International Conference on Social Sciences 2013

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Integrate interactive activities into classroom teaching in teaching Chinese as a foreign language in Sri Lanka
(Culture, Globalization and the Developing World, 2nd ICSS, 2013) Jayasooriya, K.P.
Chinese language teaching draws more attention from international community, under the influence of China?s economic development and improved international status; however, the situation and needs are quite different of learning Chinese in each countries. The discipline of teaching Chinese language in Sri Lanka dates back to 1974, the recent past has developed rapidly due to support and cooperation in between two countries. Presently there are two universities in Sri Lanka has being taught Chinese from beginner?s level general degree program and four year special degree program. It has been continuously increasing number of Chinese learners in the universities with the positive attitudes towards Chinese learning for good job prospects. Present situation in teaching Chinese in the universities in Sri Lanka being comparatively exist various problems. In order to further enhance the quality of Chinese teaching, should apply new teaching methods in efficiency and beneficial way to mobilize the students? interests in learning Chinese language. In recent years there has been a gradual shift in language education to an approach the communicative competence in the second or foreign language teaching. It is widely accepted that the purpose of a language teaching and learning is to foster the student?s ability in listening, speaking, reading and writing. Learning a foreign language simply by reading a book and taking tests can prove challenging to some students. As a result, students gradually lose their interest in Chinese learning. For better results, teachers can integrate interactive activities into their foreign language classrooms. In this paper aims to discuss, teaching process and highlight the efficiency flexible cooperation among the various elements of the classroom teaching with the interactive action between teacher and students, between students and students and text book. Thus this paper discuss using techniques where students were more actively involved, such as group work, pair work role play, interviews, games, surveys, language exchanges for instance attempts to empower students and give them voice by focusing on their basic. In conclusion, it was noted that Students are taught to be communicators not learners merely of vocabulary and grammar through classroom activities that engage in everyday conversations, rather than in teacher-directed repetitions of contrived dialogues.
A medical geographical study on epidemic and diseases ecology in Sri Lanka: case study in Colombo district
(Culture, Globalization and the Developing World, 2nd ICSS, 2013) Rathnasekara S R L S
Medical geography is an area which is rapidly developing amongst in the main geography scheme. It is discovered on diseases ecology, diseases diffusion, diseases diffusion patterns, impact of diseases spread, medical services, health care and delivery etc. Health is an important fact of the medical geographical study. Diseases are the main cause for bad health. The purpose of this paper is to identify what the disease ecological factors, which lead to high incidence of epidemic in Colombo District in Sri Lanka. In this study, Dengue had been selected as epidemic according to 2012 data. As a study area, three Medical Officer of Health (MOH) Areas were selected as focused sub research area from Colombo District according to the number of patients as recorded to 2012 data. The methods adopted in the study consists of primary data which were collected from 100 patient by field observations, interviews with patients and participatory mapping techniques that were used for analysis of the factors which influenced in the high effect of the Dengue in Colombo District in Sri Lanka. The study concludes, that Dengue incident marks an increase in rainy seasons. But human traditional factors are affected for epidemic than physical factors. 67% patients were living in apartment and flats in Kolonnawa MOH area. Apart from that, living condition of different ethnic groups, negative attitudes and behaviors of people and building landscape was the outstanding problems among this sample. 71% people had face mosquito attack in their own houses and others outside. Health disasters have been generated by changes of human ecological conditions apart from changes of physical activities.
The effectiveness of current strategies used to build social resilience and reconstruction in Mullaitivu District at Wellamullivykkal
(Culture, Globalization and the Developing World, 2nd ICSS, 2013) Herath, H.O.
The wars seen in any angle is against to justice and it denies all human rights and thus became entirely unjustifiable. Sri Lankan ethnic conflict also lasted closely three decades and the country lost 1000s of lives without differentiating between Sinhala, Tamil or Muslim. The war not only resulted in the loss of lives, but also caused inestimable damage to the economy of the country. People of all ethnic groups now not only hope for positive peace, security and but also are keen to ensure that there will be no more bloodshed again. So there should be an urgent need to social resilience and reconstructions. The intention of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of current strategies used to build social resilience and reconstruction in Mullaitivu district at Wellamullivykkal. It has been used both primary and secondary data. Primary data was collected through interviews with various individuals and sample was 34. It has been used simple random selection method to select the sample. Secondary data collection methods were magazines, books, Government and Non-government reports and web sites. It has been used both quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods. Primary data has been analyzed by quantitative analysis methods and secondary data has been analyzed by qualitative (narrative analysis) method. The research findings proved that Sri Lanka is implementing a proper reconstruction process in the district. But social resilience is still at a questionable stage because there is no proper plan to address the root cause of the ethnic conflict.
