Date of Award
2022
Publication Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Department
Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology
Keywords
Jathika chinthanaya, Marxism, Sinhala nationalism, Social movements, Sri Lanka
Supervisor
C. Rudhramoorthy
Supervisor
J.Ku
Rights
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abstract
I approach Sinhala nationalism as a social movement from above that draws on and mobilizes economic, political, and cultural resources in articulating and carrying out the hegemonic project of the dominant social group in the country. Sinhala nationalism needs to be understood as a complex blend of ideology, class interests and political power. Sinhala nationalism is an ideology and practice of the Sinhala ruling elite which ensures their hegemonic leadership in society. The study investigates the dynamics of Sinhala nationalist imagination with a focus on the Jathika Chinthanaya (JC) or the School of National Thinking. Since its formation in the 1980s, the JC is singularly instrumental in ideologically guiding the Sinhala national movement up to the present times. The study covers the period from the emergence of the JC in mid 1980s to 2005, the blossoming of the JC project with the coming to power of Sinhala nationalist forces under the political leadership of Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Recommended Citation
Nanyakkara, Sankajaya, "The Sinhala Nationalist Imagination: Jathika Chinthanaya" (2022). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 9001.
https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd/9001