M. W. Amarasiri de Silva (University of Peradeniya)

M. W. Amarasiri de Silva, PhD
Professor of Sociology
Department of Sociology
Fasculty of Arts
University of Peradeniya
Sri Lanka

Residence:
13/B2/12/4, Hantana Housing Complex
Kandy, Sri Lanka

phones: 94/81-2218620 (residence)
        94/81-2218619 (residence)
        94/81-2386190 (office)
email:  adesilva@slt.lk

Description of work:

Teaching: medical anthropology, applied sociology, research methodology 
both at graduate and undergraduate levels. 

Research interests: social and behavioural aspects of health and 
medicine, community and village studies, urban studies.  

Selected list of publications: 

1. M. W. Amarasiri de Silva, Transition from War to Peace: A Sociological 
study to facilitate social reconstruction process in the war-torn areas of 
North and East of Sri Lanka. 9th International Conference on Sri Lankan 
Studies, 28th- 30th November 2003, University of Ruhuna, Matara, Sri 
Lanka. 

2. M. W. Amarasiri de Silva, Maternal Mortality in the Central Province of 
Sri Lanka: Sociological analysis of lay perspectives. Peradeniya 
University Research Sessions (PURSE), 2003. 

3. M. W. Amarasiri de Silva, Technological Transformation and old age in a 
fishing community in southern Sri Lanka., Samaja Vimasuma 2003, (in 
Sinhalese)

4. M. W. Amarasiri de Silva, Judy Lewis, Pertti J. Pelto. (2002)Food 
Gifts, Kinship and Weight Gain during Pregnancy in Rural Sri Lanka. The 
Sri Lanka Journal of the Humanities, Volumes XXVII & XXVIII (Numbers 1 & 
2) 2001-2002, Pp 38-58, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. 

5. M. W. Amarasiri de Silva (2002) Evaluation Report: Mannar and the Three 
Clinics projects. November 2002. DFID, London.

6. M. W. Amarasiri de Silva. Social Facts, Forces and Conditions Requiring 
Consideration in Drafting the National Physical Plan of Sri Lanka. The 
Centre for National Physical Planning, Colombo, 2001 

7. M. W. Amarasiri de Silva, Ananda Wijekoon, Robert Hornik, Jose 
Martines 
(2001) Care-seeking in Sri Lanka: One possible explanation for the low 
Childhood Mortality (Social Science and Medicine. Vol. 53/10, pp 
1363-1372)

8. M. W. Amarasiri de Silva Research Methodology in Social Sciences (in 
Sinhala). Author Publication. 2001, pp235. ISBN 955-97602-0-3

9. M. W. Amarasiri de Silva Reproductive Health among Internally Displaced 
Persons of Sri Lanka (IDPs-SL).  The Marie Stopes International, London 
August 2000. Pp 135 + appendices. 

10. M. W. Amarasiri de Silva Poverty Profile of Colombo Core Area. Report 
on urban poverty in the three Municipalities of Colombo, Dehiwala & Mt. 
Lavenia and Kotte. City Development Strategies (CDSs) for Colombo Core 
Area. UNCHS (Habitat) Japan June 2000. 

11. M. W. Amarasiri de Silva Impact of Middle East employment of young 
women / mothers on Internally Displaced Populations (IDPs) in the 
North-Western Province. The Ministry of Women's Affairs Colombo. December 
2000. 

12. H. A. Aponso and M. W. Amarasiri de Silva Evaluation of the Nutrition 
Supplement Programme (biscuit Programme) in the four districts of 
Ratnapura, Monaragala, Badulla Hambantota. The Presidential task Force on 
Nutrition and Ministry of Plan Implementation.  Aug 2000. 

13. WHO (1999) Development of Tools to Promote Improved care Seeking. 
Department of Child and Adolescent Health, WHO (WHO/FCH/CAH/99.3). 
Amarasiri de Silva was a principal Investigator of this report, along with 
three others.

