Search Results for: identity

November 16, 2024 · 1:01 am

Susan Bayly’s Review of Michael Roberts’ Book on The Rise of  the Karava in Ceylon

Susan Bayly: “Review: The History of Caste in South Asia,” reviewing  Caste Conflict and Elite Formation: The Rise of a Karāva Elite in Sri Lanka,1500-1931 by Michael Roberts (CUP 1983) …. in Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 17, No. 3 (1983), pp. … Continue reading →

2 Comments

Filed under accountability, British colonialism, caste issues, centre-periphery relations, commoditification, communal relations, cultural transmission, demography, disparagement, Dutch colonialism, economic processes, electoral structures, ethnicity, governance, hatan kavi, heritage, historical interpretation, island economy, landscape wondrous, life stories, literary achievements, migrant experiences, politIcal discourse, Portuguese imperialism, power sharing, self-reflexivity, sri lankan society, transport and communications, travelogue

October 5, 2025 · 10:02 am

Becoming ‘Sinhalese’ or ‘Tamil’ in Sri Lanka

Michael Roberts, …… in 2008 The printed version of this essay can be found in Michael Roberts: FIRE and STORM. ESSAYS IN SRI LANKAN POLITICS, Colombo, Vijitha Yapa Publications, 2010, Chapter 9 …… ISBN 978-955-665-134-8. It was presented earlier on … Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

September 28, 2025 · 7:43 pm

Nova Peris & Her Roots: Any Sri Lankan Links?

Michael Roberts Since Nova Peris-Kneebone was one member of the Australian 4 x 100 relay team that secured  a medal  in the Olympic Games of 1996 ( …..   ), I  raised  the speculative question:  does  the name PERIS indicate that … Continue reading →

2 Comments

Filed under Aboriginality, Australian culture, australian media, cultural transmission, demography, economic processes, ethnicity, female empowerment, heritage, historical interpretation, life stories, patriotism, performance, politIcal discourse, transport and communications, unusual people, world events & processes

January 7, 2025 · 10:53 am

Caste Among the Sinhalese in the Modern Era: The Significance of Name Changes

M. W. Amarasiri De Silva: “Do name changes to “acaste” names by the Sinhalese indicate a diminishing significance of caste?”  ABSTRACT of article pubd in in Cultural Dynamics, 2018, Vol. 30(4), pp. 303–325 ………………………………….. sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav httpDs:/O/dIo: i1.o0r.g1/1107.171/0779/201932173470410918982299660055 journals.sagepub.com/home/cdy In modern … Continue reading →

1 Comment

Filed under authoritarian regimes, British colonialism, caste issues, centre-periphery relations, communal relations, cultural transmission, demography, discrimination, disparagement, Dutch colonialism, economic processes, education, ethnicity, governance, heritage, historical interpretation, Indian traditions, intricate artefacts, island economy, legal issues, life stories, modernity & modernization, performance, politIcal discourse, power politics, religiosity, self-reflexivity, sri lankan society, transport and communications, unusual people, working class conditions, world events & processes

March 20, 2025 · 7:38 pm

Gamini Dissanayake: A Spearhead for Sri Lankan Cricket

Navin Dissanayake in  The Island, 20 March 1995 Cricket has long been Sri Lanka’s greatest unifier. It is the sport that makes the world see us as more than just a small island—it makes them respect us, remember us, and … Continue reading →

1 Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

May 6, 2025 · 1:52 am

Roberts on Nationalist Strands & Struggles in Sri Lanka

Responding to requsts from two different friends, I provide a list of the articles penned on the various currents of nationalism in Sri  Lanka — studies spanning the colonial period and post-1948 politics. The list is not comprehensive. I may … Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under historical interpretation, life stories, politIcal discourse, self-reflexivity, sri lankan society, unusual people, world events & processes

August 10, 2025 · 2:51 pm

The Sri Lanka Diaspora: Demographic Basics … 2009

Courtesy of Sunil Thenabadu  & Keith Bennett The Sri Lankan diaspora consists of approximately three million Sri Lankans living abroad, significantly contributing to their host countries and maintaining ties with Sri Lanka. Demographics and Distribution The Sri Lankan diaspora includes emigrants and … Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under accountability, centre-periphery relations, demography, historical interpretation, life stories, security, self-reflexivity, sri lankan society, world events & processes

May 16, 2024 · 7:20 pm

Be Tamil Bibliography…….For Sri Lanka 2003/04

Michael Roberts  About the time that I retired from my teaching duties at the Anthropology Department at Adelaide University in 2003/04, the topic of “suicide terrorism” was attracting a lot of attention in academic circles through books and articles. As … Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under atrocities, centre-periphery relations, communal relations, counter-insurgency, cultural transmission, demography, discrimination, disparagement, doctoring evidence, ethnicity, fundamentalism, governance, heritage, historical interpretation, immolation, Indian Ocean politics, insurrections, landscape wondrous, language policies, law of armed conflict, LTTE, martyrdom, military strategy, nationalism, patriotism, photography, politIcal discourse, power politics, power sharing, prabhakaran, propaganda, racist thinking, religiosity, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, slanted reportage, social justice, sri lankan society, suicide bombing, Tamil civilians, Tamil migration, tamil refugees, Tamil Tiger fighters, terrorism, truth as casualty of war, unusual people, vengeance, world events & processes, zealotry

May 25, 2024 · 8:23 pm

Transforming Australian Culinary Tastes: “Colombo Social” run by Shaun

SEE  ….  Off Menu _ Shaun Christie-David – ABC News… which resisted all my hamhanded efforts at copying its pictures …. so ‘taste’ this Shaun Christie-David can still picture the bin where he used to ditch his dhal sandwiches, the … Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under Australian culture, charitable outreach, commoditification, cultural transmission, economic processes, ethnicity, heritage, landscape wondrous, life stories, patriotism, performance, self-reflexivity, Tamil migration, travelogue, unusual people, world events & processes

June 10, 2024 · 8:45 pm

Us/Them Semantics in Sinhalese Confrontations with Other Forces Over Time

Michael Roberts presenting the Synopsis of an Article published after a refereeing process in the journal NATIONALISM and ETHNIC POLITICS  Vol 9/3 Summer 2003, pp. 75-102 The collective identity of Sinhala-speakers over four centuries dating from the 1590s is analyzed … Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under authoritarian regimes, British colonialism, centre-periphery relations, communal relations, cultural transmission, demography, Dutch colonialism, economic processes, ethnicity, governance, hatan kavi, heritage, historical interpretation, Indian Ocean politics, island economy, Kandyan kingdom, language policies, law of armed conflict, life stories, literary achievements, nationalism, patriotism, politIcal discourse, population, Portuguese imperialism, power politics, racism, security, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, Sri Lankan scoiety, transport and communications, world events & processes, zealotry