Social and symbolic roles of Sri Lankan traditional food culture
(Culture, Globalization and the Developing World, 2nd ICSS, 2013) Ihalagama, S.
Food culture of any society should not be analyzed for the sole purpose of describing diet and nutrition because it is inherently social. As Radcliffe-Brown (1922) states food is a means of regulating the social system. It not only involves what is consumed but includes the labor and technology applied for production, preparation and preservation of food etc. Moreover, "variation in what people eat reflects substantive variation in status and power and characterizes societies that are internally stratified into rich and poor, sick and healthy, developed and underdeveloped, overfed and undernourished "( Ross 1987). Thus, food culture can be analysed in many aspects like economic, political, social, religious, health etc. Among such aspects, social aspect is prominent in studying various social relations of food systems within and among societies. This study is to examine social and symbolic roles of Sri Lankan traditional food culture with social aspect. Sri Lanka has a unique food culture with a long history proved by many evidences in literary and archeological sources as well as folklore sources. Methods and techniques of production, processing, cooking, protection, preservation and consumption practiced in traditional Sri Lankan society are taken into consideration in this study. As the methodology secondary information are used collected from relevant literary, folklore and archeological sources. The findings show that social and symbolic roles of Sri Lankan traditional food culture reflects a real picture of ancient society and provide many lessons that can be adopted for many food related issues in modern society.
Devolution of power in Sri Lanka and good governance: a study on the contribution of Provincial Councils
(Culture, Globalization and the Developing World, 2nd ICSS, 2013) Mudalige P
This paper examines devolution of power and good governance in Sri Lanka. Good governance is seen by many as a nebulous concept, which can be interpreted to mean almost anything. However, the board of independent advocacy project has defined good governance as a political and institutional environmental based on respect for democratic principles, the rule of law, human rights and the participation of civil society. Good governance allows responsible economic and financial management of public and natural resources, for the purpose of economic growth, social development and poverty reduction in an equitable and sustainable manner. It encourages the use of clear participatory procedures for public decision making, transparent and accountable institution, primacy of law in the management and distribution of resources. With this there will be effective measures to prevent and combat corruption, support for leadership development, and devolution of power and empower men and women. Since the year 1988 the provincial councilsin Sri Lanka were functioning as agents of central government & during this period the provincial councils became an instrument for people to exercise their sovereignty through universal franchise. Both primary and secondary data are used in the study. Primary data have been collected through methods such as questionnaire survey, rapid appraisal, key informant interview and focus group interview. Sources of secondary information include project reports, official documents and published research reports. The Study was done with reference to Uwa and Western provinces.
Are online assessment schemes of English skills successful? : A comparative analysis of the UTEL national assessment scheme and the Pre-orientation program (POP)
(Culture, Globalization and the Developing World, 2nd ICSS, 2013) Senaratne, C D W
The present paper proposes to compare and analyze the results of the University Test of English Language (UTEL) national assessment scheme conducted at the University of Kelaniya in 2012 and the results of the Pre-orientation Program conducted island wide in 2011. The UTEL and the POP are national assessments developed by the Ministry of Higher Education in collaboration with the HETC project. Both assessments are offered to students in Sri Lankan universities. The two tests are different in format, structure and the benchmarks on which they are designed. The UTEL covers all the benchmarks from 0 to 9 while the objective of the POP test was to identify students below, above and at benchmark 4 The paper will present an introduction and an overview to the UTEL and the POP, the designing, implementing and the deploying of the online assessments to measure English skills and finally the results. The UTEL comprised of two online components based on Reading and Listening skills. The productive skills were designed to test suing traditional testing methods in the universities. The POP comprised of four components based on Reading, Grammar, Writing, Listening and used the online method to test all of them. This paper will discuss the results of UTEL conducted at the University of Kelaniya for the first year undergraduates and the results of the POP conducted for the new entrants to all the universities in Sri Lanka. Though the target population is different, the objective of the paper is to analyze the success of the techniques used and the structure of the assessment schemes. The tests were conducted using a learning management system. This paper sums up the experiences gathered in conducting the evaluation of a large group of students. It will also discuss the suitability of the techniques employed. The findings will enhance the understanding of conducting online assessments to assess English language skills and help develop the method further in Sri Lanka.
