Pub Date : 2019-06-10DOI: 10.4038/SLJSS.V42I1.7572
Rangika Maduwanthi, Prabath Suranga Morawakage
This study investigates the impact of liquidity risk on the performance of commercial banks in Sri Lanka by analysing secondary panel data of six systemically important banks in the Sri Lankan financial system from 2006 to 2016. The objective of this study is to identify the significant liquidity risk factors and the impact of them on both top line and bottom line performance indicators of commercial banks. Researchers find that liquidity gap and non-performing loan ratio are the significant proxies for liquidity risk. Multiple regression analysis reveals that liquidity risk negatively and significantly affects bottom lines Return on Average Assets (ROAA) and Return on Average Equity (ROAE), whilst positively affects the top line Net Interest Margin (NIM) of the commercial banks. The findings of this study suggest that expenses of the banks should be controlled with better liquidity management to enhance bottom line performances.
{"title":"Impact of liquidity risk on the performances of Sri Lankan commercial banks","authors":"Rangika Maduwanthi, Prabath Suranga Morawakage","doi":"10.4038/SLJSS.V42I1.7572","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/SLJSS.V42I1.7572","url":null,"abstract":"This study investigates the impact of liquidity risk on the performance of commercial banks in Sri Lanka by analysing secondary panel data of six systemically important banks in the Sri Lankan financial system from 2006 to 2016. The objective of this study is to identify the significant liquidity risk factors and the impact of them on both top line and bottom line performance indicators of commercial banks. Researchers find that liquidity gap and non-performing loan ratio are the significant proxies for liquidity risk. Multiple regression analysis reveals that liquidity risk negatively and significantly affects bottom lines Return on Average Assets (ROAA) and Return on Average Equity (ROAE), whilst positively affects the top line Net Interest Margin (NIM) of the commercial banks. The findings of this study suggest that expenses of the banks should be controlled with better liquidity management to enhance bottom line performances.","PeriodicalId":53779,"journal":{"name":"Sri Lanka Journal of Social Sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2019-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45973737","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-06-10DOI: 10.4038/SLJSS.V42I1.7857
R. Pishghadam, Masoud Mahmoodzadeh, Elham Naji Meidani, Shaghayegh Shayesteh
Given the role of emotional factors in effective teaching and inspired by a number of socio-philosophical, linguistic and psychological theories including Developmental, Individual-difference, Relationship-based (DIR) model and the concept of emotioncy, the present study is an attempt to introduce envolver as a new role for teachers. Sense-related emotions towards a word or an entity that can relativise cognition fluctuate from avolvement (having no feelings) and exvolvement (having heard, seen or touched) to involvement (having had direct experience or having done research). Accordingly, teachers seem to adopt an envolving role in which they avolve, exvolve or involve the learners in different classroom practices. By conducting semi-structured interviews, the researchers asked 24 language teachers to nominate the topics they preferred the learners to be avolved, exvolved or involved in class. The findings revealed thematised topics for each category, including taboos for avolvement, routine topics for exvolvement, and life-related and thought-provoking ones for involvement. Finally, the results were discussed in the context of education.
