SLIIT Journal of Humanities and Sciences [SJHS]

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://rda.sliit.lk/handle/123456789/2238

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 57

Open Access
Compromising Health to Gain Wealth: A Legal Response to Adverse Health Effects of Night Work
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2020) Selvaraj, P
Although night work has responded to a variety of social, technical, and economic reasons, it has adversely affected the health, safety, and work-life balance of such night workers. Thus, this article aims to explore the hiatus in Sri Lankan law in devising effective legal measures responding to such health issues encountered by night workers due to their engagement in irregular work time. This research is conducted as a literature review based on secondary sources approaching both qualitative and quantitative methods. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and its recommendations provide for an effective mechanism for an organised night working culture in response to the health effects of such working community. However, Sri Lanka, not being a signatory to those Conventions, failed to address the issue through legislative measures. Further, the delinquency of statistics and medical researches on the health status of night workers in Sri Lanka also worsened the situation. Thus, the author attempts to draw a Constitutional justification to delineate the fundamental duty of the State to address the said issue and recommends suitable strategies and mechanisms to truncate the adverse health effects to those workers by drawing examples from initiatives taken by the European Union, especially from Spain.
Open Access
Combatting Cyber-Sextortion; Lessons for Sri Lanka from Australia and the United States
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2020) Harasgama, K. S.; Munasinghe, M.A.P.M.
With the world rapidly becoming digitalized and the internet being an indispensable part of human life, incidents of cyber harassment including cyber-sextortion have also increased. Cyber-sextortion often involves a perpetrator threatening to disseminate private sexual images or videos of a victim unless more sexual image/sexual favours, money or other benefit are provided by the victim. This paper analyses the adequacy of current laws in Sri Lanka in comparison with those of Australia and USA in combating cyber-sextortion. The analysis reveals that although Sri Lank lacks specific laws on cyber-sextortion, some of its existing criminal laws such as the Penal Code provisions on extortion, criminal intimidation, sexual harassment and obscene publications relating to children can be used to a certain extent to prosecute cyber-sextortion. Some provisions of the Computer Crime Act of 2007, Prohibition of Ragging and Other Forms of Violence in Educational Institutions Act of 1998 and Obscene Publications Ordinance No. 4 of 1927 too can be used to a certain extent for this purpose. Australia, on the other hand, has targeted laws on cyber-sextortion, both at federal and state levels. At the Commonwealth level, section 474.14A of the Criminal Code of 1995 and several provisions of the Enhancing Online Safety Act 2015 (as amended) provide an apt gateway to combat cyber sextortion, while at states level, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory, Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria appear to have more comprehensive cyber sextortion laws in terms of capturing the offence. USA at the federal level does not have specific provisions on cyber-sextortion but has used non-specific provisions such as general extortion, child pornography, hacking and stalking laws for prosecutions on cyber-sextortion while at the state level, some states have introduced quite comprehensive targeted laws on cyber-sextortion, some have provisions that cover only certain types of cybersextortion. The paper concludes by proposing adoption of a targeted law on cyber sextortion outlining the key elements of a suitable law for Sri Lanka and until then to rely on non-specific provisions which are already available, in order to prosecute perpetrators of cyber-sextortion.
Open Access
Should claims for Colonial Reparations be recognized under International Law?
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2020) Ratwatte, I.M.A.
The article examines the social and economic consequences of colonialism and colonial state policy, underscoring the exploitation and suffering of the colonized under such policies. The writer specifically refers to India and Sri Lanka and the human and economic costs to the two countries. The writer emphasizes that these must be acknowledged, apologized and atoned for, by the former colonial governments. Counter arguments to this are examined, as to why exactly reparations are owed in the current environment. As justification, the writer seeks guidance from the examples of two nations – the Mau Mau and the Herero, who have obtained reparations as examples of marginal success. Yet, in these small ‘victories’ too, there is much to be desired. In conclusion, the writer suggests that the international community should take note of this very poignant, ignored and pivotal aspect of collective human rights and strongly recommends that action be taken immediately to provide redress for a most damaging, longterm phenomenon which is already fading from the consciousness of the colonizers. The writer proposes that the Right to Reparations be made an integral part of International Law, be made a Fundamental Human Right recognized by a duly signed International Convention which should constitute a specialized Tribunal to adjudicate such claims.
