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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
201

The political economy of Asian agrarian reform a comparative analysis with case studies of the Philippines and Sri Lanka (Ceylon).

Sanderatne, Nimal. January 1900 (has links)
Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1974. / Vita. Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.
202

Modes of life of Theravāda monks : a case study of Buddhist monasticism in Sri Lanka /

Gothóni, René. January 1982 (has links)
Th.--Théol.--Helsinki, 1982. / Bibliogr. p. 248-260. Index.
203

A feasibility study of Increasing Small Scale Solar Power in Sri Lanka

Hagmar, Hannes January 2014 (has links)
The following report is conducted as a feasibility study, aimed to objectively uncover the advantages and challenges of increasing the amount of small scale solar power in Sri Lanka. The demand for electricity in Sri Lanka has been steadily increasing the last few years and there is an urgent need to find new ways of generating electricity. To not further increase the already high dependency of foreign oil and to decrease the impact on the environment, a transition from traditional combustion of fossil fuel to new renewable energy is required. The report shows that there exists substantial potential for generating solar energy in Sri Lanka. Calculations show that an investment in a photovoltaic system can be economically favourable and that the investment often is paid back within a few years. Current regulations and electricity pricing increases the economic incitement for high electricity consumers to invest in small scale solar power. Furthermore, the report demonstrates that there are likely no technical obstacles of increasing small scale solar power at this period. In contrary, the report shows that small scale solar power in general decreases line losses, voltage drops, and the peak demand of electricity. At present, it is probably not the lack of economic incitement but rather socio-economic factors that limit the development of small scale solar power. Sri Lanka is still a relatively poor country and the long years of civil war have prevented development and wealth. Lack of funds and a high ratio of low-income earners are probably the main reason for the slow development
204

My older brother's tree : everyday violence and the question of the ordinary in Batticaloa, Eastern Sri Lanka

Walker, Rebecca January 2010 (has links)
Batticaloa district on the Eastern coast of Sri Lanka has been one of the most disrupted and devastated areas of the island since civil war began in the early 1980s. Ethnically and culturally diverse, the Eastern province has been under the control of different military actors, the Sri Lankan army, the Indian Peace-Keeping Forces, and the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam), however, none maintained full control of the Eastern areas until May 2009 when the Sri Lankan Army successfully defeated the LTTE. Exploring the lives of Tamil communities in Batticaloa, this thesis examines the ways in which people make sense of an ‘everyday life’ shaped by conflict. Following the idiosyncratic journey of the researcher through the uncertain environment of escalating conflict and the aftermath of the tsunami, it builds up a larger picture of life, moving between accounts of everyday violence and suffering and more sustained dwelling on the particular people who are actively making it possible to endure by investing in a more humane future. In areas such as Batticaloa, where violence frames the past, present and foreseeable future, resistance in some shape or form has become a way of life. As Foucault (1976, 2003) maintains, violence which is embedded in social and material structures can create an environment where power and control saturate the routines of the ordinary, making its existence appear ‘normal’. However, from this way of life, what may emerge beyond the more obvious signs of violence, is the fact that people do keep pushing forward. Integral to this is the importance of risk, hope, and trust, which, woven through the interactions of daily activity, mark out what is possible and what is not. The chapters in this thesis, explore individuals who, in the spaces between accepted understandings of ordinary and extraordinary, work around the various controls and constraints to forge habitable spaces in which relations of trust and support can be strengthened and the future can be imagined. Starting with a focus on the relationship between personal narrative and history, I trace the experiences of a woman living through poverty, displacement, and loss. From this I suggest that it is the paradoxical existence of violence, risk, fear, friendship, and trust as worked through the endurance of daily interactions that is integral to understanding the texture of everyday life. Therefore, I argue that what can on the one hand look like a hopeless and negative picture of militancy and violence, can also, contain within it, fragments of hope and survival, captured for example, in the work of local people to reclaim space. I also deal with the complexities of the research experience in a violent environment and look at the strategies that people employ to negotiate and minimize risk in contested and militarized spaces. The second part of the thesis examines the meaning of the everyday and the ordinary through the experiences of a widow and group of fishermen, and thus challenges conventional academic writing which relates ‘normalcy’ in violence prone-areas to peace and productivity. Overall, these chapters argue that a capacity for hope, for building trust, safety, and peace, however fragile and tentative, is as much an integral part of a conflict situation as the more obvious capacity for fear and silence.
205