{"title":"Teacher as envolver: a new role to play in English language discussion classes","authors":"R. Pishghadam, Masoud Mahmoodzadeh, Elham Naji Meidani, Shaghayegh Shayesteh","doi":"10.4038/SLJSS.V42I1.7857","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/SLJSS.V42I1.7857","url":null,"abstract":"Given the role of emotional factors in effective teaching and inspired by a number of socio-philosophical, linguistic and psychological theories including Developmental, Individual-difference, Relationship-based (DIR) model and the concept of emotioncy, the present study is an attempt to introduce envolver as a new role for teachers. Sense-related emotions towards a word or an entity that can relativise cognition fluctuate from avolvement (having no feelings) and exvolvement (having heard, seen or touched) to involvement (having had direct experience or having done research). Accordingly, teachers seem to adopt an envolving role in which they avolve, exvolve or involve the learners in different classroom practices. By conducting semi-structured interviews, the researchers asked 24 language teachers to nominate the topics they preferred the learners to be avolved, exvolved or involved in class. The findings revealed thematised topics for each category, including taboos for avolvement, routine topics for exvolvement, and life-related and thought-provoking ones for involvement. Finally, the results were discussed in the context of education.","PeriodicalId":53779,"journal":{"name":"Sri Lanka Journal of Social Sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2019-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45725776","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-06-10DOI: 10.4038/SLJSS.V42I1.7608
Hansiya Rauf, Shamala Kumar
Factor analyses of existing measures of Organizational Citizenship Behaviour (OCB) administered across different contexts and country settings demonstrate cross-setting consistency and support a common dimensionality for OCB irrespective of context. Challenging the use of generic models of OCB are concerns over the local relevance of such generic models and the substantial variation in OCB dimensionality in different country settings found through research using inductive qualitative methods. Even though these findings give conflicting understandings of the context specificity of OCB, a review of literature found no studies that subjected qualitatively derived dimensions to factor analysis. This research uses factor analyses to test a qualitatively derived, context-specific OCB model to explore the context specificity of OCB. University academic staff in Sri Lanka participated in two studies. Findings support a generally accepted two-factor model and not the context specific model. The findings suggest that even when high contextual variations in constructs seem evident, conceptual similarity at a more general level may be present. Past research exploring OCB conceptualisations have used either qualitative or quantitative methods. While qualitative methods indicate complex and contextually specific dimensions, quantitative methods support simpler models with more general applicability. The findings suggest that even when the model and items are localised, factor analyses support a general OCB model.
{"title":"Seeing the forest, beyond the trees: dimensionality of context specific Organizational Citizenship Behaviour in a Sri Lankan context","authors":"Hansiya Rauf, Shamala Kumar","doi":"10.4038/SLJSS.V42I1.7608","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/SLJSS.V42I1.7608","url":null,"abstract":"Factor analyses of existing measures of Organizational Citizenship Behaviour (OCB) administered across different contexts and country settings demonstrate cross-setting consistency and support a common dimensionality for OCB irrespective of context. Challenging the use of generic models of OCB are concerns over the local relevance of such generic models and the substantial variation in OCB dimensionality in different country settings found through research using inductive qualitative methods. Even though these findings give conflicting understandings of the context specificity of OCB, a review of literature found no studies that subjected qualitatively derived dimensions to factor analysis. This research uses factor analyses to test a qualitatively derived, context-specific OCB model to explore the context specificity of OCB. University academic staff in Sri Lanka participated in two studies. Findings support a generally accepted two-factor model and not the context specific model. The findings suggest that even when high contextual variations in constructs seem evident, conceptual similarity at a more general level may be present. Past research exploring OCB conceptualisations have used either qualitative or quantitative methods. While qualitative methods indicate complex and contextually specific dimensions, quantitative methods support simpler models with more general applicability. The findings suggest that even when the model and items are localised, factor analyses support a general OCB model.","PeriodicalId":53779,"journal":{"name":"Sri Lanka Journal of Social Sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2019-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42966429","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-06-10DOI: 10.4038/SLJSS.V42I1.7856
Ranjith Premalal de Silva, W. D. Silva
The aim of the study is to evaluate the accuracy of past population projections with the comparison of observed figures in 2001 and 2012 population censuses in Sri Lanka. It has also compared the age-sex structures of the projections with the observed data. Out of the six population projections, four had been produced by three local forecasters: Soma De Silva, W. Indralal De Silva, A. T. P. L. Abeykoon and the other two by United Nations and, all of these projections had been examined. Standard variation of four projections produced before year 2000 show a percentage error ranging from 1.16 to 3.05 with 2001 observed figures and 3.33 to 5.21 with 2012 observed figures. Other two projections produced after year 2000 have a percentage error 1.59 and -3.09, respectively, when compared with 2012 observed figures. Accuracy of observed vs. projected population, projection errors and their measurement as well as age-sex structures of two projections against 2012 observed population have been examined. The examination of accuracy of the past projection results would lead to a generation of more reliable projections in future.
