Social Sciences

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Author: search.filters.author.Subasinghe, Wasantha

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    A Social Aspect of Policy Implementation Challenges on Elders’ Social Protection
    (National Institute of Social Development, 2024-09) Subasinghe, Wasantha
    Aging is an universal phenomena which present significant implications and challenges for various challenge of them. Enabling the policy practice is the macro-level intervention strategy to ensure the social protection of elders. The effectiveness of these policies is deeply rooted in the socio economic and cultural context of given society. This study aim was to examine the challenges on the implementation of social policies for the elders in Sri Lanka focusing with Asian experiences. The research problem and the research question were ‘What kind of policy practices are implementing for the sake of social protection of elders in their country? And What are the prevailing policy implementation gaps on social protection of the elders? This paper focused on desk research approach with systematic review. The randomly selected two research studies done based on Pakistan and Nepal in related to the policy implementation on elder’s social protection. Both countries face the challenge of political instability affecting policy continuity and effectiveness. Nepal has a constitutionally mandated framework but struggles with practical implementation, while Pakistan's policies are influenced by religious traditions but lack modern comprehensive approaches. Both countries require significant improvements in governmental and administrative capacities. Nepal's challenges include bureaucratic inefficiencies and lack of trained personnel, while Pakistan needs to enhance its administrative capabilities to better implement and sustain programs. Economic vulnerability is a major challenge in both countries. Nepal faces financial constraints and infrastructure deficits, while Pakistan's elderly population struggles with severe economic insecurity. Both nations need sustainable funding solutions and improved service delivery mechanisms. Both countries have historical and cultural influences shaping their social protection policies. Nepal needs to better integrate modern applications with its cultural contexts, while Pakistan should combine religious principles with contemporary social protection frameworks for greater efficacy. The study concludes with recommending the enhancement of prevailing policies, administrative capacities, improving community engagement and long-term sustainability for optimizing the output in both countries to ensure social justice for the elders by empowering the social protection mechanism.
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    Sexual Child Abuse in Sri Lanka; A Comparative Factor Identification on Child and Child Abuse Perpetrators’ Social Background
    (National Institute of Social Development, 2024-09) Subasinghe, Wasantha
    According to the NCPA Report, there were 9673 in 2023 reported child abuse cases. The objective of this paper is to discuss the biopsychosocial consequences of child abuse and suggest the basic components of social support network programs to mitigate child abuse in Sri Lanka. This research is a comparative, descriptive study of child abuse in Sri Lanka. The study focused on analyzing related background factors of both sides of child and child abuse perpetrators. The research problem was to explore the risk factors and root factors that influence child abuse from both sides’ children and the perpetrators. The research was conducted with secondary and primary data. Background factors related to the abused child were revealed through randomly selected scholarly research articles. Perpetrators’ background was analyzed with primary data which was collected from semi-structured interviews of ten cases convicted for child abuse in the prison. The social background of child abuse is highly related to reasons such as lower educational levels of both child and the parents, low awareness of sexuality and child rights related to sexual and other types of abuse, insecurity family situation with poverty, drunken fathers, parents’ marriage mismatches and casual marriage relationships, and cultural acceptances and customs. Biopsychosocial symptoms of sexual child abuse can be identified from rape to death with kissing, touching of genital areas and organs, oral sex, showing and taking pictures of sexual images, and habitual sexual intercourse at home with close relatives. Most common child abuse perpetrators are biological fathers, stepfathers, school teachers, close relatives such as sisters’ husbands or uncles, father’s friends or close Nabors. Most perpetrators had negative childhood experiences, low education levels, low parental care, illicit drug use, and excessive sexual desire. Social support networks for mitigating child abuse should be focused on addressing risk factors including family, child, youth, and reputation of all groups and interference of government and volunteer agencies.