The Reverend A.G. Fraser : his ecclesiastical, educational and political activities in Ceylon, 1904-1924

Leathard, Brian January 1990 (has links)
Alek Fraser spent most of his adult life in the world of education in the British colonies. His tenure of office as Principal of Trinity College, Kandy, one of Ceylon's most prestigious schools for boys, ran from 1904 to 1924 and covered a period of immense educational, societal and political change. Fraser's own vision of his task was to create an environment in which indigenous Christianity would develop within the island. For Fraser the whole future of the colony depended upon the success of this venture, the creation of a truly Eastern nation rooted in an indigenous leadership committed to Christianity.
206

Washback effects of speaking assessment of teaching English in Sri Lankan schools

Umashankar, Singanayagam January 2017 (has links)
Washback is a concept commonly used in applied linguistics to refer to the influence of testing on teaching and learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the washback effect of a new system of English language speaking assessment in Sri Lanka. The new assessment was introduced with the intention of promoting the teaching and learning of English speaking skills in schools as part of a Presidential educational initiative called the English as a Life Skill Programme. The study examined the washback effect of the introduction of speaking assessments at both National and school levels from the perspectives of participants at three levels of the education system: the decision making level, intervening level (teacher trainers and in-service advisors), and implementing level (teachers and students). For this purpose, a mixed methods research approach was employed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants at the decision making level and intervening level to examine whether there were any important gaps in translating policy intentions to the implementing level participants (teachers and students). A questionnaire survey was conducted with teachers and students to investigate their perceptions of the assessment change and its effects on teaching and learning speaking in the classroom. Classroom observations were conducted to gain insights into actual classroom practices in relation to teaching and learning speaking, along with follow-up interviews to seek teachers’ accounts of their classroom practices. The study found that the assessment change did influence teachers’ and students’ perceptions of teaching and learning speaking in the classroom, as well as teachers’ instructional practices. Therefore, some of the policymakers’ intended aims were achieved. However, the intensity and direction of washback were shown to be influenced by several mediating factors such as teachers’ training and contextual factors such as the availability of classroom resources. The findings of this study suggest that assessment reforms can be used to promote change both in what is taught in the classroom and how it is taught, but to different degrees. The study indicated that washback does occur in this context, but it operates in a complex manner associated with many other variables besides the assessment itself. The findings of this study have implications for the improvement of future assessment policies in Sri Lanka, highlighting the importance of timely implementation of reforms and of monitoring them. The findings suggest that it is especially important to listen to key stakeholders’ (teachers’ and students’) voices in the initial planning and feasibility study phases of reform.
207

Molecular species delimitation, taxonomy and biogeography of Sri Lankan Gesneriaceae

Ranasinghe, Subhani Wathsala January 2017 (has links)
The plant family Gesneriaceae is represented in Sri Lanka by six genera: Aeschynanthus, Epithema, Championia, Henckelia, Rhynchoglossum and Rhynchotechum, with 13 species (plus one subspecies/variety) of which ten are endemic including the monotypic genus Championia, according to the last revision in 1981. They are exclusively distributed in undisturbed habitats, and some have high ornamental value. The species are morphologically diverse, but face a problem of taxonomic delineation, which is further complicated by the presence of putative hybrids. Sri Lanka and Indian Peninsula, represent the Deccan plate of the ancient Gondwanan supercontinent. The presence of a relict flora may indicate the significance of the geological history of the Deccan plate for the evolution of angiosperms. The high degree of endemism here, along with their affinities to the global angiosperm flora paints a complex picture, but its biogeographic history is still unclear. The pantropical family Gesneriaceae distributed in Sri Lanka and South India is therefore an appropriate study group in this context. Besides, the family itself has a complex but largely unresolved biogeographical history especially concerning the origin and diversification of Old World Gesneriaceae. Modern approaches for the taxonomic studies were applied, integrating morphological and molecular data. Multiple samples were collected for each species across their geographical distribution. Nuclear ITS and chloroplast trnL-F sequences for the taxa from Sri Lanka were used to generate regional genus phylogenies of all six genera, using maximum parsimony. The rate of evolution of the nuclear ITS region versus chloroplast trnL-F was varied greatly across the six genera studied. Molecular delimitations were mostly congruent with the classical taxonomy. Over 65 taxonomic characters were studied in detail to recognize synapomorphies for clades and taxa. A complete taxonomic revision of Gesneriaceae in Sri Lanka, including lectotypification, was conducted based on both, the molecular and morphological data. This resulted in the recognition of 14 species in the six genera, including one newly described species H. wijesundarae Ranasinghe and Mich. Möller. Henckelia communis and H. angusta were not supported molecularly as two separate entities but are recognized as two species because of consistent morphological differences between them. Henckelia humboldtiana is proposed to represent a species complex due to its highly variable and inconsistent molecular and morphological diversity and overlap with H. incana and H. floccosa; more research is needed here. National conservation assessments were conducted, and all 14 species were recognized as threatened. Biogeographic affinities of Sri Lankan Gesneriaceae were elucidated, generating a dated phylogeny using an existing matrix of four plastid gene regions; trnL-F, matK, rps16 and ndhF, amended by sequences generated in this study. The final combined matrix included 175 taxa including newly generated sequences for the 13 Sri Lankan taxa. Phylogenetic trees were generated using parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference. Molecular dating was carried out using BEAST and ancestral area reconstruction using BioGeoBears. These analyses indicated that the six genera of Gesneriaceae arrived in Sri Lanka separately and sometimes different time periods. One lineage dated back to the early diversification of the subfamily Didymocarpoideae (generally regarded as the Old World Gesneriaceae), which occurred around the KT boundary, before the Deccan plate was connected to Asia.
208

