by Professor M. W. Amarasiri de Silva

Sri Lanka is living through one of the most complex periods in its postindependence history. It has endured political upheaval, economic collapse, social fragmentation, environmental stress, and the lingering emotional debris of a three decade civil war. These crises have not occurred in isolation; they overlap, reinforce, and reshape one another. Yet, in the midst of this turbulence, the national conversation remains dominated by economists, technocrats, political strategists, and legal experts. Their contributions are essential, but they are not sufficient.

The country’s most urgent problems are not merely technical; they are profoundly human. They involve identity, memory, belief, ritual, kinship, fear, aspiration, and the subtle ways people interpret the world around them. To understand these forces, Sri Lanka needs a discipline that listens before it prescribes, observes before it intervenes, and interprets before it judges. That discipline is anthropology.

To enhance local research capacity, a targeted doctoral scholarship initiative was established for academic staff members within the Department of Sociology at the University of Peradeniya and the University of Jaffna. This strategic programme was designed to equip selected faculty members with advanced methodological and theoretical frameworks. Scholars underwent rigorous training to pursue their PhDs within the specialisation of conflict and development, hosted by the School of Global Studies at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. Beyond this, however, I am unaware of any scholarship programmes in Sri Lankan universities that support targeted research into specific social problems.

Partnership with Swedish institutions

The pedagogical partnership between these Sri Lankan and Swedish institutions has yielded substantial academic output. By immersing themselves in this collaborative research environment, the participating scholars have successfully produced comprehensive doctoral dissertations. The scholars in doing their PhDs have come out with dissertations on interesting themes on conflict and development, including Rural Development through Social Capital? An inquest on the linkages between social capital and development in war-torn villages in Sri Lanka, peace education, post-conflict social reconciliation, and community structures, displacement and resettlement processes in post-conflict/war-affected areas in Sri Lanka, Psycho-social Rehabilitation of War-Affected Children: A Study of Sri Lanka, conflict studies, gender, peace, and social transformation in Northern Sri Lanka, and Roles of Women During Armed Conflict. Most of them have published their theses in book form and written journal articles based on their field research. According to institutional reviews, these research contributions explore critical, niche themes surrounding post-conflict dynamics and structural development, significantly enriching regional sociological literature.

Around the world, anthropology has undergone a quiet but significant transformation. It is no longer confined to academic departments or ethnographic monographs. As highlighted in the recent volume Why the World Needs Anthropologists, the discipline has moved decisively into public life. Anthropologists today work in public health, environmental management, humanitarian response, conflict resolution, corporate strategy, and digital design. They help governments understand communities, help companies understand users, and help societies understand themselves. They are trained to navigate complexity, ambiguity, and contradiction—qualities that define the modern world. The book argues that anthropology must be “front and centre at the solving table,” and this argument resonates with force in Sri Lanka, where the absence of anthropological insight has repeatedly weakened policy, deepened misunderstanding, and prolonged conflict.

Changing social landscape

Sri Lanka’s social landscape is changing at a pace that often outstrips the ability of institutions to respond. Urbanisation is accelerating, with rural youth leaving traditional livelihoods for precarious urban employment or overseas migration. Digital technologies, from smartphones to artificial intelligence, are reshaping communication, political mobilisation, and social relationships. Religious revivalism is rising across communities, sometimes deepening faith, sometimes intensifying division. Gender norms are shifting, with women entering new professions and challenging longstanding expectations. The family itself is changing, with new patterns of marriage, migration, and household structure. These transformations are not uniform; they vary across regions, ethnic groups, classes, and generations. Understanding them requires more than surveys or statistical models. It requires ethnography, longterm engagement, and the ability to interpret meaning within context. It requires anthropology.

One of the most urgent areas where Sri Lanka needs anthropologists is reconciliation. More than a decade after the end of the civil war, the country continues to struggle with unresolved grievances, contested histories, and fragile interethnic trust. Reconciliation is not a matter of drafting reports or passing resolutions. It is a cultural process, rooted in how communities remember violence, how they narrate their suffering, how they mourn their dead, and how they imagine coexistence. Anthropologists have long studied memory, trauma, ritual, and identity.

They understand that healing cannot be imposed from above; it must emerge from within communities, through practices that resonate with local traditions and emotional landscapes. In Sri Lanka, reconciliation efforts have often been topdown, bureaucratic, and disconnected from lived realities. Anthropologists can help bridge this gap by documenting community narratives, facilitating dialogue, and designing culturally sensitive programmes that respect the complexity of grief and the diversity of healing.

