Social Scientists' Association

Cyclone Ditwah Impact, Response and Recovery: Survey Findings of Sri Lankan Public Perceptions

A survey conducted by the Social Scientists’ Association (SSA), Colombo, captured public experiences and perceptions following the impact of Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka. The objective of the study was to examine citizens’ perceptions of institutional responsiveness following Cyclone Ditwah…

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Gananath: Renaissance Man by R. L. Stirrat

I met Gananath in July 1969 on the day I first arrived in Sri Lanka, Edmund Leach and Stanley Tambiah having imposed their naive research student on the Obeyesekeres. Throughout my first period of field research, between 1969 and 1971, Gananath and Ranjini’s house in Kandy provided a refuge from fieldwork…

Religion, Space and Conflict in Sri Lanka: colonial and postcolonial contexts - a reflection and review by Elizabeth Harris

Dr Elizabeth Harris (Birmingham University) led a review and reflection on the contemporary relevance of her 2018 book, ‘Religion, Space and Conflict in Sri Lanka: Colonial and Postcolonial Contexts’, at the SSA in Colombo on 28 January 2026. Harris focused on the post-war project of Sinhala Buddhicisation of archaeological and other sites in the north and east, contextualising it in the western Christian missionary exclusivism of the 19th century in relation to Buddhism. Drawing on archival research and interviews, Harris raised questions on the connections between human imaginaries of the Self and the Other, in their influence on multi-religious, multi-ethnic, and sometimes syncretic, spatial landscapes Sri Lanka

Prof Jayadeva Uyangoda, Chairperson of the Social Scientists’ Association along with the Senior Management, Shashik Silva, Dr. Crystal Baines, and Taniya Silvapulle had a productive meeting with H. E. Dr. Purna Bahadur Nepali, Ambassador of Nepal to Sri Lanka. The conversation ranged from the academics’ shared interests in critical agrarian studies, youth democracy movements, and religious studies. The participants also discussed the possibility of forming a young social scientists’ network in the region to facilitate dialogue and collaborations on shared academic and artistic interests. The meeting concluded with Prof Uyangoda gifting a set of SSA publications to the Embassy of Nepal.

Polity Volume 13, Issue 1 (2025) Out Now!

Vol. 13, No. 1 (2025), LKR800 from the Social Scientists’ Association and LKR1000 from Barefoot and Vijitha Yapa bookshops.

Social Scientists’ Association

Social Scientists’ Association (SSA) is a pioneering social science research institute in Sri Lanka, striving to be a catalyst for social change through research, publications and advocacy. With an equitable vision of society in mind, SSA provides a platform to scholars and practitioners to engage in research and advocacy not only on issues pertaining to human rights and freedom but also on broader socio-economic justice. The SSA is deeply committed to promoting a culture of knowledge production that informs and undergirds interventions aimed at achieving social emancipation for marginalized communities.

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