Open Access
Emerging Challenges in Regulation of E-Commerce: An Insight of Laws in Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2020) Balendra, S.
The growth of e-commerce in Sri Lanka is posing significant legal and regulatory challenges. The paper attempts to study and highlight deficiencies in the present legal framework regulating e-commerce in Sri Lanka. Content analysis of Electronic Transactions Act No.19 of 2006 (as amended) and other relevant legislations revealed, the existing framework recognises e-contract, e-signature, and e-documents. Still, certain drawbacks are unsettled in practice. In addition, areas like privacy and data protection, intermediary liability, security, and consumer protection are left unaddressed in the current regulatory framework. The study further identifies that the traditional dispute resolution mechanisms are no more effective in e-commerce disputes. Finally, adhering to the international standards, the paper makes key suggestions for policy and decision-makers to overcome these challenges.
Open Access
Advisory Opinion on Kosovo’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence: Strategic Silence by the International Court of Justice
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2020) Jayamaha, J.M.D.S.U
Kosovo, one of Serbia’s autonomous provinces unilaterally declared independence in 2008. In denial of such, Serbia sought an opinion from the International Court of Justice, which returned an advisory opinion stating that Kosovo’s said declaration does not violate the contemporary international law. The opinion has attracted much criticism for failing to adopt a broader interpretation of the question posed and the limited discussion engaged with, in terms of law related to the posited question. Despite the non-binding nature of the advisory opinions, and the supposedly narrow approach of this opinion, it still has posed many implications not only on the status of Kosovo but also on the development of the international law in relation. This paper attempts to engage in an analysis of the said advisory opinion, its alleged narrowness, and the wider implications it may pose to the international law and its actors, more pertinently on issues of statehood, recognition of states, territorial integrity, and future ramifications for UN peace arrangements.
Open Access
Level of Knowledge, Practice and Attitudes of Taking Anthropometric Measurements for Nutritional Assessments Among Nurses
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences (FHS) of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) Malabe, 2020-12-01) Wijedasa, H.
The nutritional care of patients is one of the primary responsibilities of the nurses in any hospital. Nursing ability to early detect nutritional failure is the key factor for minimizing impurities in practice and attaining nutritional goals. The objective of this study is therefore to determine the level of knowledge, practice, and attitudes of taking anthropometric measurements for nutritional assessments by registered staff nurses. A descriptive cross-sectional study was done using a random sample of 125 nurses at a teaching hospital in the Western Province. Self-administered questionnaire with both open and close ended questions were used to gather information. A scoring method was introduced to assess the knowledge of the nurses based on answers for the questions. Majority (88%) of the nurses are females and 47% are less than 30 years. Results found that the level of knowledge of getting measurements by the nurses can be ranked as good (52.8%) > average > (38.4%) and poor > (8.8%) irrespective of demographic factors of the nurses. Level of knowledge is significantly associated only with the educational level. The percentage of having good knowledge among those having B.Sc. degree is significantly higher than that of having those diploma qualifications either from government or private organization. The two main constraints to take anthropometric measurements are the lack of time and lack of resources. There is a significant association between the level of confidence and the type of measurement. The percentage of confidence for weight measurement (93.5%) is significantly higher than the percentage of confidence for taking other measurements. Almost all nurses (98.4%) are not confident in measuring hip circumference. The measure of waist, hip and head circumference are hardly considered as a measure of anthropometric measurements.
Open Access
Plant Regeneration System for Osbeckiaoctandra (L.) DC: A Valuable Medicinal Plant
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences (FHS) of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) Malabe, 2020-12-01) Nagahatenna, D.S.K.; Peiris, S.E.
