Psychology of the Cultural Public Relations in Sri Lanka; Case of the Tsunami in 12/24/2004

Abstract

Sri Lankan Culture has been fundamentally formed by the Asian religious and cultural foundation.. Yet, Sri Lanka has been colonialized by three European countries in last three hundred and forty three years of period, hospitality, cooperativeness and participatory involvement at the face of others misery and pathetic situations are highly embedded in the culture of Sri Lanka despite its multi- religious and multi-cultural differences (Peris, 1962; Obesekara, 1993Blundal, 1995). This study used the methods of participatory observations, in-depth interviews and textual and discourse analyses reference to the case of Tsunami 12/24/2004. In addition, real world experiences in the remote rural and urban societies were also used for the descriptive analysis of this study. Data were comparatively and descriptively analyzed. The social organization of the Sri Lanka is largely distinguished by many locally constructed features of agriculture and Buddhist religious practices along with the origin and development of Sri Lankan society. Endowment is the noblest and life-long contribution to the survival of human society which has been significantly reflected by the use of vernacular language in their inter-personal communications and cultural exchange in their life. Providing shelter, foods, water for others, when they are so depressed by calamities and disasters are some of the key elements of the Sri Lankan national culture. Living with the harmony with different ethnics and identities is the overwhelmingly galvanized concept of the local people. This ethnic and cultural harmony has been disturbed by the colonial attitudes of some of the middle class generation, However, when they had to face a national calamity, they save others.