Browsing by Author "Wijesinghe, M."

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The benefits of participating in campus recreational sport facilities and programs: special reference to University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2015) Wijesinghe, M.; Ashika, B.A.D.W.
There has been a culture of recreational sports in the world. Especially higher educational centers like universities serve various types of recreational sport programs. Most of university students are spending a very busy life due to their educational activities. However, recreational activities alleviate the encumbrance of their busy lives. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate aspects of the Benefits of Participating in Campus Recreational Sports Facilities and Programs in University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. The specific objectives of this study were the types of campus recreational programs that students are interested in and the benefits which have mostly attracted the students to the CR programs. The independent variable was the campus recreation and the dependent variable was campus recreation benefits. Random sampling method was used to select sample and research is limited to 200 internally registered students who actively participate in the recreational sports at University of Kelaniya. Data collection instrument was the Quality and Importance of Recreational Services (QIRS) survey, further Likert scale was employed as well. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 21.0) was utilized to analyze the data using Ordinal Logic Regression and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to determine benefits gained from participating in campus recreational activities. The results of this study identify the most dominant benefit factors, influencing the choice of campus recreational activities.
Living with risk and socioeconomic obligations; a case study from landslide prone areas of Mathale District, Sri Lanka
(Research Centre for Social Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Wijesinghe, M.
Disaster risk management is reducing hazards, and vulnerabilities while enhancing capacities of a particular system or population. Vulnerability of a particular community depends on multiple factors such as geography, vegetation, climate and socioeconomic aspects. Nevertheless the socioeconomic aspects play over physical features to enhance (or reduce) risks in a particular area or community therefore interventions on such socioeconomic factors become vital in the process of risk reduction. The paper discusses with a bottom-up approach how different socioeconomic causes have bound people to live with risk rather than evading risk buy relocating themselves in less vulnerable areas. The study was conducted in four Grama Niladhari Divisions in Mathale District, Sri Lanka. Results of the study show that there are complex reasons why families take the risk of living in landslide prone areas with danger. Those reasons justify their decisions to remain in vulnerable slopes though there were request for permanent evacuation form lands with threat. The survey was looking at some unique local conditions. Mostly poor families were compelled to live with threats of landslides due to socioeconomic obligations. Though their lands were identified as ‘risky’ economic benefits such as home gardens and surrounding environment, amenities of water and electricity, together with social advantageous of living with kin, closeness to urban centers, schools, and social cohesiveness has positively influence their stay. This reveals that risk reduction plans such as relocation should consider such underlying factors that support the ‘risk culture’ of vulnerable populations.