该研究的目的是通过比较斯里兰卡2001年和2012年人口普查的观测数字，评估过去人口预测的准确性。它还将预测的年龄-性别结构与观测数据进行了比较。在六个人口预测中，有四个是由三个当地预报员编制的：Soma De Silva、W.Indralal De Silva和A.T.P.L.Abeykoon，另外两个是由联合国编制的，所有这些预测都经过了审查。2000年以前编制的四项预测的标准变化显示，与2001年的观测数字相比，百分比误差在1.16至3.05之间，与2012年的观测数据相比，百分比偏差在3.33至5.21之间。与2012年观察到的数字相比，2000年之后产生的另外两个预测的百分比误差分别为1.59和-3.09。对2012年观测人口的观测与预测的准确性、预测误差及其测量以及两个预测的年龄-性别结构进行了检查。对过去预测结果的准确性进行检查将导致未来产生更可靠的预测。
{"title":"Existing population projections in Sri Lanka: comparative analysis of the accuracy","authors":"Ranjith Premalal de Silva, W. D. Silva","doi":"10.4038/SLJSS.V42I1.7856","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/SLJSS.V42I1.7856","url":null,"abstract":"The aim of the study is to evaluate the accuracy of past population projections with the comparison of observed figures in 2001 and 2012 population censuses in Sri Lanka. It has also compared the age-sex structures of the projections with the observed data. Out of the six population projections, four had been produced by three local forecasters: Soma De Silva, W. Indralal De Silva, A. T. P. L. Abeykoon and the other two by United Nations and, all of these projections had been examined. Standard variation of four projections produced before year 2000 show a percentage error ranging from 1.16 to 3.05 with 2001 observed figures and 3.33 to 5.21 with 2012 observed figures. Other two projections produced after year 2000 have a percentage error 1.59 and -3.09, respectively, when compared with 2012 observed figures. Accuracy of observed vs. projected population, projection errors and their measurement as well as age-sex structures of two projections against 2012 observed population have been examined. The examination of accuracy of the past projection results would lead to a generation of more reliable projections in future.","PeriodicalId":53779,"journal":{"name":"Sri Lanka Journal of Social Sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2019-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49259776","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-06-10DOI: 10.4038/SLJSS.V42I1.7562
T. S. Kumar, Kalyani Suresh
Despite prevalent and widespread knowledge about the characteristic nature of heroes and celebrities, research that relates media framing of a hero and celebrity in the cricketing sports arena remains scant. Therefore, the central purpose of this research paper is to develop the academic understanding of this topic by focusing on the relationship between cricket players (from India and Sri Lanka) and the print media. The researchers use media framing stages of Entman (1993), developed upon by Giles (2008) as dependent variables and investigate the influence of dimensions of the frame building process applied by journalists (cognitive, rhetorical and ideological) on the stages, leading to the final news story frame. A high/low hero/ celebrity-performance/character ranking matrix frame is thus created for cricket players that tries to show how journalists frame a specific cricketer in comparison to his cricketing peer.
{"title":"Cricket heroes vs celebrities: assessing the role of media in framing Indian and Sri Lankan players using a Performance-Character Matrix","authors":"T. S. Kumar, Kalyani Suresh","doi":"10.4038/SLJSS.V42I1.7562","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/SLJSS.V42I1.7562","url":null,"abstract":"Despite prevalent and widespread knowledge about the characteristic nature of heroes and celebrities, research that relates media framing of a hero and celebrity in the cricketing sports arena remains scant. Therefore, the central purpose of this research paper is to develop the academic understanding of this topic by focusing on the relationship between cricket players (from India and Sri Lanka) and the print media. The researchers use media framing stages of Entman (1993), developed upon by Giles (2008) as dependent variables and investigate the influence of dimensions of the frame building process applied by journalists (cognitive, rhetorical and ideological) on the stages, leading to the final news story frame. A high/low hero/ celebrity-performance/character ranking matrix frame is thus created for cricket players that tries to show how journalists frame a specific cricketer in comparison to his cricketing peer.","PeriodicalId":53779,"journal":{"name":"Sri Lanka Journal of Social Sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2019-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43821082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-06-10DOI: 10.4038/SLJSS.V42I1.7858
S. Gamage
Emeritus Professor Laksiri Jayasuriya who was a Professor of Social Work and Social Administration at the University of Western Australia passed away on April 20th 2018 in Perth. He was the founder of the Sociology Department of the University of Colombo and led an illustrious career in the Australian academia while contributing to government policy making in areas such as multiculturalism, ethnic affairs, immigration and citizenship. He nurtured cohorts of students under his care during his long career in Australia and continued to engage in scholarly activities and publishing after retirement. Professor Jayasuriya leaves behind beloved wife Rohini and two loving sons Kanishka and Pradeep -both professionals- one in the academia and the other in medical field. His death comes as a great loss to his academic colleagues, particularly in Australia and Sri Lanka. Original Source: Gamage, S. (2018) Obituary: Emeritus Professor Laksiri Dharmasoka Jayasuriya (1931-2018), Social Affairs: A Journal of the Social Sciences, 1(8), pp. 56-59. Copyright 2018 by Social Affairs: A Journal of the Social Sciences. Published with permission.
