Capital Accumulation in the Periphery: Notes from an Interview with a Nawalapitiya Businessman

Mark Schubert

The Field Diary section consists of a conversation with a mudalali who Mark Schubert encountered in the process of fieldwork in Nawalapitiya. In contrast to the discussions on broad economic policies and its impact on communities, this entry explores the perspective of a rural capitalist reflecting on his itinerary from assistant to a mason baas to one of the wealthiest businessmen in his region. The businessman also shares his reflections on the impact of the 2015 election of a supposedly business-friendly new regime on rural capitalists, the need for constant diversification, and his aspirations for his children. His account provides a fascinating insight into the spread and politics of capital accumulation in sites that are peripheral to older urban centres such as Kandy and Colombo.

Capital Accumulation in the Periphery: Notes from an Interview with a Nawalapitiya Businessman by Social Scientists’ Association on Scribd