Abstract:
The young adult Sri Lankan consumer (within the age range of 18-25 years) possesses mixed
characteristics that arise from the socio- cultural forces of traditionalisation and modernisation. The
research problem is to what extent the fusion between the two forces affect the consumption
behavior of the Sri Lankan consumer who are within the 18-25 age range category. The main
purpose is to examine the interaction between modern and traditional forces that affects the
consumption behavior. The interplay of the two forces brings a third distinct, ‘ postmodernism’. The
methodology used for the study was based on the forces of traditionalisation, modernisation and post
modernism. Data was collected through primary and secondary sources and analyzed accentuating
on the research objective. The findings indicate that many young adult Sri Lankan consumers(in the
age range of 18-25 years) prefer products that are not excessively traditional and excessively
modernist. The two socio-cultural forces affects the consumption behavior to a great extent and this
influence can be due to a variety of factors such as the environment in which the consumer was
brought up in, attitude and societal expectations.