Osbeckiaoctandra (HeenBovitiya), which is one of the most valuable ayurvedic medicinal and ornamental plants in Sri Lanka, is now threatened due to its overexploitation from their natural habitat. In order to produce high quality, disease-free and genetically identical plant materials in large scale, we developed a highly efficient in vitro clonal propagation system using leaf explants. The effects of three different concentrations of plant growth regulators (6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), kinetin and incubation conditions on plant regeneration were investigated. Plant growth parameters were analyzed in 15 biological replicates using one-way ANOVA. Present study revealed that the highest number of shoots per leaf explant with 92.4% shoot induction rate was achieved when young mature leaf explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 3 mg/L BAP and 0.5 mg/L NAA and incubated under dark conditions. When microshoots were separated and subcultured onto hormone-free MS medium containing high sugar content (4%), rapid shoot multiplication and a vigorous root development was detected under light conditions. The in vitro grown plantlets were successfully acclimatized and 89% of the regenerated plantlets survived. Our novel clonal propagation system will open new avenues for mass propagation of O. octandra plants for the pharmaceutical industry and improving their medicinal and ornamental characteristics through biotechnological tools.
Open Access
Modelling the Use of Traditional Family Planning by Women in Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences (FHS) of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) Malabe, 2020-12-01) Peiris, T.S.G.; Karunarathne, H.V.V.M.P
Family planning plays a crucial role in enhancing the health of the mother and the child. Contraceptives are used by most women in the reproductive age span (15- 49 years). Sri Lanka has been named as one of the countries with high usage of traditional family planning (TFP) methods than the other Asian countries. However, the reasons for that have not been investigated. Therefore, this study is carried out to identify the significant factors influencing on usage of TFP by using data from Sri Lanka Demographic and Health Survey in 2016 with a sample size of 10835. The percentages of women using TFP is 16.3% compared to 83.7% of using modern family planning (MFP). Among TFP users, the withdrawal method and the rhythm method are 35% and 57% respectively. The balance 8% uses both methods. A binary logistic regression model was developed to capture the factors influencing the use of TFP by considering all variables simultaneously. The fitted model was invariant on the type of selection method and selection criteria. The overall predictive power is 82.9%. The knowledge on family planning, having advice from public health midwives, attendance to well-women clinics, religion, ethnicity, decision to use family planning, husband’s occupation, women’s age, women’s occupation, women’s education level, number of children, and wealth quantile are the significantly associated factors with the usage of TFP. The odds of the usage of TFP among the women having no children and women having 1 or 2 children are respectively 1.4 and 4.0 times higher than the women having 3 or more children. The factors identified are geared towards providing robust evidence based on data driven decision making (DDDM) and therefore the key population groups in need of contraceptive services can be targeted more effectively and efficiently. Organizing counselling programmes and promotions on family planning and conducting media awareness programmes to avoid some myths on modern contraceptives can be suggested.
Open Access
Attitude of the Students towards the Usage of Group Activities as a Remedy for Secondary Language Speaking Anxiety
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences (FHS) of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) Malabe, 2020-12-01) Peiris, A.E.
As literature suggests Second Language (L2) speaking has always been a challenge for students. One of the main issues is the apprehension occurring when a learner is expected to perform in the second language. As facilitators at the tertiary level, it is vital to create a low-anxiety classroom to help students with L2 speaking anxiety. This research attempts to investigate the perspective of students towards using group activities to reduce speaking anxiety in the English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom. The sample group consisted of forty-five Post Advanced Level Students from an intensive course in a private institute. A questionnaire prior to any speaking activity and weekly questionnaires while conducting both group and individual speaking activities were given to this mixed ability group for three weeks to study their attitude towards L2 speaking. Initial findings were that majority (86.7%) of students were afraid of L2 speaking due to several reasons. However, that percentage was dropped to 56.5% and 38.7% at the second and third week respectively irrespective of the medium of communication at school, and the usage of English at home. . In contrast the initial percentage of not afraid of L2 speaking (13.3%) was increased to 43.5% and 61.3% respectively at second and third week. These results clearly indicate that the students preferred group activities more than individual activities. Group activities have helped the students to make an effort to speak as there were students who did speaking activities for the first time in their life. It is recommended that group activities can be used to a certain extent as an effective tool to reduce speaking anxiety.