14. M. W. Amarasiri de Silva Some Socio-political Implications of Internal 
Displacement of Populations (IDPs) in Sri Lanka. Paper presented at the 
7th Sri Lanka Studies Conference, Canberra, Australia.  Dec. 3-6 1999

15. M. W. Amarasiri de Silva and A.S.B. Wijekoon 1999 Improving Health 
Seeking Behaviour for IMCI in Kurunegala, Central Province, Sri Lanka, 
WHO, Geneva, 1999. WHO-Geneva and CICHS-Kandy 1999.  PP 125 + appendix

16. Nastasi, B., Schensul, J., de Silva M.W.Amarasiri., Varjas. K., Silva, 
K.T., Ratnayake, P. and Schensul, S. (1998). Community-based Sexual Risk 
Prevention Program for Sri Lanka: Influencing Sexual Risk Decision-Making.  
International Quarterly of Community Health Education, 18(1) 139-155, 
1998-99.

17. Miguel Munoz-Laboy, Stephen L. Schensul  and M. W. Amarasiri de Silva. 
Male to male Sexuality and Sexual Initiation in Sri Lanka. Paper presented 
at the conference on "Unequal Partnerships: Gender and Initiation of 
Sexual Activity." Bethesda, Maryland, USA. PP 46. June 25-26, 1998.

18. M. W. Amarasiri de Silva, P. Wedisinghe, Jean J. Schensul, and S.L. 
Schensul First Sexual Experience and its Context in Sri Lanka.  Paper 
presented at the conference on "Unequal Partnerships: Gender and 
Initiation of Sexual Activity." Center on Population, Gender & Social 
Inequality, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA. PP 17. 
June 25-26, 1998.

19. M. W. Amarasiri de Silva, K.N. Mendis, Athula Herath, Richard Carter 
and Senerath Bandara. Bed Nets, Malaria Incidence and sleeping behaviours 
in an endemic area of Sri Lanka.  Multi-Disciplinary International 
Conference on the Occasion of 50th Anniversary of Independence of Sri 
Lanka, Section -E, Economy and Society in Post-Independence Sri Lanka. 
University of Peradeniya, February 23-25, 1998.

20. M. W. Amarasiri de Silva Women in Poverty: Findings from a study of 
rural, urban and estate communities in the Central Province of Sri Lanka.  
The Women's Bureau of Colombo, Sri Lanka, 1998.

21. M. W. Amarasiri de Silva and K.B.S. Wanninayake. De-stigmatising the 
Name or Moving up in the Caste Ladder: Name Changes among the Sinhalese. 
In. University of Peradeniya, Annual Research Sessions, Edited by B.R.R.N. 
Mendis, M.A. Careem and S.D.S. Seneviratne, November 1997, pp. 23-39.

22. M. W. A. de Silva, K.N. Mendis and Athula Herath. Effects of material 
style of life and malaria knowledge on the use of bed nets to control 
malaria in Kataragama SLAAS proceedings, (F18: pp 237)1996. 

23. M. W. Amarasiri de Silva and K.A. Jayaratne (Eds.) Participatory 
Research in Urban Asia.  The Asian Coalition for Housing Rights, Habitat 
International Coalition - Asia.  Pp. 78.  ACHR-TAP, Bangkok 1995

24. M. W. Amarasiri de Silva and U.M.G. Ariyasena. The Role of University 
Academics in Nutrition and Development in Sri Lanka. In. "Nutrition and 
Development: What Roles Can Academic Institutes Play?" Los Banos, the 
Philippines. 1995 

25. M. W. Amarasiri de Silva. Folk technology and Language of the 
Traditional Fishermen (Sinhala)   In Samaja Vimasuma. Journal of the 
Sociological Association, Department of Sociology, University of 
Peradeniya. 1994/95 issue, No.9 pp22-45.

26. M. W. Amarasiri de Silva. Social aspects of Epilepsy in Sri Lanka (in 
Sinhala) Samaja Vimasuma 1987.

27. M. W. Amarasiri de Silva, Vijitha Nanayakkara. Growing up with the 
Falling Sickness.  An evaluation of the Research Project 'People's 
participation in an epilepsy control programme in Kandy District, Sri 
Lanka. The Christian Association for Epilepsy Control and Care in the 
Netherlands.  (70 pages) 1986.

28. M. W. Amarasiri de Silva. Structural Change in a Coastal Fishing 
Community in Southern Sri Lanka. Marga Journal - Vol. 4, No: 2. The 
Agricultural Development Council (A/D/C) in its series on Teaching and 
research Forum later reproduced this paper (no: 21, May 1979).