Browsing by Author "Liyanage, S."

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A morphometric analysis of craniofacial features of the Coastal Indigenous people in Sri Lanka
(Sociedad Chilena de Anatomia, 2024-12) Liyanage, S.; Devasingha, D. M. L. C. D.; Dissanayake, D. M. P. V.; Ranaweera, L.
The existence of an indigenous community within a country is a source of pride and warrants significant attention. Sri Lanka is no exception, and, as a country with the fossil remains of anatomically modern Homo sapiens, it is hypothesized that Sri Lankan Indigenous people might harbor ancient genetic signatures. This study aims to establish baseline data of certain craniofacial anthropometric measurements in the Coastal Indigenous people and classify their head, face, and nose types. This study involved 126 (70 Male and 56 Female) unrelated individuals from six villages, representing the Coastal Indigenous population. Sixteen craniofacial measurements were obtained, providing calculations of three craniofacial indices: the Cephalic index, Facial index, and Nasal index. It was apparent that all craniofacial measurements, except nose protrusion of males, had significantly higher dimensions than those of the female participants. In addition to baseline quantitative raw data, the calculated indices are as follows: The mean cephalic, facial, and nasal indices of females were 78.50± 4.84, 88.37±13.06, and 93.93±12.23, respectively, whereas those of males were 78.85±5.76, 91.74±13.70, and 94.58±14.06, respectively. This is the first craniofacial study on Coastal Indigenous people in Sri Lanka. The most common head shape observed among both genders was mesocephalic. Males predominantly exhibited a hyperleptoprosopic facial type, while females mostly showed a leptoprosopic facial type. The most dominant nasal type recorded for both genders was the platyrrhine nasal phenotype. Interestingly, such platyrrhine nose is rarely present in other world populations, except in African populations.
“Bokken ranga pamuda” gut feeling instinct and rhetoric of Sri Lankan Actor Learnings
(Journal of Aesthetic and Fine Arts, University of Kelaniya, 2016) Liyanage, S.
The mental representation of learning as a dominant model of knowledge acquisition has been a long-standing formula for Western pedagogy. Within the sensation-idea-response model, the subject perceives the objects, conceptualizes ideas in the brain, and generates actions through the body. Thus, the relationship between perception and action is hierarchical as the action is secondary to the perception. This epistemological problem is the result of the disembodied mind propagated by the Cartesian tradition. It is no exception when it comes to the discourse of acting: this split has also affected the rhetoric of acting; the actor’s mind is regarded as the rational knower and the active mover of the body. However, some actors in Sri Lankan theatre often refer to the phrase ‘bokken ranga pāmu’ (act from the gut) as a metaphorical expression of how the actor should act truthfully. It further means that the good actor does not act from the heart nor the intellect but from the ‘gut instinct’ of the body. This metaphorical idea of gut replaces the disembodied rational thinking in the mind with something fleshy embedded in the ‘intestine’ of the actor’s body. In this paper, I want to show how a group of Sri Lankan actors challenge the idea of mental representation of learning by introducing a visceral origination of their knowing and the synergy of thoughts and imagination coupled with the lived body.
“Bokken ranga pāmuda”: gut feeling, instinct and rhetoric of Sri Lankan actor learning
(University of Kelaniya, 2013) Liyanage, S.
The mental representation of learning as a dominant model of knowledge acquisition has been a long standing formula for Western pedagogy. Within the sensation-idea-response model (Barnacle 2009, Horn and Wilburn 2005) the subject perceives the objects and conceptualizes ideas in the brain and generates actions through the body. Thus, the relationship between perception and action is hierarchical as the action is secondary to the perception (Noë 2005, Johnson, 2007).This epistemological problem is the result of the disembodied mind propagates by the Cartesian tradition. It is no exception when it comes to the discourse of acting: the rhetoric of acting has also been affected by this split (Zarrilli 2002); the actor‟s mind is regarded as the rational knower and the active mover of the body. However some actors in Sri Lankan theatre often refer the phrase “bokken ranga pāmu” (act from the gut) as metaphorical expression of how the actor should act truthfully. It further means that the good actor does not act from the heart or intellect but from the „gut instinct‟ of the body. This metaphorical idea of „gut‟ replaces the „disembodied rational thinking‟ in the mind with something fleshy embedded in the „intestine‟ of the actor‟s body. In this paper, I utilize a cognitive phenomenological reading of Sri Lankan actors‟ descriptive data gathered through semi structured interviews. In doing so, I want to show how these actors challenge the idea of mental representation of learning by introducing a visceral origination of their knowing (Dewey 1896, Merleau-Ponty 1962, Dreyfus, 2002) and the synergy of thoughts and imagination coupled with the lived body.