Open Access
Multilocational Evaluation of Growth and Antioxidant Content of Curly Kale (Brassica oleracea L. var acephala) and Chinese Kale (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra) in Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences (FHS) of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) Malabe, 2020-12-01) Jayasooriya, R.Y.; Chamara, R.M.S.R.; Gunathilake, G.K.D.C.S.; Liyanage, L.P.H.; Beneragama, C.K.
Curly kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) and Chinese kale (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra) are cruciferous vegetables, which have recently gained great popularity in the world as a ‘superfood’. Generally, kale has the capacity to tolerate diverse climatic conditions while demanding fewer inputs, thus making it possible to cultivate them with a minimum cost for crop management. However, kale is still not widespread in Sri Lanka as a vegetable. Therefore, it has not been a commercialized crop to date. This study was conducted to explore the potential for cultivating kale in Sri Lanka. Two cultivars of curly kale (‘Dwarf green curled’ and ‘Winterbor F1’) and Chinese kale were cultivated in three agro-climatic zones representing three main climatic zones in the country, namely the Mid-Country Wet Zone, Mid country Intermediate Zone and Low-Country Dry Zone, using three different media (M1: Existing soil in each location; M2: Sand and coir dust mixture – ratio 1:1; M3: Sand, coir dust, and soil - ratio 1:1:1) at each location. The experiment was carried out as a three-factor factorial with three replicates as a pot experiment. Based on the present study results, even though all the varieties displayed a significantly (p < 0.05) higher growth in terms of dry matter accumulation in the Wet Zone, the growth in the other two locations was also found to be satisfactory. Dry matter accumulation was not significantly different among the varieties within each location. Different media did not have a significant influence on growth. Even though the antioxidant contents in all varieties varied among locations, the values were within the acceptable range. Therefore, both curly kale and Chinese kale can be successfully grown in the tested locations in Sri Lanka and can be easily introduced to local consumers as a ‘superfood.
Open Access
Sustainability in the Face of Adversity – In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences (FHS) of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) Malabe, 2020-12-01) Jayasinghe, M.K.
The extent to which the four main characters of The Scarlet Letter are capable of enduring hardships in the face of the rigid structure of the Puritan society is studied in this research paper. Endurance being a far-fetched meaning of sustainability; if said differently, this paper is a study of their sustainability. These characters are namely, Hester Prynne, her legal husband Roger Chillingworth, the pastor Arthur Dimmesdale, all of them caught up in a love triangle and Pearl, Hester Prynne’s daughter, born out of wedlock. Using a qualitative research approach, a narrative analysis is conducted where initially the reader is given an insight into the story line of The Scarlet Letter. Ensuing, is a brief description of the Puritan period and its society, the significance of symbolism in the novel, and an examination of the transformation of the four characters throughout the duration of the novel. Hester Prynne, the bearer of the scarlet letter, faces extremely challenging times due to her behavior. A detailed observation of how she gradually and positively integrates into this environment of an unforgiving Bostonian Puritanical society through her fortitude to face up to it, is done in this paper. Finally, the power of endurance of the characters being evaluated, Hester Prynne turns out to be the victor. Thereby, proving that despite great adversity, a female is yet able to endure hardships and show her tenacity in male dominated societies.
Open Access
Design of a Framework for Professional Development Programs for Teachers in the Use of Interactive Touch Screen
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences (FHS) of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) Malabe, 2020-12-01) Perera, K.G.S.K.; Wijesundara, M.; Siriwardhena, I.