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    Social factors of suicides in Sri Lanka
    (Department of Library and Information Science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2023) Subasinghe, Wasantha
    Suicide is becoming an immense social problem from end of 19th century. Both quantitative and qualitative researches are important to understand the issue. Research findings help to select suicide preventing programs. Eight hundred thousand suicides were reported in 2019 worldwide. Statistics reported that it is nearly about three thousand suicides per year in Sri Lanka. The unexpected/miserable loss of a family member affects directly or indirectly not only to the family but also to the society. The research problem is ‘how does lack of social morals affect to suicides in Sri Lanka? There are four objectives of this research as to reveal social life of person who attempted to suicide, to examine social interrelationships of them, to realize their personal traits, challenges, and barriers, and to recognize preventing techniques. The ontological approach of this research is subjectivism and epistemological approach is interpretivism. The research type is descriptive, cross sectional and qualitative. Underpinning theory is Collective Consciences and Moral Poverty Index which was introduced by Durkheim. Research method is case study method and data collecting techniques are in-depth interviews. Sample consists of persons who have attempted to commit suicide. Theoretical and conceptual review was done. The study looks at the main socio-demographic factors such as ethnicity, age, gender, civil status, educational level and causes about suicides from 2016-2019 based on police crime statistics as first part of the study. Literature revealed the background identification on sociodemographic information such as; maximum number of suicides was from Sinhalese Buddhists, minimum number of suicides was reported from Muslims and Islamic people; Age between 21-25 and age over 70 can be considered as the age ranges with the highest number of people who committed suicides; Suicide rate of married persons was higher than unmarried; The female students’ suicides were higher than male but in all other occupations male suicides were higher than female; Most of the persons who had committed suicide had educated up to secondary education; Most common reasons for suicides were harassments in family, disappointments and harassment, economic issues, psychological disorders and chronic diseases; Unemployed persons had committed suicide more than the employed people; Second highest category who had committed suicide was the agricultural sector and the category with the lowest number of people who had committed suicide was politicians. The main finding of this demographic data is that 90% of the factors that affect suicide are social factors. The integration between the individual and society has diminished, and society has become indifferent to the needs of the individual.
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    The contribution of school counselors and its barriers
    (2016) Subasinghe, Wasantha
    There are 9905 government schools in Sri Lanka in 2012. There are 4000000 students studying under these schools. Schooling is compulsory for children from 5 to 13 years of age. Education is state funded and offered free of charge at all levels, including the university level. School education of Sri Lanka has become very competitive from grade one to Advanced Level. There are three benchmark examinations as grade 5 scholarship examination, GCE O/L examination and GCE A/L examination. School counseling is an integral part of the education system in many countries. School counselors help to make learning a positive experience for every student. They are sensitive to individual differences. Counselors facilitate communication among teachers, parents, administrators, and students to adapt the school's environment in the best interests of each individual student. School counselors tend to have more direct involvement with more children; there is a great need to explore the factors that affect career path of students to guide them towards a better future through the success in education. Research problem: What is the main role of school counselors in Sri Lanka schools?? Research questions: 1. What is the role of student counselor? 2. What are the perceived barriers to facilitators for an effective service? Objectives: The main purpose is to identify the way of school counselor’s contribution to the students’ efficiency in their mental inconvenience to their education. Theoretical perspective: I focused on symbolic interactionism perspective to understand this complex situation and Sigmund Freud's iceberg theory model to identify the mind. Research methods: The survey method and case study method have been used as research methods. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire and semi structured interviews. Sample: There are three samples in the research as school counselors, teachers and students. In here, I have interviewed three school counselors, 30 teachers in boy’s school, girl’s school and mixed school in Gampaha district. Results and Discussion: There are no proper school counselors. They all are teachers and they do this job as extra responsibility. No extra earning. No proper physical place in the school. No proper training and guidelines. Lack of awareness programs. Low student enrollment. Lack of trust on counseling are the main issues relevant to school counseling programmes. Preparation of proper school counseling program is essential.
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    The way of school counseling in government schools: with special reference to Sri Lanka
    (2016) Subasinghe, Wasantha
    This paper focuses on school counseling and its effect on student’s educational efficiency. Counseling is an outside support that is given by the qualified person on professional counseling to encourage human life as quality way. Guidance and psychotherapy are other fields relates to counseling. All human being can be faced by the mental troublesomeness in complex social inter-relationships. It can be happened with children, young people, students, professionals, elders so on. Currently; students have high expectations in their life. On the hand; parents force them to work hardly to reach their goals. Within this multifaceted inspirations and other social issues and problems make many inconveniences among the students.
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    Sociological Analysis on Prisoners; with special reference to prisoners of Death Penalty and Life Imprisonment in Sri Lanka
    (2016) Subasinghe, Wasantha
    Capital punishment is legal in Sri Lanka as many other countries as India, Japan, Bangladesh, Iran and Iraq so on. When compared unconvicted prisoners from 2006-2010 there is an increase. It was 89190 in 2006 and it was 100191 in 2010. There were 28732 of convicted prisoners and it was 32128 in 2010. There were 165 Death sentences in 2006 and it was 96 in 2010. There are 540 individuals had been sentenced to death. The death penalty has not been implemented in Sri Lanka since 1976.Research problem: What are the main causes for getting capital punishment and life imprisonment? What are the feelings of prisoners as waiting for death?’ Objectives of the study were identifying prisoners’ point of view on their punishment and root causes for their offence.This was a basic research. Case studies were conducted to identify the research problem and data were collected using formal interviews. Research area was Welikada prison. Stratified sampling method in probability samplings was used. Sample size was 20 cases from death penalty and life in prison prisoners and 20 from other convicted prisoners. There were organized crimes and instantaneous crimes against human and property. Findings revealed causes and feelings them as offenders. Death penalty and life imprisonment were been punished especially for drug selling and murders. The end of life imprisonment decided by nature; but the date of death penalty will be decided by the president of the state. Still there is no decision on implementing the death penalty in Sri Lanka. These both categories of prisoners need if implementing death penalty or freedom. Some of them need to convert death sentence to life imprisonment. They are physically and mentally damaged after their imprisonment. Lack of hope and as well as lack of welfare and rehabilitation programs they suffered their lives in the prison.