Changing terms of trade of small farming sector in Sri Lanka: with special reference to paddy, vegetable and fruit cultivation
(Culture, Globalization and the Developing World, 2nd ICSS, 2013) Henegedara, G.M.
Decline of relative farm prices in relation to prices of farm inputs and consumer food items has become a core factor of losing farm income of small farmers in Sri Lanka, particularly in the paddy, vegetable and fruit cultivation. Though the losing farm income is a common problem in many agricultural countries, its impact is very crucial for a small country like Sri Lanka where nearly 30 percent of labour force is occupying directly or indirectly in agricultural activities. Despite the GDP contribution of the agriculture sector has declined around 10 percent today, any impact in small farming sector would also influence to the majority of consumers in the non-agricultural sector. According to Statistical reports of the Department of Census and Statistics, farmers have to pay nearly 2 kilo of paddy for purchasing a one pound of bread in 2012 instead one kilo in 1984. Required paddy amount for receiving one kilo of sugar has fluctuated between 3.53 in 1999 and 3.57 in 2012. Similarly required paddy for receiving one packet of milk powder (450gram) has increased from 7.03 in 1984 to 10.2 in 2012. Since many of these items were imports, there is no income redistribution to non-farm sectors at least to offset the situation Sri Lanka as a country that follow economy wide policies, links to the world economy through exports and imports and influenced by the global economic and market forces frequently due to changes of global market. Therefore, losing farm income is not simply a matter related to domestic production factors; it also linked with international market by importing agricultural inputs i.e. fertilizer, chemicals and seeds and exporting farm outputs as agricultural and finished products. According to past records, values of TOT and BOP have deteriorated continually in Sri Lanka indicating more imports than the exports done by the country. Thus the main objective of the paper is to review factors influenced in changing TOT of small farming sector and assessing its impact on the economy. The methodology was based on deductive method and the paper would be based on both primary and secondary sources of information.
A bibliographical survey of the palm leaf manuscripts in Ridiviharaya in Kurunegala District & Aluthepola Ganekanda temple, Gampaha District
(Culture, Globalization and the Developing World, 2nd ICSS, 2013) Piyarathana L
This research was undertaken with the aim of studying the bibliographical features of palm leaf manuscripts in Sri Lanka. Two temples namely, Ridiviharaya and Aluthepola which possess these manuscripts were selected as samples of the study, and the selection was done on the basis of their geographical location and historical chronology. Ridiviharaya in Kurunegala District dates back to Anuradapura era while Aluthepola in Gampaha District is thought to have come into existence in the 18th century. Thus, the samples selected for the research can be considered as justifiable representations of the palm leaf manuscripts in the country in terms of geographical location and chronological significance. In addition to identifying the subject areas dealt with in the samples, an effort was made to study their bibliographical features as well. Having access to these manuscripts was considerably difficult due to non-availability of bibliographies. Non?existence of a standard criterion or guidelines which specify steps and measures necessary for palm leaf manuscript analysis aggravated this problem. In view of the above problems, this research formulated a bibliography incorporating the data necessary to analyse palm leaf manuscripts. The manner in which in the data should be arranged and the methods suitable to prioritize bibliographic data were also discussed in it. The research also traced the history and the expansion of the art of palm leaf manuscripts in the country. The evidence collected suggests the existence of a bibliographical tradition specific to the country in the past. The data helped to identify character styles, numerical patterns and structural feature of that tradition as well. It is felt that the manuscripts found in the temples were deteriorating in quality gradually, and therefore measures are necessary to conserve them.
