A Glimpse Into the Lands and Culture of Sri Lanka

Culture 

Culture is a shared system of knowledge, beliefs, values, experiences, basically the way of life for a group of people. This way of life is passed down from one generation to the next and the behavior that is found in each given group of people is what distinguishes them from another. The experiences and totality a person holds are as a result of the culture and the environment they were brought up. The values individuals hold close to them and those that they shun are as a result of the culture they identify and revolve around. Each culture has significant symbols and hierarchies that are inherently adopted by each generation over time without thinking about them ( Csikszentmihalyi, 2014). 

Five Basic Characteristics of Culture. 

Culture is learned 

A person born into a given cultural setting does not have it installed in their DNA. They have to learn the ways, values and beliefs of the environment they are to be brought up under. Much of the learning we do with regard to culture is done unconsciously. We pick up trends and traits along the way. There are various media to which we learn how to speak and associate over the course of our development. We learn from our immediate family and friends, the educational and non-educational institutions we attend, from the media and so forth ( Csikszentmihalyi, 2014) .

Culture is shared 

The culture to which we identify with is shared by the members of society. Our patterns of behavior are not possessed by one person by a large population. Some of the traits that may be shared across cultures are the use of mobile phones, respect for the elderly, handshakes as a form of greeting. Culture is not homogenous even as it is shared, each society will have their interpretation of the same symbols and beliefs and this is what is used to distinguish between culture from the next ( Csikszentmihalyi, 2014) .

Culture is based on symbols 

A symbol is that which is used in place of something else. Symbols can be words, gestures, pictures, or certain objects that carry meaning that can only be recognized by those who share a similar culture ( Csikszentmihalyi, 2014) . The dynamic nature of culture means that new symbols are often replaced by the old ones but there are those that remain intact regardless of the changes that take place in the society. The symbols in use in any culture are only significant when there is an overall acceptance of their use.

Culture is integrated 

Culture holds order and system. Each part of the given culture is interconnected and related in a certain way. This integration is what brings about the idea of culture. It is important to understand and learn each part a given culture so as to truly appreciate the value and belief systems ( Csikszentmihalyi, 2014) .

Culture is dynamic 

This simply that culture is continually changing. The rate at which the changes occur is dependent on a particular society. The changes may be drastic or they may be subtle. Since most of the cultures will interact with others they will be an exchange of ideals and symbols. The environment we live in is subject to change over a given period of time and these changes will affect the cultures around. Societies that are not responsive to change will have a hard task fitting in with the rest. As the integration happens with other cultures, over time the changes will be witnessed ( Csikszentmihalyi, 2014) .

Common Characteristics of Sri Lanka 

Culture and language 

The culture in Sri Lanka is heavily influenced by the Buddhist religion that was passed on from India. The nation was known as Ceylon until 1972; the name ‘Sri’ means ‘blessed’ and Lanka is the island on which the nation stands ( Wimalaratne, 2013) . The culture of the nation of Sri Lanka is comprised of Sinhalese people and this is also the chief language spoken by the larger population. There is a small portion of the population that speaks English, Portuguese and Tamil. The main religions in Sri Lanka are Hinduism and Buddhism and these have a heavy influence on the social, cultural and political life in the country. The history of the nation is based largely on religion and the manner in which the residents carry themselves is based on the religious environment around them.

The business culture in the country is mostly a formal one. Visitors are treated kindly and they are given a leeway when it comes to understanding the nuances associated with the culture. The most common form of greeting is handshakes but they are certain restrictions to handshakes. Some of the women will be wary of shaking hands with men but it is an accepted form of greeting. They will use titles in addressing fellow people and those who do not have titles are given the title of sir or madam. They will not be comfortable unless using a person’s first name unless they are invited to do so ( Wimalaratne, 2013) .

Physical Geography and Weather 

The land covered by the island is about 65,000 kilometers off the tip if the south of India. The land has a division of a dry zone to the north and south east and a wet zone located in the south and the central regions. The population in the dry zone primarily focuses on rice and fishing as a source of income while the highlands have their focus of production of tea. The island also has scattered locations of gem mines, coconut, rubber, and cinnamon estates. The island has some of the world’s most beautiful beaches making it an ideal tourist destination. The monsoons are a major part of the climate in Sri Lanka. They control much of the agriculture and other related activities during the year. Temperatures vary in various cities across the year with cities such as Colombo and Kandy experiences highs of up to 20 degrees Celsius. The climate is also influenced by the warm surrounding of the Indian Ocean, and inland mountainous regions ( Wimalaratne, 2013) .

Power, Authority, and interests 

The political scene in Sri Lanka is governed by a democratically elected president and they are expected to serve for a six year term. The leadership that runs the country is mostly drawn from the elite who are wealthy and propertied. There is also a heavy influence from the family linage and caste affiliation in the choice of candidates. The constituents are required to stay in the good graces of their leaders since they have a hand in ensuring quality resources and benefits. The countrymen have a respect for the formal and informal systems of law ( Wickramasinghe, 2015). 

Military Conflict History, Significant Past Military Conflicts and their Impact on the Society 

The military, police and the judicial system are placed as part of the government control. The military was largely ceremonial but with the serious rise in crime over the years they have been called upon to counter violence and terrorism activities. There are large portions of the island that are not under the government but are governed by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels. The military has been engaged in fighting with these rebels since 1983 and they have had a tough time as the rebels were well trained and funded. These conflicts between the rebels and the government went on for years and even as the government took control of the last areas controlled by the LTTE rebels, there is still relative calm with the government being accused of misuse of funds and intimidation in its ruling. The country is far from being peaceful ( Wickramasinghe, 2015). 

These military conflicts shone a light on the Sri Lankan government who the United Nations has accused of violating human rights freedoms. The administration has been accused of heading in the dictatorial route in its governance. The present government continues to reject all these accusations. Such situations have seen the country having statutes of emergency declared over the years in an effort to curb the lawlessness that plagues the nation ( Wickramasinghe, 2015). 

Society and Social Structure 

There is a strong tradition of both men and women working but the roles are divided with the men focusing more on the income and the women on housework. But just like nay culture, the gender roles line are changing and there are more women in the workforce than in previous years ( Wickramasinghe, 2015). Child rearing is a task that involves the whole family and they hold their traditional rituals close to them. Residents will celebrate significant milestones such as the first feeding. As they grow up, the children as subjected to- lajjawa -which is a sense of feeling shame, modesty, shyness, and fear. This culture is ingrained in them over the years and they implement it as they go through various development stages of life.

The culture associated with the country of Sri Lanka is one that instills honesty, modesty, personal dignity and they will be very careful not to lose face during interactions. They are very aware of their feelings and those of their associates. Religious customs govern much of their lives even as their cultures are influenced by modern ideals.

References

Wimalaratne, K D G (2013)   National Symbols Of Sri Lanka. Sarasavi Publishers. 

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2014).   Society, culture, and person: A systems view of creativity . Springer. 

Wickramasinghe, N. (2015).   Sri Lanka in the modern age: A history . Oxford University Press.