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    A SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY ON CHILD ABUSE IN SRI LANKA
    (2015) Subasinghe, Wasantha; Sumedha, K.
    Children and women are the most vulnerable group of the human species. According to the definition of the United Nation’s Convention on Rights, a child is a human being below the age of 18 years unless under the law applicable to the child. Due to the immaturity and innocent nature they can be persuaded to take part in immoral activities and many such instances they are forced or cheated mostly by persons known or close to the family. Most incidents are reported from remote villages and disturbed families. There are physical and mental harassments against children. The recruitment of children as child soldiers, Child sex tourism, malnutrition, rape and murders are mostly occurring among them. In 1999, the National Child Protection Authority was established to address child abuse in Sri Lanka. The Authority is made up of local monitoring and child protection committees. However, child abuse in Sri Lanka is still remains.
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    Social development and women empowerment in urban slum
    (University of Kelaniya, 2008) Subasinghe, Wasantha
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    Gypsy Culture and Society in the Changing World: A Sociological Analysis
    (University of Kelaniya, 2005) Subasinghe, Wasantha
    Gypsies are a small primitive as well as a nomadic tribe who are struggling to face the changing world. They spread over the whole world, especially in Eastern Europe, where they are known as Romanies. In Sri Lanka gypsies are called “Ahikuntika” or “Kuthadi”. They live mostly in the North Central and the Eastern provinces. Special behavioural patterns and customs can be seen in their lives. Although they still depend on their endemic occupations, permanent settlements have also been used by this group. However, they have to encounter a lot of difficulties as a result of social change. The objective of this research is to identity the obstacles, challengers encountered by the gypsies in Sri Lanka. The location of research is Kudagama, a small village in Ikiriwewa Grama Niladari Division of Thammbuttegama Divisional Secretariat in the Anuradhapura district. The methodology of this study is comprised with two vital research methods: they are comparative method and life historical method. Interviews and observations are used as tools of data collection. This is an in-depth study on gypsies which examined economic, social, political and cultural aspects. It could be concluded that their traditional life style has changed, and also their activities and other customs are mixed up with those of the Sinhala community. In addition, they have confronted several problems as parents, youth and children. That includes, illiteracy, lack of health environment, alcoholism, lack of parental care, cultural alienation, child abuse by their parents, lack of job opportunities etc. Although they are willing to have access to the modern world they confront-various difficulties in adapting themselves to new social order. Finally, we can state that the Gypsies are confronting many challenges in this new world order and as a result of these challenges their traditional culture and society have undergone several changers today.
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    A study on poverty and women unemployment
    (Department of Sociology, University of Kelaniya) Subasinghe, Wasantha; Sumedha, Kumudu
    Background This paper explores one of the key issues in current research on gender and development: the links between poverty and women's employment and underemployment. The nation?s economic crisis has deeply affected the lives of thousands of Sri Lankans. Unemployment has pulled the rug out from under many families, particularly those living in low-income communities. Deepening poverty is inextricably linked with rising levels of homelessness and food insecurity/hunger. Poverty can be considered as a central socio and economic problem. The women ratio is highly vital factor in concerning of current population statistics including women households, education level, and women workforce. The purpose of the study is looking the women unemployment and makes proposals to uplift the women?s contribution to the national economy. Objectives: To identify male vs. female unemployment, what extent is a woman's household economic status, which programs are most suitable for women for livelihood. Research question: What is the co-relation between poverty and women?s unemployment? Methodology: Survey method has been done for collecting primary data through structured questionnaires. FGDs and KII has done. Findings: The first phase of the project involves screening overall studies have shown very different effects of poverty, for different types of poverty: from income inequalities, to social exclusion and unemployment. The final phase involves the analysis provides strong evidence for a co-relation between household economic status and women's current employment status. This is true for the entire sample and for the married and unmarried women. The interplay of economic factors (in terms of household needs and aspirations) and cultural factors (in terms of women's position in the family as unmarried daughters as opposed to wives or daughters-in-law) as determinants of women's employment is important both on the supply side of the labour market and women's ability to obtain employment in an imperfect and almost saturated labour market in the context of Sri Lanka.