To encourage discussion, may we propose the first topic: how do we render the notion of “Social Activities” in various languages?
There are several translation difficulties: first, the word “activity” has no direct equivalent in many languages; second, if we do find an equivalent (for example, something like “interacting with friends and others”) how do we make sure it covers the same range of activities as its English original?
For example, in the US, “social activities” include “volunteer work,” which is usually not the case in Russia and many other countries where most people might not have time to spare on volunteer work. How do we make sure that the translation accurately reflects the intended meaning?
We may study the context of the questionnaire – it is likely that we will need different solutions for different health conditions. Sometimes, the intended goal is to assess whether the respondent can communicate and maintain friendship with others. In that case, even chatting on the phone for hours is considered a social activity. Other questionnaires put emphasis on physical limitations. In this, the goal is to find out whether or not one is able to get around to engage in social activities such as going out, socializing with others outside one’s home, etc.
Please share with us your thoughts on this issue. What is the common perception of “social activities” in your culture?