{"title":"In memoriam: Emeritus Professor Laksiri Dharmasoka Jayasuriya (1931–2018)","authors":"S. Gamage","doi":"10.4038/SLJSS.V42I1.7858","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/SLJSS.V42I1.7858","url":null,"abstract":"Emeritus Professor Laksiri Jayasuriya who was a Professor of Social Work and Social Administration at the University of Western Australia passed away on April 20th 2018 in Perth. He was the founder of the Sociology Department of the University of Colombo and led an illustrious career in the Australian academia while contributing to government policy making in areas such as multiculturalism, ethnic affairs, immigration and citizenship. He nurtured cohorts of students under his care during his long career in Australia and continued to engage in scholarly activities and publishing after retirement. Professor Jayasuriya leaves behind beloved wife Rohini and two loving sons Kanishka and Pradeep -both professionals- one in the academia and the other in medical field. His death comes as a great loss to his academic colleagues, particularly in Australia and Sri Lanka. Original Source: Gamage, S. (2018) Obituary: Emeritus Professor Laksiri Dharmasoka Jayasuriya (1931-2018), Social Affairs: A Journal of the Social Sciences, 1(8), pp. 56-59. Copyright 2018 by Social Affairs: A Journal of the Social Sciences. Published with permission.","PeriodicalId":53779,"journal":{"name":"Sri Lanka Journal of Social Sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2019-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45729521","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-12-31DOI: 10.4038/SLJSS.V41I2.7701
S. Samarakoon, Geetha Mayadunne
Despite gender parity in education favoring female and positive outcomes in female education, about two thirds of the working age women in Sri Lanka do not participate in the labor force and stay at home. This study sought to understand the share distribution and incidence of stay at home women with different levels of education attainment and to identify reasons for non-participation. The analysis was based on quantitative data from the 2014 Labor Force Survey and 2012/13 Household Income and Expenditure Surveys of the Department of Census and Statistics, and on qualitative data collected from interviews with labor market experts. Quantitative analysis shows that the largest share and the highest incidence of working age women who do not participate in the labour force are upper secondary school dropouts. The lowest share and incidence are among those with tertiary education. Though the share of stay at home women with lower education was low, incidence was high. Irrespective of educational attainment, being married and having a household income were significant factors explaining non-participation in the labor force. Labour force participation of the tertiary educated women was not affected by maternal status, ethno religious identity or labor market factors. The qualitative data suggests the important role of reservation wages in the labor force participation decision of upper secondary school dropouts. The absence of soft and hard skills required to access jobs, meeting their reservation wage levels and the absence of employment guidance tend to impede their participation in the labor force.
