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Symbolic gestures: the development terrain of post-tsunami villages in (southern) Sri Lanka

Symbolic gestures: the development terrain of post-tsunami villages in (southern) Sri Lanka
Symbolic gestures: the development terrain of post-tsunami villages in (southern) Sri Lanka
This article analyses how rituals and ceremonies were deployed in the post-tsunami rehabilitation process in Sri Lanka to ‘incorporate’ development projects into the habitus and social reality of local communities. It argues that even though the aid delivery process is represented as a gift, in reality it is more concerned with strengthening the social capital of the local and foreign donors. Through this process there is an expectation and an implicit demand for acquiescence from the beneficiaries, which leaves them with a social debt. This, in turn, compels them to participate in the game of development rituals and ceremonies, in order to express their (ambivalent) gratitude and thankfulness. Through two case studies, we explore how the good intentions of donors to provide aid and alleviate suffering and the acceptance of this aid by the local communities, results in an asymmetric relationship where both become accomplices of
Bourdieuian notions of subtle and gentle violence.
0022-0388
1299-1314
Hollenbach, Pia
6b5dcf29-93a4-4c87-a511-b049d60607c1
Ruwanpura, Kanchana N.
6ac0c791-abeb-484a-b747-1ecc99d3b800
Hollenbach, Pia
6b5dcf29-93a4-4c87-a511-b049d60607c1
Ruwanpura, Kanchana N.
6ac0c791-abeb-484a-b747-1ecc99d3b800

Hollenbach, Pia and Ruwanpura, Kanchana N. (2011) Symbolic gestures: the development terrain of post-tsunami villages in (southern) Sri Lanka. Journal of Development Studies, 47 (9), 1299-1314. (doi:10.1080/00220388.2010.527950).

Record type: Article

Abstract

This article analyses how rituals and ceremonies were deployed in the post-tsunami rehabilitation process in Sri Lanka to ‘incorporate’ development projects into the habitus and social reality of local communities. It argues that even though the aid delivery process is represented as a gift, in reality it is more concerned with strengthening the social capital of the local and foreign donors. Through this process there is an expectation and an implicit demand for acquiescence from the beneficiaries, which leaves them with a social debt. This, in turn, compels them to participate in the game of development rituals and ceremonies, in order to express their (ambivalent) gratitude and thankfulness. Through two case studies, we explore how the good intentions of donors to provide aid and alleviate suffering and the acceptance of this aid by the local communities, results in an asymmetric relationship where both become accomplices of
Bourdieuian notions of subtle and gentle violence.

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More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 7 September 2011
Published date: 2011
Organisations: Economy, Society and Space

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 200477
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/200477
ISSN: 0022-0388
PURE UUID: 7ff38313-43c7-46ba-be0b-6bfcce662ac5

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Date deposited: 25 Oct 2011 13:54
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 04:19

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Contributors

Author: Pia Hollenbach
Author: Kanchana N. Ruwanpura

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