Impact of community empowerment projects in household decision making autonomy of Estate women
(Culture, Globalization and the Developing World, 2nd ICSS, 2013) Kumudu Sumedha
Empowerment of women is an important approach in the development discourse. Empowerment, which is greatly used in relation to women, ethnic minorities and other marginalized groups and related to provide strength and confidence. Empowerment of women refers to giving decision-making power to women in social, economic and political sphere of life. The process of empowerment should start from our own home. Women?s position in the household determines women?s autonomy in the family. This paper present finding from a study focused on Plantation Community Empowerment Project (PCEP) which has been implemented in the estate sector. Empowerment of estate women is one of wide aspects of this project. The objective of the study was to identify the impact of women?s empowerment programs to women's autonomy in house hold decision making. This research has collected both qualitative and quantitative data. A household survey together with Key Informants? Interviews (KIIs), Focused Group Discussions (FGDs), and observations have been used to collect data. The household survey sample focused on 200 estate women and their family units in two selected estates in Ambagamuwa Divisional Secretariat Division in Nuwara Eliya District. The study reveals the women?s autonomy through the decision making power on different aspects of life such as household money management on child education and daily expenditures, self-health care and freedom of movements to the market.
Paradox between the media education and media industry in Sri Lanka
(Culture, Globalization and the Developing World, 2nd ICSS, 2013) Jinadasa M P K
This study looks into the mismatch between media education and media industry in Sri Lanka. Based on a mixed methodology (using textual analysis of the syllabi of the universities, peer review made by the academics from their carriers and participatory observation from media industries) it shows a significant difference between university contribution and media practice from which this incompatibility have been creating for many years. With the amalgamation of political and commercial governance system this study found in one hand media education has not considered their updating in terms of the changing social system and on the other media industry which has been largely shaped by the contemporary political and highly business mind set up which is deeply - rooted into the country. Even though there are many suggestions, this research concluded despite the fact that media education in the university producing graduates overwhelmingly there is no standards of an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary output which caters contemporary cultural, political and commercial changes.
Some insight into the land use issues in the irrigated settlements in Sri Lanka: a study at East-Peraru Colony in the Kanthale Divisional Secretariat
(Culture, Globalization and the Developing World, 2nd ICSS, 2013) Rathnayaka, R.M.R.B.; Peiris, T.S.U.; Alwis, L.K.K.D.; Rathnayaka, R.M.C.P.; Chathurangi, K.D.D.; Ediriweera, E.P.P.; Dharmasiri, L.M.
Land has been man?s habitat, living space and a matter of life and death of survival or starvation. Being one of the most scare resource in the world, the demand for land has been accelerating due to continuous growth of population and providing them with shelter, food production, commercial activities, infrastructural facilities and cultural requirements etc. Land utilization at different levels and scales has also been changing temporally and spatially to satisfy those human needs. In a country like Sri Lanka, where the population density is high and small size of the country, land fragmentation is very much evident in the context of changing land use pattern. In particular, the process of land fragmentation along with encroachments and unsuitable land use practices persist in the irrigation settlements in the Dry zone of the country in response to emerging pressure on land. The objective of the study was to find out the prevailing land use issues in the East-Peraru village of the Trincomalee District, Sri Lanka. Field level data were obtained from the sample of farmers by administering structured questionnaires and conducting individual discussions. Land use changes were examined by using 1:50,000 maps which have been prepared by the Department of Survey and field level observations. It was further analyze by using GPS and GIS methodologies. The major outcomes of the study are (a). Encroachers of state land are higher among farm families, (b). Nearly 35 percent of lands are yet underutilized and (c). Land productivity is below the optimum level. A systematic land use plans and land ownership regulation measures are needed to overcome the present issues. Attention of the Government officials as well as peasants of the area should be focused to maintain sustainable land management system.