WAR CRIME VICTIMIZATION EXPERIENCES OF SRI LANKAN TAMIL MAKAL: A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS

Sanjithkumar, Nishanth V. 01 December 2017 (has links)
Researchers have given considerable attention to war crimes across nations. Numerous anthropologists, political scientists, and economists have conducted research on the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka; however, there is scant literature exploring violations of international law as experienced by the minorities (i.e., Tamils) from sociological and criminological perspectives. The purpose of this study is to offer an insight into how masculinity and war crimes by the military and the paramilitary forces affected the Tamils from the Northern and the Eastern provinces in Sri Lanka. I explored victimization experienced by the Tamil Diaspora populations, the construction of victimization avoidance strategies, the social forces that motivated them to leave Sri Lanka, the short and the long-term effects of victimization (i.e., sexual, economic, physical, mental), the process the refugees adopted to assimilate themselves into new space, and the resources available from Sri Lanka and place of new residence to meet their needs. Finally, I explored within gender differences and similarities of victimization as experienced by the refugees. I employed qualitative methods to collect the data, where I gathered a sample of Tamils Diaspora population from Canada and the United States of America by way of snowball sampling via advocates who worked with refugees. I used open-ended questionnaires during the face-to-face interviews. I audio-taped most of the interviews and I manually transcribed them. I took written notes of a couple of the interviews when the participants did not permit audio recording. Finally, I analyzed the collected data and present the findings. This approach informs the scientific community of how people understand and give meanings to their life experiences (Orbuch, 1997; Mishler, 1986). The findings indicate that several types of social forces contributed to how families operated during the war. For instance, the war impacted the quality of available education, the quality of available shelter, and the social and family pressures for expected roles within the community. I specifically looked at victimization experiences, the social forces that motivated them to leave Sri Lanka, the short and long-term effects of war related victimization, the process of assimilation, resources available in Sri Lanka and their new place of residence, and gender differences or similarities of war crime victimization as experienced by the refugees. The research question I explored revealed that many faced financial/economic strain, secondary victimization, sexual abuse, mental/ emotional abuse, and physical abuse. When I explored victimization avoidance strategies, the data revealed that some participants submitted while others’ social bonds allowed them to evade victimization. Next, I explored the coping strategies employed by the participants during and post-civil war. The themes that emerged to explain their coping strategies were medical/counseling assistance, deference to God, and gendered roles. I also explored the social forces that drove the participants out of the country. The data revealed that it was the impact of the internal conflict on various infrastructures that stimulated the participants’ exodus from the country. I also explored the assistance the participants received in Sri Lanka and their new place of residence. The data revealed that many of the participants received most of their help from the paramilitary. All of the participants indicated they received aid from their new place of residence. Finally, I conclude by providing theoretical discussions of the findings, limitations of the study, future recommendations, and implications. This study unveils how the Sri Lankan Tamil refugees experienced and gave meaning to their lived experiences due to the war.
209

