We can look upon translation as a recognized social phenomenon, both an intellectual category and a cultural practice.

--Theo Hermans (Translation in Systems: Descriptive and System-oriented Approaches Explained, 2009; p.141)

We can look upon translation as a recognized social phenomenon, both an intellectual category and a cultural practice. The meaning of the term is codified in dictionaries, fixed by informal as well as professional activities called translation, constantly affirmed by translators’ associations and by educational, scholarly, journalistic and other public and private discourses. …it is reasonable also to assume that we bring both cognitive and normative expectations to translation. Both sets of expectations are continually being negotiated, confirmed, adjusted and modified by practising translators and by all who speak about translation.

In this sense we can envisage the world of translation itself as a system, an adaptive, self-regulating, self-reflexive and self-reproducing system in Luhmann’s terms. This implies that we account for the simultaneous autonomy and heteronomy of translation, and explore how Luhmann’s descriptions of social systems apply to translation. Naturally, the interest of such an exercise lies partly in the excitement of the exploration itself, and partly in the kind of issues it brings to the surface.

Reference:

Theo Hermans, Translation in Systems: Descriptive and System-oriented Approaches Explained, Routledge, 2009.