Critical insight into political behaviour

Anthropology also offers critical insight into political behaviour. Sri Lanka’s political culture is shaped by patronage networks, kinship ties, caste dynamics, religious authority, and symbolic performances. These forces often matter more than policy platforms or ideological commitments. Yet they are rarely studied systematically in policymaking circles. Anthropologists can illuminate how political loyalty is formed, how trust is negotiated, how rumours spread, and how communities interpret state actions. In an era of misinformation, polarisation, and populism, such insights are invaluable. They can help design communication strategies that resonate with diverse communities, strengthen democratic participation, and reduce political manipulation. They can also help explain why certain reforms fail—not because they are poorly designed, but because they are culturally misaligned.

Economic behaviour, too, is deeply cultural. Sri Lanka’s economy is not merely a system of markets and numbers; it is embedded in social relationships. Decisions about farming, migration, entrepreneurship, and consumption are shaped by kinship obligations, religious beliefs, gender roles, and community expectations. A farmer’s willingness to adopt a new technology may depend not only on cost and efficiency but also on whether respected elders approve, whether neighbours have tried it, or whether it aligns with ritual practices.

Youth decisions about migration are influenced by family prestige, marriage prospects, and community narratives about success. Economists often overlook these cultural factors, leading to policies that fail in practice. Anthropologists can help design economic interventions that align with social realities, increasing their effectiveness and sustainability.

Environmental challenges

Environmental challenges present another domain where anthropology is indispensable. Sri Lanka faces rising sea levels, droughts, landslides, deforestation, and biodiversity loss. These crises are not only ecological; they are social. They affect how communities use land, manage water, practice agriculture, and relate to nature. Anthropologists study traditional ecological knowledge, community adaptation strategies, and cultural perceptions of the environment. They understand why certain conservation policies succeed while others fail. A forest conservation programme may falter if it ignores the ritual significance of certain trees or the livelihood needs of nearby villagers. A climate adaptation strategy may fail if it does not consider gender roles in water collection or farming. By integrating anthropology into environmental planning, Sri Lanka can create solutions that are both scientifically sound and socially grounded.

Public health is another area where anthropologists can make a transformative impact. Health behaviours are shaped by cultural beliefs, social stigma, religious practices, and community trust. My work on Chronic Kidney Disease is an example. During epidemics, people’s willingness to follow medical advice depends on whether they trust authorities, whether they understand the science, and whether the advice aligns with their cultural norms. Anthropologists have played crucial roles in global health crises—from Ebola to COVID19—by helping design communication strategies, understanding community fears, and improving patientprovider relationships. In Sri Lanka, where noncommunicable diseases, mental health issues, and substance abuse are rising, anthropologists can help develop culturally sensitive health interventions that address root causes rather than symptoms.

Education reform is another domain where anthropology can contribute significantly. Sri Lanka’s education system is burdened by rote learning, exam pressure, and outdated curricula. Yet education is not merely a technical process; it is a cultural one. It shapes identity, social mobility, and national belonging. Anthropologists can study how students learn, how teachers teach, how families support education, and how cultural expectations shape academic performance. They can help design curricula that reflect Sri Lanka’s diverse cultural heritage, promote critical thinking, and prepare students for a rapidly changing world.

Anthropology: Way of seeing

Beyond these specific domains, anthropology offers something even more fundamental: a way of seeing. Anthropologists are trained to question assumptions, listen deeply, and interpret meaning. They understand that societies are complex, that people are contradictory, and that culture shapes everything from politics to economics to technology. In a world where quick fixes and simplistic narratives dominate public discourse, anthropology offers nuance, depth, and humility. It reminds us that solutions must be grounded in human experience, not imposed from above.
Anthropologists emphasizes that anthropology is not only about understanding the world but also about changing it. Anthropologists today work in design firms, tech companies, humanitarian agencies, and government ministries. They help create userfriendly digital services, design communitybased disaster responses, improve organizational culture, and evaluate social programmes. Their skills—listening, observing, interpreting, contextualizing—are increasingly valued in complex and unpredictable environments. Sri Lanka, with its diverse communities and rapid transformations, is precisely such an environment.

One of the most compelling arguments is that anthropologists must share their knowledge beyond academia. They must engage with the public, collaborate with policymakers, and contribute to national debates. In Sri Lanka, anthropology remains largely confined to universities, with limited public visibility. This must change. Anthropologists should write for newspapers, participate in public forums, advise ministries, and work with NGOs. They should help shape national conversations about identity, development, reconciliation, and governance. Their insights can enrich public understanding and improve policy outcomes.