Interactive Touch Screens (ITSs) are distributed in selected schools in Sri Lanka. Although, in these schools, selected teachers are trained on the use of the ITS, comprehensive training on the instructional strategies of ITS is yet to be provided. The objective of the study was to design and develop a framework for professional development programme (PDP) for teachers on the use of ITS. The sample of 31 teachers of an educational zone in the Colombo district was selected to test the methodology. Instruments for quantitative data collection were six scales and to collect qualitative data open-ended questions were used. Design Based Research (DBR) approach was made to evaluate the new methodology. DBR approach is characterized by analysis of the problem domain, design of the solution (intervention), iterative cycles of testing and refining the solution and finally reflecting on the whole process to arrive at design principles and inventing the solution. Intervention of this study was in terms of two professional development programmes on the integration of ITS in instruction. The results of the first intervention are presented in this paper. Analysis of data formed the feedback to design the revised PDP. The results of the study are the feedback to the proposed revisions to the next PDP. The feedback was to increase the time allocation of the PDP, provide more hands-on experience, demonstrate ITS-based instructional strategies related to different subject areas and conduct separate PDPs for non-ICT teachers.
Open Access
Association among Depression, Social Anxiety, and Aggression caused by Cyberbullying on Facebook among Sri Lankan Adults
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences (FHS) of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) Malabe, 2020-12-01) Gunathillake, N.A.; Perera, H.K.
Cyberbullying has become a growing social concern as electronic platforms provide perpetrators an alternative medium through which they can easily target their victims from any place, at any time. The present study aimed to investigate whether depression, social anxiety, and aggression were significantly related to cyberbullying perpetration on Facebook among Sri Lankan adults. A cross-sectional, non experimental study was conducted using 168 Sri Lankan Facebook users between the ages 21 and 60. Data were collected using an online survey. Cyberbullying perpetration on Facebook, depression, social anxiety, and aggression were assessed using the Prevalence of Facebook Bullying Scale, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-10), Interaction Anxiousness Scale, and Brief Aggression Questionnaire respectively. Results of the Spearman correlation analysis revealed that depression and aggression were significantly and positively correlated to cyberbullying perpetration, while there was no significant correlation between social anxiety and cyberbullying perpetration. The findings of the present study provide insight into the importance of addressing the psychological and behavioural issues of perpetrators using appropriate interventions in order to reduce the occurrence of cyberbullying. The study also emphasizes the importance of reporting the incidents of cyberbullying and taking necessary legal actions against the perpetrators.
Open Access
A Task-Based Approach to Motivate Speaking in the ESL Classroom
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences (FHS) of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) Malabe, 2020-12-01) Rathnasena, U.
The speaking competency of students learning General English at Tertiary Educational Institutes (TEIs) has become a primary concern of many academics and policy makers. In such a context, this paper investigates the implications of incorporating a task-based speaking component in the English as a Sec ond Language (ESL ) curriculum at tertiary level. The sample cohort comprises of post Advanced Level students studying General English at a private institute. An identical speaking task was administered, first without scaffolding and later with scaffolding to observe students’ performance. It was observed that when a speaking activity is assigned, learners have the tendency to visualize it in L1 and convert it to L2. In a case where scaffolding items such as, notecards and strips are not allowed, learners memo rize the lines or utterances and enact the given speaking task. Consequently, their discourse is impeded as they struggle for better vocabulary as well as sentences. Insights of the students’ need, and their feed back led the institute allocate extra time weekly for speaking. It is recommended that more task-based speaking activities are introduced to the institute’s ESL: Speaking Curriculum.
Open Access
The Impact of Online Monolingual and Bilingual Dictionaries on Vocabulary Learning
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences (FHS) of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) Malabe, 2020-12-01) Wijesuriya, K.; Dissanayake, S.
