Economy, Culture, and Civil War in Sri Lanka

A timely examination of the everyday economy, experiences, and livelihoods in the context of Sri Lanka’s civil war Economy, Culture, and Civil War in Sri Lanka provides a lucid and up-to-date interpretation of Sri Lankan society and its 20-year civil conflict. An interdisciplinary examination of the relationship between the economy, broadly defined, and the reproduction of violent conflict, this volume argues that the war is grounded not just in the goals and intentions of the opposing sides, but also in the everyday orientations, experiences, and material practices of all Sri Lankan people. The contributors explore changing political and policy contexts; the effect of long-term conflict on employment opportunities and life choices for rural and urban youth; life histories, memory, and narratives of violence; the economics of enlisting and individual decisions about involvement in the war; and nationalism and the moral debate triggered by women’s employment in the international garment manufacturing industry.