Impact of non-farm activities on rural poverty
(Culture, Globalization and the Developing World, 2nd ICSS, 2013) Rajapaksha U G; Semasinghe W M
Rural poverty means the deprivation of basic needs of inhabitants in the rural sector, which is a geographic area located outside the cities and towns. Eradicating or at least reducing rural poverty was given highest priority within the overall policy framework of almost all developing countries, mainly because poverty incidence in this sector is considered as one of the major obstacles for overall development. Although, various subsidiary programs have been tested by individual countries for over many decades, still poverty in this rural sector is considerably high. In order to have a long term solution for the deprivation of needs in rural human being, Non-Farm-Opportunities would be sustainable strategies. For over past two-three decades, large number of studies have been documented in relation to this theme. In the present study, a substantial amount of published articles were referred in order to grasp the real gravity of Non-Farm-Opportunities such as poverty alleviation tools in the rural sector. The objectives guiding the analysis of literature were to; understand the relationship between income and poverty, identifying the existing barriers in the field of rural Non-Farm-Opportunities, and the impact of the lack of resources in rural sector to Non-Farm-Opportunities, identifying the impact of education to Non-Farm-Opportunities, discuss the relationship among education, human development and rural agricultural productivity and to observe the employability of rural youth as Non-Farm-Opportunities. This review is instigated by searching key academic databases using relevant search questions. The literature suggests that overall there is an inverse relationship between Non-Farm-Opportunities of the rural and the level of poverty.
Patterns of expenditure and saving process in rural families in Sri Lanka: a study of Nawagamuwa village in Kegalle District
(Culture, Globalization and the Developing World, 2nd ICSS, 2013) Sirikumara H S
Instability of the economy and the cost of living directly affect the patterns of a person?s expenditure and savings. This study pays attention to rural areas and investigates how these factors affected their income, expenses and savings. It is necessary to evaluate how society accepts these drastic changes, according to their tradition. As a result of economic modernization, money plays a vital role in both the rural and urban sectors in Sri Lanka. In fact the rural sector also provides some monetary savings, private as well as public. The public savings include taxes and revenues raised by the government in the rural sector and spent on development projects either in the rural or urban sectors. No data is available on monetary savings in peasant societies. Well to do peasants and traders save money in rural areas. Unfortunately poor peasants are unable to save money due to the exorbitant prices of essential goods in the country. People save money for different purpose. In order to save money it is necessary to limit the expenditure for secondary needs. One of the main objectives of the present study is to find out whether the peasants have modified their expenditure of money in order to save some money for their future expectations. The study has been conducted in selected agricultural villages in the Kegalle District and follows the case study method. Both the interview and questionnaire methods were used collect relevant data.
The impact of quality management practices on the performance of Small and Medium Scale Industries (SMIs) in Sri Lanka
(Culture, Globalization and the Developing World, 2nd ICSS, 2013) Dasanayake, L.W.
With a small amount of capital requirement and a medium level of technology, SMIs can attract many new entrepreneurs to venture into new business. SMIs can generate a massive desired route for employment due to the fact that their production techniques are still at low or medium levels and they are more labor intensive. In this context, the performance of most SMIs in Sri Lanka is lower than accepted level and they have to improve their technical and technological capabilities to meet the market needs and for the sustainable development in economy. The quality management practices play a significant role for continuous improvement and competing current markets with the formalized managerial practices. Therefore, this study is focused on analyzing the relationship between management system and quality management practices and its need for SMIs? performance. The study framework includes leadership and human resource as two dimensions of quality management practices and sales growth of the firm as the performance indicator. Using binary logistic regression analysis, this study analyzes the link between mentioned quality management practices and firm?s performance. However, SMIs have several limitations when they implement quality management practices, the study has investigated leadership category and human resource category improve organizational performance. The small sample size is one of the research limitations and the inclusion of some more variables such as strategic planning, customer focus and level of information technology in the organization will bring broader perspective to the research.
Small and medium enterprises and development strategies: a lesson from ASEAN
(Culture, Globalization and the Developing World, 2nd ICSS, 2013) Gamage, B.N.