The Change In The Usage Of Slang Terms Over Time; With Special Reference To Sinhalese Slang Terms Used For Women
(Proceedings of the Undergraduate Research Symposium (HUG 2018), Department of Linguistics and Department of English, Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Liyanage, S.; Nawalahewa, S.
Slang is a type of language consisting of words and phrases that are regarded as very informal. They often convey humour, discrimination, offense and mostly negative meanings. Over time, they either die out from lack of use as groups move on to new terminology, or they may become so popular that they are added to the common language. The objective of this research is to explore the change in the slang terms used for women in the Sri Lankan context. It investigates how these slang terms semantically change over time. Here, the main focus was given on collecting slang terms used for ‘women’ in the Sri Lankan context from year 1970 to present. Different literatures were referred, and questionnaires were carried out using randomly selected individuals from different age groups, professions, culture, social status, users of social media, males and females in both rural and urban settings of Sri Lanka. Through the research it was revealed that a collection of slang words that were once fashionable are no longer in use. Further, the attitudes of males and females on slangs were explored. According to the analysis, the final outcome is, with the change of time slang words used for women change and new words come into use.
Effects of pretreatments on extending the self life of minimally processed Rhisomes of Lasia spinosa
(Institute of Chemistry Ceylon, 2008) Liyanage, S.; Wimalasena, S.; de Silva, D.S.M.
Monitoring of widely used pesticides in surface water reservoirs and shallow wells in Walawe area
(Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science, 2006) Aravinna, A.G.P.; Mubarak, A.M.; Liyanage, S.; Liyanage, J.A.; Wickramaratne, S.
'My body taught me how to act': Towards an epistemology of actor learning and apprenticeship
(University of Kelaniya, 2011) Liyanage, S.
The background to this paper is the researcher‟s own apprenticeship training as an actor in Sri Lanka. “Embodied knowing” in dance and movement studies effectively explain how the performer‟s body pursues its own primordial ways of being-to-the world and perception (Sheets-Johnston 1966, Parviainan 1998, 2003, Barbour 2006, Klemola 1991, Zarrilli 2004, 2008, Barbour 2006, Hui Niu 2009, Riley 2004, Fraleigh 1986). Health scientists and cognitive phenomenologists also agree with the power of embodied knowing and its implication on the body as a knower and expresser (Kissel and Block 2001, Noë 2004). This paper brings an actor‟s account on apprenticeship training as an on-the-job learning. This experiential embodiment is juxtaposed with some prevailing ideas on “embodied knowing” to explain how on-the-job apprenticeship actor‟s learning process evolves embedded bodily knowing. Finally, this paper demonstrates how the apprenticeship actor transforms her corporeality into a skilled acting body.
Phenomenology of an actor’s experience in filmic performance: a case of Malini
(University of Kelaniya, 2015) Liyanage, S.
Modernist approaches to acting practice has always been fascinated by the ways that the actor’s work in live theatre as well as on screen is understood, interpreted and further appreciated as a representation of meanings. The actor’s body is thus a tool or a communicative device via which the author’s ideas, conceptions, and thoughts are brought forward. This paper questions this representational ways of understanding acting in filmic performance and suggests an anti-representational modes of perceiving the actor’s work via phenomenological reading. Influenced by Melreau-Ponty’s phenomenology and its contemporary developments in cognitive sciences, this paper further proposes an enactive way to understand the actor’s art, while bringing the actor’s experience to the centre of the discussion. In order to do so, I shall introduces four ontological categories of the lived body via which, I will explore how the film actor’s performance can be seen as a lived temporality, spatiality, and intersubjectivity within filmic performance. Building upon such phenomenological interpretation of the body, I further elaborate one of the leading film actors’ works in Sri Lanka and argue how these phenomenalities of film acting can be applied to understand non-representation ways of enacting and perceiving acting.
