Volume 06 - 2014

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    The 3D software based virtual environments constructed as an art beyond from the technology
    (Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2014) Gayani, K.D.C.
    Today the television advertising is not just a marketing factor but also makes itself as combination of techniques, art, as well as effective persuasion element in consumerism era. In this competitive market it is astonishing that the faces of television advertising rapidly moving to capture various experiences of promoting products and persuade the mind of the consumer with the newness of attraction. In the age of digital, advertising moves to “virtual environments” as a new figure. This approach of technology has more access to emerge a perception in consumers mind, through the eye. Though this 3D software based virtual environments are utilized as an effective high-detail generated tool for advertising in the world, the definition of 3D environments still use as traditional advertising ways as past in Sri Lanka. Therefore the topic, “do the 3D software based virtual environments construct as an art beyond from technology”, is one of the contemporary issues that should be redefined in Sri Lankan society and industry. The main objective covered here is how to use the 3D software techniques within an artistic approach to constructing virtual environment of the advertisement. Three categorized TV advertisement’s environments of Architectural based, Natural Environment based and Liquid based forms of 3D settings were used to analyse the successes of visual output. The analysis consisted with the scientific research methodologies of content analysis and interviews. The success of virtual environment depends on live and realistic nature of the output visual of advertisement. The main purpose reviewed via this article, is a How 3D software based virtual environments construct as art beyond from its‟ technology that can be added highly detailed eye-pleasing surround inside of the advertisement’s visual performance that real world can do. To fulfil that performance, the requirement of 3D virtual environment needs to come originally from the product and advertising concept with a sensible definition and recognition of product, technology and art.
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    Perceived Distress in College: Problem in Adjustment in a Social and Cultural Context
    (Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2014) Nakandalage, H.A.; Kuruppuarachchi, K.A.J.M.; Madurapperuma, B.D.
    This study examines the psychological distress associated with socio-cultural/economical influences among first-year students of the University of Colombo during the 2009/2010 academic year. A self-administered questionnaire was adopted with two distinctive sections: 1) the General Health Questionnaire version 30 (GHQ - 30) for determination of distress levels and 2) pilot and validated questionnaire for gathering socio-economic, education pressures, and physical stress. Information was gathered from 156 university students (68% male and 32% female) of four faculties. Of the students, 49% had distress. Students in the Law faculty showed the highest distress (53%) followed by Medical (48%) and Arts and Science (47%) faculties. Male students had a higher level of distress than female students.The most influential factors for psychological distress among first-year students were permanent residence, mode of residence during university education, and family income. Students who were having more interactions with their peers had lower distress levels. Furthermore, our results suggested that the first-year students of the University of Colombo were mainly suffering from adjustment problems to the new environment. Pre-orientation, guidance and counseling programs could be utilized as preventive measures to reduce the upsurge of psychological distress. Expansion of hostel facilities and financial assistance for needy students would be better rehabilitative measures to improve the psychological environment in universities.
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    Perceived practices and attitudes of the Sri Lankan preschool children pertaining to environmental protection
    (Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2014) Pathirana, B.D.D.
    Perceptions of the environment that young children acquire in their early childhood function as a base for their holistic development. Studies convey that if children do not develop a sense of respect and caring for the environment during their early years, they are at risk of never developing such attitudes later in life. Therefore, educators, primary caregivers of children and environmental proponents should address and assess the frequency, nature, and quality of child-environment interactions during early childhood. However, research studies carried out to investigate children’s sense of environmental protection is almost nonexistent in the Sri Lankan context. The present study explores the preschool children’s perceived practices and attitudes pertaining to environment protection using a two point pictorial rating scale (12 statements, 6 pairs). Participants were 34 preschool children, 12 boys (M = 3.91; S.D = .539) and 21 girls (M = 4.19; S.D = .602), from Colombo. The research was conducted, adhering to the ethical standards of test administration for young children. After listening to their preschool teacher instruction the children were requested to put stickers against the appropriate picture which indicated their preference. Results conveyed that the majority of the children have said that they do not leave the water running when they brush their teeth (28, 82.4%), love animals (31, 91.2%), like to play outside (23, 67.6%), pick trash (32, 94.1%), like to plant things (31, 91.2), turn the lights off when they leave a room (28, 82.4%). When children’s perceived practices and attitudes of the environment was calculated the scores ranged between 9 to 12 (M = 11.088; S.D = 0.996), conveying that the majority of the children have positive attitudes and perceived practices pertaining to environmental protection.
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    Private sector prospect on the adequacy of art graduates employability in Sri Lanka
    (Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2014) Weerasekara, C.