The studies on the comparison of online monolingual dictionary (OMD) and online bilingual dictionary (OBD) for English on undergraduate level have not been carried out. The objective of this study is therefore to identify the impact of online monolingual and online bilingual dictionary use in vocabulary acquisition and retention among undergraduates. Forty Engineering undergraduates in their first term at CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) B1 level in proficiency were selected after having a pretest and this sample of students knew none of the intended vocabulary to be tested. The students were randomly allocated into two groups: Online Monolingual Dictionary (OMD) and Online Bilingual Dictionary (OBD) groups. Both groups were exposed to an unknown set of ten academic words using an online monolingual dictionary and an online bilingual dictionary (English-Sinhala/ English-Tamil) respectively. They were instructed to find the meanings of the target words using the respective dictionary. The same vocabulary tests, immediate test and posttest were then administered in both groups to check the effectiveness of the treatments. While the results of these two tests demonstrated that both groups were able to acquire and retain vocabulary under each online dictionary use, the independent sample t-test confirmed that mean scores of the immediate test and posttest were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the OMD group than the corresponding values in the OBD group, irrespective of whether the variances between two groups were equal or not. The results confirmed that online monolingual dictionary use is significantly effective over online bilingual dictionary use in vocabulary acquisition and retention. Online monolingual dictionaries are thus recommended as a more successful tool to be used by English as a Second language (ESL) learners to improve vocabulary of the undergraduates.
Open Access
Effects of 1-Methylcyclopropene and Wrapping Material on Postharvest Qualities of Spine Gourd (Momordica dioica)
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences (FHS) of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) Malabe, 2020-12-01) Wijesinghe, G.P.M.; Kumara, G.D.K.; Kumara, J.B.D.A.P.
Spine gourd (Momordica dioica) is a tropical under-utilized vegetable (known as King of Gourds) that belongs to family Cucurbitaceae. It has higher demand in Asia and Sri Lanka due to its distinct taste and promising health properties known for over thousands of years. However, vulnerability to postharvest damages due to climacteric ripening behavior results in short shelf-life of this commodity. It significantly affects their market potential. The present study attempts to extend shelf-life while maintaining postharvest qualities in spine gourd by using 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) and LowDensity Polyethylene (LDPE) wrapping at ambient temperature (27±1 °C). The experiment was conducted according to Completely Randomized Factorial Design using eight treatment combinations: 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 µL L-1 1-MCP treated for 15 hours and stored with and without LDPE wrapping under ambient temperature. Physical parameters; fresh weight loss, firmness, peel color changes and chemical parameters; total soluble solids, titratable acidity were evaluated five days after treatment. Fresh weight loss significantly declined in wrapped spine gourd fruits. The highest firmness was observed in chemically treated fruits with LDPE wrapping. Yellowing of fruits decreased with 0.5 µL L-1 1-MCP and LDPE wrapping. Total soluble solid content was lesser in fruit wrapped with LDPE. Thus, it can be concluded that some postharvest qualities of spine gourd are positively affected by 0.5 µL L-1 1-MCP concentration with LDPE wrapping.
Embargo
Issues and Challenges faced by Students from Single-Parent Households in Their Academic Performance at Senior Secondary Level.
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences,SLIIT, 2021-09-25) Perera, L. I. S
An increase in single-Parent household is noticeable in the contemporary society. Academic performance of the students living in single-parent households is affected negatively at large. Therefore, this study aims to discover the issues and challenges that single-parented students face in their academic performance at the senior secondary level. A stratified random sampling method was used and the sample size was 100 senior secondary students from singleparent households from the Moratuwa Educational Division. Three self-developed questionnaires were administered to collect data. Secondary data was collected through test scores and school-based assessments. Descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, percentage and standard deviation were computed. The main conclusion of the study is that the issues and challenges that singleparented senior secondary students face have adverse effects on their academic performance. If these issues and challenges are addressed accurately and deliberately, the senior secondary students' academic performance can be improved. This study recommends that groundlevel stakeholders like school administration, teachers, welfare societies, and educational counsellors pay their attention and help singleparents and their children to cope with their situations and enhance their academic performance.
