Author Description

Review"This is a valuable challenge to studies of Sri Lankan politis and history that seldom see beyond Columbo, and to village studies that neglect the state."--The Journal of Asian Studies"Provides suggestive insights on Sri Lanka's unusual political culture that may help us understand something more about the country's tragic, ongoing conflicts....Spencer gives us observations from the village level that are of unususal perceptiveness and have immediate relevance for the play of national politics. And for that we should be very grateful. He also writes with pith and sensitivity. For students of politics, particularly in South Asia, his book is strongly recommended."--Economic Development and Cultural ChangeProduct DescriptionIn this illuminating study of a village in southern, central Sri Lanka, Spencer examines how the interrelationship of political, religious, and economic life shapes the community by tracing the village through an election campaign year. He reveals how the village redefined itself in "traditional" terms, while using "modern" politics as an extension of their personal disputes. Undertaken in the years immediately prior to the great escalation of political and religious tensions, this study is of great importance to the understanding of modern Sri Lanka.About the AuthorJonathan Spencer, Lecturer in Social Anthropology, University of Edinburgh.