    • 5.3Social capital
    • 5.4Symbolic capital
    • 5.5Cultural capital
    • 5.6Economic capital
    • 5.7COVID-19 and job dis/satisfaction
      • 5.7.1Challenges brought by technological advancements
      • 5.7.2Effect of the pandemic on income and job security
      • 5.7.3Remote work
  • 6.Limitations and conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
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