Embargo
Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Adults’ Recollections of Others’ Reactions to Their Early Gender Non-conformity
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences,SLIIT, 2021-09-25) Munasinghe, K; Marecek, J
Globally, gender non-conforming (GNC) behaviours are identified as one of the earliest precursors of same sex orientation. The role of reactions by key persons such as parents, teachers and peers to such behaviours is crucial to sexual identity development. In Sri Lanka, there are currently no scholarly data on LGB adults’ recollections of their early experiences, particularly those involving how others reacted to their early GNC and gender atypical behaviours. Through narratives, this exploratory research paper addresses this gap by presenting how 26 LGB adults recalled the manner in which their parents, teachers, and peers responded to their gender-atypical and gender non-conforming behaviours during childhood and adolescence. A participant-focused thematic analysis highlighted the following findings: permissiveness of adults towards childhood gender non-conformity for both boys and girls; how adults’ attitudes shifted during adolescence to be more regulatory; and how adolescent girls and boys recalled experientially different reactions to their GNC behaviours by their peers. These results suggest the nuances of recollections growing up as GNC children and adolescents, and the impact these experiences had on the acceptance of a sexual identity. Future research could begin by observing actual gender nonconformity and gender atypical behaviours in children and adolescence.
Embargo
Perceived Self-medication Practices and Associated Factors among Undergraduates of the Faculty of Humanities and Sciences (FHS), SLIIT.
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences,SLIIT, 2021-09-25) Alahendra, A. M. A. A. U; Perera, O. T. S; Guruge, M. L; Anthony, D. K; Dasanayaka, C; Wijekoon, W. M. P. D. S
This study is aimed to determine the perceived self-medication practices, associated factors, and awareness on contraindications related to self-medication among undergraduates. A random sample of 138 undergraduates of FoHS, SLIIT was selected and data were acquired from a pretested questionnaire. It was found that only 87% of the respondents had practiced self-medication in the past 3 month’s period. The presence of chronic illnesses was significantly associated with self-medication practices (p< 0.05). There was a significant association between the level of selfmedication practices and both the variety of medicines (p=0.006) and prior experience with the self-medication related side effects (p=0.05). Headache (82.9%) and common cold (44.1%) were the major health conditions for self-medication, while painkillers (83.2%) and vitamins and minerals (47.8%) were the mostly used types of medicines. Covid-19 restrictions (48.4%) and unnecessary consultation for mild illnesses (44.0%) were recognized as the major reasons for self-medication. Based on results raising awareness on self-medication by conducting educational programs in pharmaceutical aspects is recommended to improve healthy medicinal compliance among the undergraduate population.
Embargo
Understanding Reticence and Ambivalence Towards Speaking English: The ‘Problem’ of Limited Capital Yielded by English in a Sri Lankan State University Context
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences,SLIIT, 2021-09-25) Rathnasiri, O. H
The use of English for communicative purposes among Sri Lankan state university students has been a topic of concern for many decades as it has generally been observed that these undergraduates are either reticent or ambivalent in terms of using the target language (TL) for oral communication irrespective of their proficiency in the TL or the fact that they are enrolled in an English Medium Degree Programme (EMDP). This paper, having been informed by the contradictions implied above, offers a response to understanding the reticence and ambivalence towards speaking English through an exploration of the notion of ‘capital’ yielded by English in a state university context in Sri Lanka. This study employed a narrative case study with 5 first-year undergraduates studying for two professionoriented EMDPs offered by one academic department. Through a discussion of the positioning of English in the context explained by three main themes, this paper highlights how English use is discouraged by the hegemonic sociocultural factors that are operative in the context whereby limited opportunities for the learners to use English that ultimately enable them yield ‘capital’ are provided. This paper concludes with an emphasis on how ‘capital’ has direct implications to investment in using English in the reality of a state university in Sri Lanka and a call to instigate institutional-level support to foster a supportive academic environment that creates legitimate opportunities for the learners to yield ‘capital’ in using English.