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) make up more than 80% of all businesses in Sri Lanka, and account for about 35% of employment and about 20% of total industrial value addition.This important sector has a crucial role to play in driving sustainable development and supporting the stability of the post conflict economy. SMEs are the backbone of the economies of the ASEAN member states and invariably account for more than 96% of all enterprises and 50% to 85% of domestic employment. The contribution of SMEs to GDP is between 30% and 53% and the contribution of SMEs to exports is between 19% and 31%. Their contribution to value added, employment and export are quite significant in ASEAN. In short, SMEs contribute to generating more employment, promoting more balanced growth of different regions in country, and exhibiting more innovation and dynamics. The study evaluates the contribution of regional institutional bodies such as SAARC and BIMSTEC to lift up this important sector as mean of economic growth strategy. Stimulating the growth of SMEs and mobilizing their unique strengths needs to be a key element of Sri Lanka?s development strategy. The study also seeks to identify crucial elements in Thailand?s SMEs Promotion Plan (2007-2011) and the ASEAN Policy Blueprint for the ASEAN SME Development Decade 2002-2012 and develop its own comprehensive, yet forward-looking agenda for SME development in Sri Lanka.
Rehabilitation and aftercare of drug related women prisoners in Sri Lanka
(Culture, Globalization and the Developing World, 2nd ICSS, 2013) Subasinghe, Wasantha; Kumudu Sumedha
Many people grasping to drugs faced difficulty to detach themselves from the spell of drugs. Therefore, the number of drug related prisoners are increasing. This group has defined ?drug-related prisoners? as prisoners who are in custody for drug related offenses. The ratio of drug offenders in prison is relatively high. Moreover, there is an increasing number of female drug related prisoners. Therefore, this study is basically focused on female drug-related prisoners in Welikada and Kaluthara prisons. These drug-dependents have a high tendency of recidivism. The one of basic criticisms was that prisons do not take sufficient actions to reduce recidivism. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to review the rehabilitation and aftercare needs of this group and to propose an agenda to strengthen countermeasures available in prisons to reduce recidivism. This study has both qualitative and quantitative approach. Survey method and case study method were used to collect primary data. In addition, key informant interviews with several officers has been conducted. The survey sample consisted of 50 female drug-related prisoners and 10 case studies. Findings indicate that the imprisoned women are confronted with numerous severe and wide ranging problems. Moreover, recidivism ratio also high among them. It can be described through the process of imprisonment from arrest to release. Therefore the rehabilitation process is the most important factor in this regard. The rehabilitation programs in the prisons are inadequate and outdated. New rehabilitation process needs to be implemented to help drug-related female prisoners reintegrate into the society.
The Level of learned helplessness among the undergraduates of the University of Kelaniya
(Culture, Globalization and the Developing World, 2nd ICSS, 2013) Rewatha, Kumbukandana
The current research aimed to identify the level of learned helplessness among the undergraduates of the University of Kelaniya. Accordingly, the research consisted of three objectives, two hypotheses and three research problems and the research was carried out for two years. The randomly selected sample included 200 undergraduates representing all the five faculties of the University of Kelaniya. A questionnaire which was based on Likert-Scale was administered to collect the data concerned. The data collected was quantitatively analyzed. As the results, a significant level of learned helplessness among the undergraduates of the University of Kelaniya, and a significant difference in the level of learned helplessness between male and female undergraduates could be found. The study made the possible suggestions so as to minimize the learned helplessness among undergraduates. The researcher suggested several topics for future researches such as effects of learned helplessness, attribution style and learned helplessness, biology of learned helpless people, academic achievements of learned helpless undergraduates, overcoming undergraduates' learned helplessness and culture and learned helplessness.
The philosophical study of logical thinking and communication for conflict resolution
(Culture, Globalization and the Developing World, 2nd ICSS, 2013) Siriwardene, P P G C
Human beings think, and to think, they use their brain and as well as cognition. To humans, thinking is one of the main processes in their day to day affairs, without which existence will be difficult or impossible. For instance to communicate humans use their thoughts. Logical thinking is to think on the basis of knowledge, what we know, and certainties, what we can prove. The logical or scientific approach to thinking relies on information about the world around us. From it, we can create the most wonderful inventions, manifestations and live peacefully with one another. Human beings communicate in three main ways namely; verbally, nonverbally and vocally. Humans think both positively and negatively. Conflicts can be classified as negative ways of thinking, and has always caused considerable damage to humans; both mentally and physically. Conflicts are on the increase all over the world, in fact in every second. Social, Economic, Political and Cultural differences are always the cause for increasing conflicts. An added impetus to the rise in conflicts around the world is less communicating skills as well as the problem of language barriers. Therefore, it is should be stated that in these circumstances clear and active communication is useful in thinking logically and could result in conflicts resolutions. The study looks at applied logical thinking and communication in resolving conflict and as well try to determine the philosophical perspectives of logical thinking, communication and conflict resolution. The main objective of this study is to find out the importance of logical thinking to conflict resolution as well as usefulness of communication to resolve conflicts. The study uses secondary data and is based on a philosophical approach. The study asserts that the use of logical thinking through the communication directly influence the conflict resolution.
