You are on page 1of 3

Establishing equivalence in the development of illustrations to explain the

Action Sheets of the MHPSS in local communities

Joseph O. Prewitt Diaz


Anjana Dayal de Prewitt

Establishing equivalence in the development of illustrated tools to disseminate the MHPSS,


two types of equivalence were followed in the development of the tools.

Functional equivalence

In translation theory, formal equivalence refers to translating by finding reasonably


equivalent words and phrases while following the forms of the source language as closely
as possible. the issue is the approach to translation; accuracy as such is not the issue. When
translating a concept the translator may need to stick close to the form of the source
language, but on the other hand careful paraphrasing may be necessary to make the
translation clear and understandable.

Functional equivalence, sometimes called dynamic equivalence or meaning based


translation, is a translation method in which the translator attempts to reflect the thought of
the writer in the source language rather than the words and forms. The translator will read a
sentence or other unit of thought, try to understand it as well as possible, and then write that
thought in the target language. The forms of the source language are not important, because
they are not the same as the forms of the target language.

Functional equivalence in our case refers to developing illustrations that reflect the same
meaning but is visually compatible with the viewers perception. An example is the visual
that represents the use of religious celebrations and rituals to alleviate distress, in the South
Asia version, the illustration includes a temple, church, mosque, while in the Peruvian
version there is a priest speaking to a person and a picture of Jesus Christ on the wall.

Cultural Equivalence

Culture is the lens or template we use in constructing, defining, and interpreting reality.
This definition suggests that people from different cultural contexts and traditions will
define and experience reality in very different ways. Thus, social and psychological
reactions to a disaster must vary across cultures because they cannot be separated from
cultural experience (Marsella, 1982)

We cannot separate our experience of an event from our sensory and linguistic mediation of
it. If these differ, so must the experience differ across cultures. If we define who we are in
different ways (i.e., self as object), if we process reality in different ways (i.e., self as
process), if we define the very nature of what is real, and what is acceptable, and even what
is right and wrong, how can we then expect similarities in something as complex as
psychosocial reactions to a disasteer (Marsella, 1982).

Any illustration that is delivering a message of empowerment, resilience,


distress, stress emotional reactions must use methods that are responsive to
the community where the event has taken place. Different historical and
cultural traditions frame disaster experience and the resulting emotional
manifestations, within different contexts, thereby promoting and/or shaping
different understandings and meanings.

The use of illustrations as tools for community education takes into


consideration the importance of the social, and cultural context of pre-existing
or disaster caused social and psychological problems (i.e., powerlessness,
poverty, under-privileging marginalization, inequality) in understanding the
expression of psychosocial reactions to a disaster, and in understanding its
assessment, the analysis or information, and designing community
interventions that foster resilience.

Social and psychological problems emerging from a disaster must be


understood within the cultural context that socializes, interprets, and responds
to them. This requires that we proceed from different values, perspectives, and
practices, especially those that emphasize context, ecology, and naturalistic
methods.

Cultural equivalence in our case was established by many hours were spent in
talking with community members about the contents of the target action sheet,
some were invited to make drawings of their perceptions, and artist compiled
the pictures and developed a composite illustration representing the cultural
group. See the illustrations from India and Peru as examples of this process.

References

Marsella, A.J. (1982). Culture and mental health: An overview. In Marsella, A.J. &
White, G. (Eds.) Cultural conceptions of mental health and therapy (pp. 359-
388). Boston, MA: G. Reidel/Kluwer.

Marsella, A. J. (2003). Cultural aspects of depressive experience and disorders.. In W. J.


Lonner, D. L. Dinnel, S. A. Hayes, & D. N. Sattler (Eds.), Online Readings in Psychology
and Culture (Unit 9, Chapter 4), (http://www.wwu.edu/~culture), Center for Cross-Cultural
Research, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington USA.
Neufeld, H. Comparing Versions - Formal and Functional Equivalence. Participatory Study
Series Pamphlets. http://www.participatorystudyseries.com/versionco Book
Catalogmp.php

You might also like