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German to English translations [PRO] Art/Literary - Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting
German term or phrase:gesellschaftlich und sozial
"Besonders interessant wäre eine Nennung des Auftraggebers gewesen, welcher uns wichtige Informationen über die gesellschaftlichen und sozialen Hintergründe geliefert hätte". I'm a bit puzzled as to what the difference between the two is.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 9 mins (2009-11-09 12:50:00 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
I presume you are translating art history based on its social context, which is my kind of art history, and such distinctions are quite normal. Societal is relating to society and social is more to do with social/interpersonal interrelations/conventions.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 14 mins (2009-11-09 12:54:46 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Hi Jon, I've changed the "detailed field" back to "Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting" so that the question is again grouped under "Social Sciences - Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting".
Sorry for any confusion on this - it is referring to a piece of art which is why I had listed it under arts/crafts/painting. Somebody called "writeaway" changed it without bothering to consult me and I have no idea to change it back. So thanks to everyone for their input and sorry for those who thought it was about the corporate world.
Hi, Jon, Phew, more context? "vorab:" Is this an art patron & do 'we' want to know more about the patron's background or rather the artist's?
Dinstinctions: the seeming double-definition here might be just that. Without more context it's hard to say what distinction might be meant.
One could be gesellschaftlich as 'societal' (about society, any soc.; cf. use of 'contemporaneous' to avoid poss. confusion with senses of 'contemporary') vs 'social' (in its weighted sense, cf. anti-social, but I can't see that making sense here).
Certainly "gesellschaftlich" could imply social position (cf. "Stand/Rang" in earlier qn.; DIE "feine Gesellschaft") with a slant towards "what company one keeps" /what circles did (patron or artist) move in; and "sozial" might more directly imply economic status rather than 'traffic'. But all very hazy.
Hintergründe: those of a depicted scene, perhaps?
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
9 mins confidence:
social rank and status
Explanation: One option to convey the slight difference between the two.
Explanation: naming the client (or whatever) would have supplied vital information on the overall and personal social background (or context).
Or words to this effect. I think we have to get away from the
'social and societal' thing
Slindon Germany Local time: 05:26 Native speaker of: English
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 9 mins (2009-11-09 12:50:00 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
I presume you are translating art history based on its social context, which is my kind of art history, and such distinctions are quite normal. Societal is relating to society and social is more to do with social/interpersonal interrelations/conventions.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 14 mins (2009-11-09 12:54:46 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +1