Representation of motherhood in television advertisements
(Culture, Globalization and the Developing World, 2nd ICSS, 2013) Meegaswatta, T
Television is one of the most popular sources of entertainment in the modern world. It is certainly so in Sri Lanka where 80% of households have televisions. Advertising plays a crucial role in the modern world, since they form the life source of television and other forms of mass communication. The representation of motherhood in television advertisements forms the focus area of this paper with the belief that advertising?s image of motherhood could influence the collective consciousness of society in terms of defining motherhood and exerting undue pressure on women. This study attempts to draw a statistical profile of primetime advertising in Sri Lanka and analyze the representation of motherhood in advertisements from a quantitative and qualitative perspective. Advertisements from top advertisers have been chosen for further analysis after monitoring three television channels during August, 2012. Statistical evaluations reveal that in television, advertisements occupy 17%-25% of primetime. A feminist analysis of the content and the ideological baggage of advertisements reveals that they rely on stereotypical portrayals and define womanhood and motherhood in rigid and limited terms. In Sri Lanka, the bulk of advertisements (71%) portray women as mothers and wives. Viewers are bombarded with images of beautiful wives and mothers who enthusiastically fulfill their responsibilities within the domestic sphere. Such stereotypical representations not only reflect sexist understandings about women and men but also reinforce unjust gender ideologies which are already part of the collective consciousness of society. The conclusion of this study is that most advertisements relegate women to traditional gender roles within which women are second-class citizens whose value is relative to their domestic performance and ability to procreate and nurture. Springing from a pool of collective knowledge that is highly sexist, advertising?s image of motherhood contributes to form limited definitions of and strenuous demands from women, trapping them inside rigid concepts of normalcy.
The economic conditions of the Dambadeniya period as depicted by the Royal Donations to the Buddhist Sangha
(Culture, Globalization and the Developing World, 2nd ICSS, 2013) Sudharmawathie J M
This paper focuses on the relationship between the economic conditions of the Dambadeniya Period and the Royal Donations to the Buddhist Sangha. The political instability during the last phase of the Rajarata civilization resulted in shifting of the capital to Dambadeniya. King Vijayabahu III was able to manage the political conditions of the Maya Rata with Dambadeniya as the center of administration. He managed to create a political atmosphere which enabled himself and his successor to develop religious and economic conditions in the kingdom. Until the 13th century AD the economy of the dry zone depended on the system of irrigation developed by the past kings. Although the seat of administration shifted to the South-west with the establishment of the Dambadeniya kingdom economic conditions of the county did not undergo a radical change. However trade was gradually becoming a very important sector in the economy. This was probably due to the political stability and the geographical conditions of the South-west i.e. the natural harbours. As a result of these combined economic activities the economic conditions of the Dambadeniya Period were relatively good. In 1215 AD Magha, of Kalinga in South India, invaded the island and captured power in Polonnaruwa. He followed a deliberate policy of destroying Buddhism. He and his forces started harassing the Sangha and destroying places of Buddhist worship in Rajarata. Therefore the main challenge faced by Dambadeniya kings was to restore Buddhism to its past glory. Dambadeniya rulers worked tirelessly for the development of Buddhism as the state religion. The royal donations to the Buddhist Sangha were one step taken by these kings with the view of developing Buddhism. According to many sources, almost all the royal donations during this period have been made with the objective of protecting and stabilizing Buddhism as a religion. The objective of this paper is to find out the connection between the positive economic conditions of the Dambadeniya Period and the Royal Donations to the Sangha. Primary sources, both literary and archaeological, would be analyzed for this end. It is clear from the primary historical sources that the favourable economic conditions of the Dambadeniya period enabled the kings to donate immensely to the Buddhist institutions and the Sangha, and as a result, the stability and strength of Buddhism as the state religion improved.