    Enhancing the Employability skills of Arts graduates is considered as a means of overcoming the problem of unemployment among the Sri Lankan university community. The majority of the products of the universities today are recorded as Arts graduates and the employability rate of them is considered low. As a rising sector and a main performer of the labor market, today, the private sector is playing its role vastly through its contribution to the labor market demands. In this scenario, the private sector prefers graduates who are committed to work, able with effective communication, having a smart personality and are well-employable. The study was aimed to examine the problem of the adequacy of state university, internal Arts graduates employability in order to fulfil private sector job requirements via private sector employers prospects, considering their satisfaction level for employability assets towards Arts graduates. This was conducted to identify the private sector prospect towards Arts graduates employability based on their knowledge and skills acquired by the degree program. The study was quantitative in nature and used descriptive statistics, cross – tabulation for the data analysis. The sample was selected from Colombo district private companies. A concise conclusion of findings of the study reveals that, even though the private sector shows a positive response towards Arts graduates‟ employability, it is not up to the standards expected by the private sector. Especially, the adequate level of Arts graduates language skills, computer skills, and leadership skills, planning skills, independency and relevancy of knowledge required by employers are inadequate. Consequently, this inadequacy of employability will lead to raise the unemployment rate among the Arts graduates in the premier part of the labor market, the private sector.
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    North Korea's National Security Strategy and Its Impact on Development
    (Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2014) Dissanayake, B.S.
    National security is of paramount importance for North Korea due to the continuous hostilities between North and South Korea and the external threats posed by other nations. The military tension between North and South Korea has increased significantly with the launch of North Korea’s third nuclear test in February 2013. North Korea has attempted to justify and legitimize its nuclearization process as a self-defense mechanism which is essential for national security. Even though national security is defined at three different levels: individual, the state, and the international system, in North Korea, individual level gains priority over the others since the regime maintenance of the Kims is considered to be a critical factor in the nation’s survival. North Korean aspiration for reunification, considered to be achievable partially by reducing U.S. influence on the Korean Peninsula, and its commitment to perpetuating the Kim family regime has remained unchanged since the nation‟s founding in 1948. But, the strategies to achieve the same have evolved significantly and resulted in its nuclearization process posing a security challenge for the United States and its allies. The objective of the study was to identify and assess different types of risks caused by North Korea’s national security strategy which will have an impact on the development of North Korea. Secondary data was used to identify the various risks. These risks were assessed using a risk assessment matrix. It was revealed that certain strategic measures such as the high resource allocation for defense activities are extremely high risks posing an adverse threat to the economic growth of North Korea. Several other high, moderate and low risks were also identified. Based on the findings of the risk identification and assessment process, it is evident that North Korea’s national goal of building a “Strong and Prosperous State” has become a challenge.
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    Migration of agricultural labourers and its impact on the farming sector
    (Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2014) Gundappa; Dsouza, A.A.
    Human beings keep on struggling for their food, shelter and other basic requirements since ages. They have a natural tendency of acquiring personal growth. Migration has been a general activity of human lives. Considers migration as a permanent or semi-permanent change of residence with no restriction the distance involved in the movement Lee broadly (1966). “It is not population that process on productivity power. It is productivity that process on population”. Karl marks and Engels. Since ancient times, human beings are migrating from one region to another region and from one place to another place for one or the other reason. During ancient days, the migration was influenced mainly by the geographical factors like atmosphere, soil fertility, natural vegetation etc. Internal conflicts, conflicts between religion and local wars. Casual and unskilled workers who move about systematically from one region to another off earning their services on a temporary, usually, seasonal, basis. These migrations have intensified after industrial revolution. Rampant migration has resulted in making metropolitan cities. Most migrant labourers have no reemployment rights, are usually unorganized in unions and have little systematic access to job seeking. Middlemen, job brokers, labour contractors and crew leaders arise out of this fundamental disorganization of the labour market. The fact that the unorganized migrant workers is “HERE TODAY AND GONE TOMORROW” makes the regulation of his working and living conditions difficult. The term migration refers to the people’s movement from their native place to a new place perhaps permanently, temporarily or seasonal migrants. The labour market for migrant workers in agricultural in notable disorderly, partly, because such workers employment relationship is temporary. Thus, if region is taken as the basis, it may be international and internal migration. This paper enlightenes that unorganized agriculture labour facing problems socially, culturally and economically in Bangalore city.
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    Globalization, Gender and Governance in Irrigation: An Inquiry in to Preclusion of Women’s Participation in Tamil Nadu
    (Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2014) Dasthagir, K.G.