US experience

In the US, some universities teaching anthropology get their students to work with community organizations and help improve their development as part of their studies. The Community Studies Program teaches effective techniques and strategies for community organizing and social movement work, providing extensive real-world learning experiences to prepare students for careers spent making a difference on social justice issues. These programmes help students develop a strong understanding of the systems and power dynamics that contribute to society’s problems and what it takes to disrupt them. All students embark on six months of field study, a uniquely rewarding form of learning that allows them to make a difference for others while gaining valuable real-world experience.

Integrating applied anthropology and community studies into higher education bridges the gap between theoretical social analysis and direct public engagement. By stepping outside traditional academic environments, students engage with grassroots organizations, local initiatives, and advocacy groups, applying ethnographic methods to address tangible social issues such as health disparities, educational access, and socio-economic inequality. This experiential model transforms passive learning into active collaboration, empowering communities through collaborative research while training students to become responsive, ethically grounded researchers and advocates.

Furthermore, extended immersion—such as a six-month field study—serves as a crucial mechanism for personal, scholarly, and professional growth. Long-term field placement requires students to navigate complex institutional networks, understand local power dynamics, and build sustained, trust-based relationships within host communities. Beyond mastering qualitative methodologies like participant observation and qualitative interviewing, students cultivate critical skills in project management, cross-cultural communication, and strategic advocacy. This hands-on foundation equips graduates to challenge structural inequities effectively across careers in public policy, non-profit leadership, community organizing, and applied research.

Harnessing anthropology’s full potential

To harness anthropology’s full potential, Sri Lanka must take several steps. Universities should strengthen anthropology programs, offering both theoretical and applied training. Government ministries should create positions for anthropologists, especially in areas such as reconciliation, rural development, public health, education, and environment. NGOs and development agencies should integrate anthropologists into project design and evaluation. The media should feature anthropological perspectives on national issues, helping the public appreciate the discipline’s relevance. And anthropologists themselves must step forward, engaging actively with society and demonstrating the value of their work.

Sri Lanka’s future depends on understanding its people—deeply, respectfully, and holistically. The country’s diversity is both a strength and a challenge. Its communities have rich histories, complex identities, and unique cultural practices. These must be understood not as obstacles but as resources. Anthropology provides the tools to do this. It helps us see the world through others’ eyes, appreciate the complexity of human experience, and design solutions that resonate with people’s lives.
In times of crisis, societies often turn to technical experts—economists, engineers, doctors, and lawyers. Their expertise is essential, but it is not sufficient. Crises are human experiences. They involve fear, hope, memory, identity, and meaning. Anthropologists understand these dimensions. They can help Sri Lanka navigate uncertainty, heal wounds, strengthen communities, and build a more inclusive and sustainable future.

Anthropologists as partners

The argument is simple but profound: Sri Lanka needs anthropologists not as observers but as partners. Not as critics but as collaborators. Not as distant academics but as engaged citizens. Anthropology is not a luxury; it is a necessity. It is the missing discipline in the country’s search for solutions. It is the lens through which Sri Lanka can better understand itself and chart a more humane path forward.
In a world where complexity is the norm and uncertainty the constant, anthropology offers clarity, depth, and wisdom. It reminds us that development is not only about infrastructure but about people. That reconciliation is not only about policies but about emotions. That governance is not only about institutions but about trust. That progress is not only about technology but about culture. Sri Lanka, with its rich heritage and challenging present, needs this perspective more than ever.
Anthropology teaches us that every society is a tapestry of stories, symbols, rituals, and relationships. Sri Lanka’s tapestry is vibrant, intricate, and sometimes frayed. To mend it, we must understand it. To strengthen it, we must appreciate it. To move forward, we must listen to the voices that have long been ignored. Anthropologists can help us do this. They can help us see what is hidden, hear what is unspoken, and understand what is misunderstood.
As Sri Lanka seeks to rebuild its economy, heal its divisions, and navigate global change, anthropology offers a compass. It points toward empathy, understanding, and cultural sensitivity. It reminds us that solutions must be humancentered, grounded in lived experience, and respectful of diversity. It challenges us to think deeply, act ethically, and engage meaningfully.

The world needs anthropologists, and Sri Lanka needs them even more. The country’s future depends not only on technical expertise but on human insight. Anthropology provides that insight. It is time to bring anthropologists to the center of national conversations, to the heart of policymaking, and to the forefront of problemsolving. Sri Lanka’s challenges are complex, but its potential is immense. With anthropology as a guide, the country can move toward a future that is not only prosperous but also humane, inclusive, and culturally grounded.