ASSESSMENT OF DESALINATION NEEDS AND APPROPRIATE TECHNOLGIES FOR SRI LANKA

Jayasekara, Buddhika January 2017 (has links)
This study investigates the desalination needs and available technologies in Sri Lanka. Lack of rainfall, pollution due to agricultural chemicals, presence of fluoride, increasing demand, exploitation of ground water and brackishness have created scarcity of fresh pure water specially in near costal and dry zones in Sri Lanka. Due to Cronic Kidney Disease (CKD) around 500 people died in dry zones annually which is suspected to cause by Arsenic and Cadmium contain in ground water due to agriculture chemicals.   The available desalination methods are Reverse Osmosis (RO), Solar distillation and conventional methods. The cost for RO is Rs.0.10 cents per liter and solar distillation Rs.2.96 per liter. Although the price shows that the RO is better but due to high initial investment as a third world country it is very difficult to afford huge initial investment without government intervention. The experimental solar desalination units only produce nearly 5liters of potable water per day and directly impacted by availability of solar radiation. The energy availability of Sri Lanka and future potable water demand predicted as 2188.3 Mn liters as maximum demand which will be in 2030, therefore by that time the government should have a proper plan to cater the demand and desalination plants need to be planned and built based on the demand of dry zones and specially agriculture areas.   The applicability of renewable energy for desalination in local arena was also simulated taking the Delf Reverse Osmosis plant for the simulation. Results show that the optimum design is combination of Solar PV and existing 100kW Diesel generator Set with Battery bank and converter.
210

Inherently hybrid : contestations and renegotiations of prescribed identities in contemporary Sri Lankan English writing

Perry, Tasneem January 2012 (has links)
This thesis “Inherently Hybrid: Contestations and Renegotiations of Prescribed Identities in Contemporary Sri Lankan English Writing” examines work by Nihal de Silva, David Blacker and Vivimarie VanderPoorten to analyse their negotiation of identity, belonging and citizenship within contemporary Sri Lankan English Writing. This negotiation of identity is then placed in relation to the Eelam Wars as well as hybridity and cosmopolitanism, which have become a part of Sri Lankan identity because of the nation’s postcolonial past. Genre and form are employed as ways into exploring the tensions within Sri Lankan English writing, especially because they prescribe on the texts selected a specific way of approaching and presenting the ethnic conflict that is a widespread theme in much of contemporary Sri Lankan writing. The first chapter looks at De Silva’s adventure romance The Road From Elephant Pass. It examines how the novel engenders a renegotiation of identities through the effects of the ethnic conflict upon the attitudes, behaviours and ideologies of the island’s populations, symbolically represented through the narrator, who is a Sinhalese Buddhist officer in the Sri Lankan Army and his eventual lover, who is a rebel fighting for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. I analyse the arguments presented in the text around identity, belonging and patriotism and focus on the representations of ethnic and racial identity that ultimately expose the constructedness of these various positions, revealing the unacknowledged but real hybridity of the Sri Lankan peoples. I look at markers of cultural capital and tease out how class identities rely on cosmopolitanism, characterised by a knowledge of English, and how that further reveals the performativity of identity. The second chapter examines Blacker’s political thriller A Cause Untrue. Here I explore how the use of detail and description provides an appearance of imparting a complete and realistic perspective on the war. I demonstrate how the novel, through the calculated use of what I will characterise as a ‘reality effect’, takes on the manifestation of being an authority on the war. Blacker’s use of recognisable historical events allows him to create an alternative narrative of history, one that has all the hallmarks of being a true retelling even as it is apparent that his text utilises the ‘reality effect’ to imagine Sri Lanka creatively. This demonstrates how the selection of the thriller genre provides Blacker with a specific way of representing the nation and its diasporas’ in relation to the Eelam Wars. The third chapter focuses on VanderPoorten’s collection of poetry nothing prepares you. Here I investigate how the concepts of hybridity and cosmopolitanism are located within the language used to construct her poetry. I explore how this hybridity and cosmopolitanism of language works together with the form and content of her poems to provide a disquieting of fixed notions of identity, citizenship and belonging. The conclusion to the study revisits the issues that my three chapters deal with, bringing together an overall account of hybridity, cosmopolitanism and identity. I look at the constructedness and performance of identity with the aim of providing a nuanced reading of the renegotiations of identity and citizenship that are taking place because of the ethnic conflict. By summing up the different manifestations of the various gendered, ethnic and class identities represented and presented in the texts that I explore, I illustrate the wider implications of the points of connection between identity and power on the one hand and nationalism, dogma and political rhetoric on the other. Identities within the Sri Lankan nation blur the distinctions between alien and citizen, between one who belongs and subscribes to set expectations, norms and practices and one who challenges these markers of identity.

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