{"title":"An exploratory study on low labour force participation of women in Sri Lanka","authors":"S. Samarakoon, Geetha Mayadunne","doi":"10.4038/SLJSS.V41I2.7701","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/SLJSS.V41I2.7701","url":null,"abstract":"Despite gender parity in education favoring female and positive outcomes in female education, about two thirds of the working age women in Sri Lanka do not participate in the labor force and stay at home. This study sought to understand the share distribution and incidence of stay at home women with different levels of education attainment and to identify reasons for non-participation. The analysis was based on quantitative data from the 2014 Labor Force Survey and 2012/13 Household Income and Expenditure Surveys of the Department of Census and Statistics, and on qualitative data collected from interviews with labor market experts. Quantitative analysis shows that the largest share and the highest incidence of working age women who do not participate in the labour force are upper secondary school dropouts. The lowest share and incidence are among those with tertiary education. Though the share of stay at home women with lower education was low, incidence was high. Irrespective of educational attainment, being married and having a household income were significant factors explaining non-participation in the labor force. Labour force participation of the tertiary educated women was not affected by maternal status, ethno religious identity or labor market factors. The qualitative data suggests the important role of reservation wages in the labor force participation decision of upper secondary school dropouts. The absence of soft and hard skills required to access jobs, meeting their reservation wage levels and the absence of employment guidance tend to impede their participation in the labor force.","PeriodicalId":53779,"journal":{"name":"Sri Lanka Journal of Social Sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2018-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42431966","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-12-31DOI: 10.4038/SLJSS.V41I2.7702
T. Silva
Since anti-Tamil riots in 1983, the social science literature on Sri Lanka has been preoccupied with understanding the causes and consequences of ethnic polarization in the country, including the emergence of rival Sinhala, Tamil and Islamic nationalisms, politics of conflict and confrontation including the war itself as well as an intractable wave of street violence seemingly triggered by ethnic sentiments, grievances and hostilities. In contrast, Constructing Commongrounds by Anton Piyarathne moves in the opposite direction- it seeks to identify the commongrounds that enable people of diverse ethnicities living side by side to interact with each other and establish peaceful relations in their day-to-day life in spite of the firmly established identity politics that invariably divide “us” and “them” and limit people to a tunnel vision which diverts attention away from human unity and common problems of poverty, landlessness, unemployment and environmental challenges affecting all groups to varying degrees. The book implies that the social scientists have so far paid too much attention on politically driven nationalist agendas and the corresponding processes of emotionally charged “divide and rule” campaigns to the relative neglect of community driven desires for unity, coexistence and search for commongrounds, processes that can actually show us the way out of the current impasse and volcanic eruptions in political nerve centres as well as market places, facebook and on many other fronts. This publication can be seen as a welcome addition to the social science literature on Sri Lanka by a younger scholar deeply concerned about the social and political reality in the country and the perceived powerlessness of social sciences to influence the very processes carefully scrutinized, assessed and documented by them.
{"title":"Constructing Commongrounds: Everyday Lifeworlds Beyond Politicized Ethnicities in Sri Lanka by Anton Piyarathne","authors":"T. Silva","doi":"10.4038/SLJSS.V41I2.7702","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/SLJSS.V41I2.7702","url":null,"abstract":"Since anti-Tamil riots in 1983, the social science literature on Sri Lanka has been preoccupied with understanding the causes and consequences of ethnic polarization in the country, including the emergence of rival Sinhala, Tamil and Islamic nationalisms, politics of conflict and confrontation including the war itself as well as an intractable wave of street violence seemingly triggered by ethnic sentiments, grievances and hostilities. In contrast, Constructing Commongrounds by Anton Piyarathne moves in the opposite direction- it seeks to identify the commongrounds that enable people of diverse ethnicities living side by side to interact with each other and establish peaceful relations in their day-to-day life in spite of the firmly established identity politics that invariably divide “us” and “them” and limit people to a tunnel vision which diverts attention away from human unity and common problems of poverty, landlessness, unemployment and environmental challenges affecting all groups to varying degrees. The book implies that the social scientists have so far paid too much attention on politically driven nationalist agendas and the corresponding processes of emotionally charged “divide and rule” campaigns to the relative neglect of community driven desires for unity, coexistence and search for commongrounds, processes that can actually show us the way out of the current impasse and volcanic eruptions in political nerve centres as well as market places, facebook and on many other fronts. This publication can be seen as a welcome addition to the social science literature on Sri Lanka by a younger scholar deeply concerned about the social and political reality in the country and the perceived powerlessness of social sciences to influence the very processes carefully scrutinized, assessed and documented by them.","PeriodicalId":53779,"journal":{"name":"Sri Lanka Journal of Social Sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2018-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49611108","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-12-31DOI: 10.4038/SLJSS.V41I2.7699
H. Kumara, R. Jayawardhana
Binaries like ‘beauty/ugliness’ or ‘fair/dark’ are ideological images driving the world market for beauty products. How are these images created? How far is the process of construction of these images influenced by socio-political and economic hegemonies? This paper addresses these research questions by deploying a qualitative dominant ‘Mixed Research Methodology’ and ‘Inductive Research Approach’. The paper is based on secondary data on titleholders of a major beauty pageant held during the 50 year period from 1967 to 2017. The data was analyzed using the Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) method. The research discovered that 68% of titleholders are from peripheral/semi-peripheral countries such as India and Venezuela. Further, the researchers found that the physical features of these non-European titleholders from the peripheral states closely resemble western Caucasian ‘white’ woman, conforming to ideal standards of western feminine beauty. On the other hand, ironically, 95% of branded beauty products are manufactured and distributed by multinational companies with headquarters in developed countries. Accordingly, the research concludes that the women chosen as the world’s most beautiful females display core characteristics of ‘stereotypical western feminine beauty standards’ and thereby, resemble a ‘fantasy model of feminine beauty’ conceptualized by a regime of ‘white men’, projecting its economic and political influence on the world stage. The fact that most titleholders are chosen from peripheral/semi-peripheral countries may be driven by a capitalist commercial project in which economies in the world dominant core countries have created a lucrative market for their beauty products in peripheral countries. Thus, this paper argues that the ideology and practice of international beauty pageants are shaped by the twin processes of global capitalism and world cultural-political hegemony.
