Political Economy
Since its inception, SSA has emphasised the importance of holistic analysis of social problems, as exemplified through its seminal intervention on agrarian change in Sri Lanka, Capital and Peasant Production: Studies in the continuity and discontinuity of Agrarian Structures in Sri Lanka (1985). For over four decades, SSA has continued to approach social problems in this way, taking into account in its analysis the social totality that constitutes the background of any problem, and bringing together insights from several disciplinary areas in the true spirit of political economy.
Research Projects
Assessing the Health Impacts of household indebtedness and climate change among agrarian households in Sri Lanka’s Dry Zone in collaboration with Monash University, Australia October 2023- Present
SSA is collaborating with Dr. Samanthi Gunawardana and Dr Gabriela Fernando of Monash University, Australia to conduct an exploratory study to assess how climate change affects the debt level and health status and health outcomes of agrarian communities. The overarching objective of this exploratory study is to understand the impact of climate change on household indebtedness, and its consequences on public health outcomes, including food insecurity, health status, healthcare access, and healthcare utilisation among agrarian communities in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. The study employs quantitative and qualitative research methods and is conducted in the Anuradhapura and Puttalam districts.
Discussions and seminars
Critical Agrarian Studies Seminar Series 2023- Present
With a view to create public engagement on agrarian studies, in 2023, SSA initiated a monthly seminar series on contemporary agrarian political economy, which continues to date. Researchers, academics, and activists were invited to present their research, debate and, and generate new ideas for further research. With a wide range of participants from universities, research institutions, civil society organisations and the enthusiastic public, the talks have resulted in several analytical commentaries for SSA’s Polity magazine, as well as creating broader interest in the investigation of contemporary rural society.
The seminar series was initiated to further SSA’s deep legacy for creating debate and discussion on the agrarian change in Sri Lanka since the 1980s. To complement the seminar series, a 3-day workshop was organised by the SSA in April 2023 for young researchers to familiarise them with critical political economy approaches to agrarian studies and to encourage them to investigate problems in rural society through a critical agrarian lens.
Political economy lecture series May-July 2024
The SSA launched a Political Economy Lecture Series, led by Dr. Devaka Gunawardena. Designed to foster deep discussions with academics, practitioners and emerging scholars, the series had six lectures and invited a carefully selected group of participants to ensure a rich and engaging dialogue.