    Globalization of Irrigation Management Transfer has brought institutional reforms to enhance the role of water users in the governance of bureaucratic irrigation systems in more than 60 countries of the world. Nevertheless, these new irrigation institutions have not really redefined rights which would make it more gender inclusive to enhance women’s participation in user organizations for water resources management. In the backdrop of primacy accorded by Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and irrigation management literature on the participation of women-farmers in water user associations as a precondition for the efficacy and sustainability of irrigation systems , this paper endeavours to analyse the impact of institutional reforms on gender participation in the governance of Sathanur Irrigation System with the following objectives: To examine membership and representation of women-farmers in Water User Associations and to explicate the relationship between heterogeneity among women-farmers and their participation in Participatory Irrigation Management. Premised on the perspective of post-structuralism that women do not constitute a single homogenous category’, this paper analyses membership, participation and representation of rural women in Water User Associations. While secondary data were drawn from the WRO election reports and Water User Associations records, primary data were gathered by means of a sample survey of women-farmers of Villupuram district adopting proportionate random sampling design. The survey data were analyzed with the help of SPSS package applying Chi-Square test, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT). Analysis of secondary data elucidates the existence of gender gap in membership of Water User Associations in Sathanur irrigation system. The primary data brought evidences about the existence of heterogeneity among women in agrarian social structure. This research has also brought to light the differences among women members of Water User Associations in relation to their participation in cultivation and Participatory Irrigation Management. Thus, this paper demonstrates that gender insensitive legal framework in the absence of gender mainstreaming in water sector, is more likely to reproduce gender discrimination and reinforce women exclusion in PARTICIPATORY IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT.
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    The End of the Cold War and the Emergence of Supra-nationalism in Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
    (Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2014) Yaya, B.H.; Mala, B.
    ECOWAS is a sub-regional integration organization in Africa, whose main objective is the market integration of its fifteen member states. The organization has suffered criticisms as a result of the poor implementation of its economic programmes. Since the end of The Cold War, ECOWAS problems were aggravated by security problems and political instability due largely to power vacuum and broken nests of the powerful blocks. Hence, the authority of heads of state and government of the ECOWAS were constrained to take on the challenges, thereby extending the mandate of ECOWAS to tackle security issues. Consequently, the organization has been growing in power and influence within the sub-region, thereby acquiring some supranational posture. For instance, in December 2010, the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government threatened to take measures including the use of legitimate force to remove the President of Côte d’Ivoire, Laurent Gbagbo for refusing to concede defeat at the Presidential elections and hand over power to the internationally acclaimed winner, Alhassane Dramane Ouatarra. This paper examines the global dynamics that are propelling this trend and explains the factors responsible for supranational authority of ECOWAS. Using qualitative data and analysis, the paper argues that the adoption, codification and implementation of international norms and neo-liberal precepts on democracy, good governance and human rights by ECOWAS since the end of the Cold War have enabled it to establish its supranational authority in West Africa.
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    Decency movement (Sovaniya Andolan): timeless movement from Odisha, India
    (Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2014) Dash, B.B.
    Odisha is a coastal state in the eastern part of India. Several pioneering movements have hitherto spread over Odisha through the eras and Decency Movement is one of them, which began in Odisha in 1962. From the last five decades, the movement continues with the mission to bring a blissful reform, to set up global peace in the society and to establish a decent world. This study tries to know the genesis of the movement, its objectives and activities, the process of mass mobilization and its institutionalization, and its need of the hour and acceptance. History gives an account of the mission of the movement, the nobility of the mission, and its timelessness. After bereavement of Kumar Bhai, the founder-leader, the movement still continues. This qualitative study is based on the historiography method. Going through the old records of the movement and diaries of Kumar Bhai, it is found that the very essence of decency movement i.e. Atma-Suddhi Sangha (Self-Purification Society) has slowed down and Sovaniya Sikshyashram (School of Decency) has been geared up.
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    An Overview on Education and Gender Inequalities in Yunnan and Manipur
    (Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2014) Aveivey, D.
    The rapid economic growth in China and India during the last two decades is unparalleled in modern history. However, this economic dividend accruing from the high growth was not evenly distributed among the people. These marginalized sections in these parts remain disgruntled to threaten to disturb the social-political stability, thereby posing a challenge to the leadership in Beijing and New Delhi. Having seen the inequalities in both the countries, I’m convinced to study the Yunnan province of Southwestern part of China and Manipur from Northeastern part of India, taking China and India to map the broad contours in comparing education and gender inequalities between the two provinces. Education is expected to play a significant role in bringing classes and groups together and promotes an egalitarian society. The government of both the countries also made an attempt to encourage female literacy, which has a direct impact on several socio-economic indicators for development. But in spite of all these efforts, education remains a huge gap to a vast section of society particularly the marginalized and girl child. The rate of enrolment may be negligible at primary level but as it goes to higher level the disparities or gap becomes wider. The rate of enrolment may be high at some level but this does not confirm the quality of education and the rate of retention at the end of the academic year especially in rural and mountainous region of both the provinces. Therefore, the present paper is intended to study the inequalities which prevail in Southwestern China and the Northeastern part of India. Stratification in society is normal and inevitable, and it functions to maintain stability in a given society. But the gap should not be too wide as the provinces are facing today. Rather we must thrive to reduce inequalities which are built into the system over the years.