{"title":"International beauty pageants and the construction of hegemonic images of female beauty","authors":"H. Kumara, R. Jayawardhana","doi":"10.4038/SLJSS.V41I2.7699","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/SLJSS.V41I2.7699","url":null,"abstract":"Binaries like ‘beauty/ugliness’ or ‘fair/dark’ are ideological images driving the world market for beauty products. How are these images created? How far is the process of construction of these images influenced by socio-political and economic hegemonies? This paper addresses these research questions by deploying a qualitative dominant ‘Mixed Research Methodology’ and ‘Inductive Research Approach’. The paper is based on secondary data on titleholders of a major beauty pageant held during the 50 year period from 1967 to 2017. The data was analyzed using the Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) method. The research discovered that 68% of titleholders are from peripheral/semi-peripheral countries such as India and Venezuela. Further, the researchers found that the physical features of these non-European titleholders from the peripheral states closely resemble western Caucasian ‘white’ woman, conforming to ideal standards of western feminine beauty. On the other hand, ironically, 95% of branded beauty products are manufactured and distributed by multinational companies with headquarters in developed countries. Accordingly, the research concludes that the women chosen as the world’s most beautiful females display core characteristics of ‘stereotypical western feminine beauty standards’ and thereby, resemble a ‘fantasy model of feminine beauty’ conceptualized by a regime of ‘white men’, projecting its economic and political influence on the world stage. The fact that most titleholders are chosen from peripheral/semi-peripheral countries may be driven by a capitalist commercial project in which economies in the world dominant core countries have created a lucrative market for their beauty products in peripheral countries. Thus, this paper argues that the ideology and practice of international beauty pageants are shaped by the twin processes of global capitalism and world cultural-political hegemony.","PeriodicalId":53779,"journal":{"name":"Sri Lanka Journal of Social Sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2018-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47690325","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-12-31DOI: 10.4038/SLJSS.V41I2.7697
Faseeha Noordeen, T. Jayathilaka, F. Pitchai, H. R. N. Yapa, I. M. N. M. K. Jayarathne, T. N. D. Nawarathne, I. R. N. Piyasena, M. Priyanka, J. V. P. G. Shivanka, T. Uden, S. Yeshi, R. Gurung, M. Ifla, K. Dorji
Identifying the coping mechanisms practiced by the medical students is of importance and must be explored to promote healthy stress coping methods. Hence, a descriptive cross-sectional study was undertaken with a sample of 410 medical students from a State Medical School in Sri Lanka. The research question of the study focused on identifying the different coping methods practiced by medical students. A questionnaire with 2 parts, A and B, was used to collect data on stress coping methods used by the study participants. The study also obtained data on the effectiveness of popular stress coping methods from the users. The responses for the questions in part A showed a trend of positive outlook in all general aspects of life except for one question, which directly questioned the ability of students to cope with stress imposed by the academic programme. Based on the results from part B of the questionnaire, the most common and widely used stress coping mechanisms included sleeping, listening to music and talking with friends and family. Effective coping strategies identified to minimize stress were religious activities like praying/worshiping and meditation. Moreover, seeking advice from lecturers, seniors, going home and engaging in sports and games were also found to be effective in lessening stress. In conclusion, facilities for students to involve in religious activities such as prayers and meditation shall be available in the Faculty. Getting counseling and involving in sports also appear to alleviate stress and these should be integrated into the life of medical students.
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