Smart City Concept and Review on Strategic Readiness of Sri Lanka
(Department of Marketing Management, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2017) Liyanage, S.; Dissanayake, D. M. R.
Smart city concept is one of the sought after strategies in many countries whereas the role of information communication technology (ICT) is broadly highlighted within. Recent studies extendedly discuss the contents and the integrated nature of the smart city concept. Sri Lanka is also attempting to initiate some massive projects in which smart cities become resulted. However, it requires comprehensive policy framework and the execution strategies to activate smart cities. This has found challenges even though it makes huge potential for different industries and lifestyles of the related communities. Alongside, explaining the essentials for smart city concept in Sri Lanka was the main focus of this paper. Authors followed a comprehensive literature review as the main research tool to investigate the empirical thoughts and findings related to smart city concept to explain the integrated contents of it. Alongside, paper attempted to discuss the key components and integrated concepts towards smart city concept providing policy makers to frame smart city strategy with supportive inclusions. It has made a special attention to Sri Lankan context by reviewing the policies and strategies made on related projects and programs on information communication technology (ICT) to reveal the readiness of the nation towards smart city development perspectives. Specific attention was made to link the discussion on how smart city model and the role of ICT should act connectively for economic sustainability. Paper presented a conclusion by proposing the future research and policy development directions to examine the effective strategies to plan and execute smart cities in Sri Lanka.
TRAINING THE LOWER BODY': From Suzuki Method to alternative' Dandiharamba' Paradigm
(University of Kelaniya, 2008) Liyanage, S.
A comparative, intercultural study of training the lover body in actor training processes in Asia and to develop an actor training system through 'Dandiharamba ', a native Sri Lankan dancer training methodology to fulfill the contemporary actors' needs. Training the performer's body, particularly the lower body has been significantly prominent in the dance and dance drama traditions from antiquity to the present in Asia. Kerala based India's elaborate dance -drama named Kathakali is unique in this respect. Training the performer's body and specially is lower body (including legs) is essential and integral part of the long years of training process. Similar to this tradition a contemporary actor training system is invented by a theorist and a director called Tadashi Suzuki in Japan. This actor training system is unique in its nature as all the basic principles of the system have been derived and developed from the major theatrical practice of No and Kabuki. Today this method is known as Suzuki Method and it is widely accepted method of actor training in some of the universities and acting schools in the world. Even though there are numerous actor training systems derived from Asian corporeal arts, most of them have been explored and deployed in non-Asian context. It is a pity to say that these knowledge and the practices have not been transferred or shared enough with the same region. For instance Suzuki method is widely known and accepted system of actor training in so called western societies than in Asian region. One of my intentions here is to develop a link within the region and allow the brain drain to flow within the same region. In taking these as a spring board, I would like to develop a research project of formulating an actor training system, from old dancer training exercises called 'Dandiharamba 'in Sri Lankan traditional Southern dance form or I would call it 'pole- exercises' very similar to the approach of the lower body training system of Suzuki Method. In Asian corporeal arts such as Taichi, kalaripayatthu martial art or Sri Lankan dance training tradition are homogenous in one respect. I am of the view that all these corporal arts are entwined with one philosophical thread; that is the unbreakable connection between the performer's lower body and the floor; as Suzuki stated too ' ( ... . ) that the ground and the human body are inseparable, as the latter is, in fact, part of the former' (Zarrilli, 2002). Therefore, apart from the embodiment of the different body technology and exercising a new actor training paradigm, my sole intention of this project is to unveil the underneath philosophy, its commonalities and trajectories of actor training systems within the region.
කේවල සුරතාන්තයට ප්‍රතිපක්ෂව බහු සුරතාන්ත
(University of Kelaniya, 2008) Ferdinando, I.; Liyanage, S.