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Tani prachanaigal (water problems). Interpersonal conflict resolution practices of a plantation Tamil labor community in Sri Lanka: A qualitative case study
Abstract
Due to a worldwide increase in migration, refugees, and migrant laborers, interpersonal conflicts today are more frequent and complex. The young field of interpersonal conflict resolution is therefore being looked to for answers. Practitioners all over the globe are limited by the conflict resolution literature which is mostly written from a western perspective. There is a need to explore interpersonal conflict resolution practices of different cultural groups and societies with different histories of oppression. In a 15-month qualitative research study, I explored interpersonal conflict resolution practices of a Tamil labor community on a tea plantation in Sri Lanka called Sooryan. The first part of the study traces the establishment of plantations in Sri Lanka by the British. It differentiates between plantation and non-plantation societies. The works of Jayaraman (1975), Beckford (1983), Wesumperuma (1986), Daniel (1993), and Hollup (1994) help trace the cultural, economic, and political factors which cause conflicts on plantations. This part also explores interpersonal conflict resolution practices in different societies, and presents four third-party conflict resolution models practiced in non-plantation societies. The second part describes the labor community at Sooryan plantation. It explains the living and working conditions of the laborers, and the role of Talaivars (leaders) and trade union representatives. It examines discrimination faced by the laborers from the outside non-plantation community. It highlights the machine bureaucracy and the management style at Sooryan. The third part explores four categories of interpersonal conflicts, which manifest within-family, between laborers, between laborers and their supervisors, and between the labor plantation community and the outside non-plantation community. It describes processes which the labor community uses in resolving their conflicts. Challenges are posed to practitioners and educators by contrasting the conflict resolution practices of the Sooryan labor community with the mainstream mediation model of the United States. Finally, the study examines the unique problems of the labor community and how its social, economic, and political isolation makes its conflicts permanent. With this understanding, further research and effective educational programs can be developed for plantation societies, migrant laborers, and refugees. To this end, the daily water problems of the Sooryan labor community in Sri Lanka serve as a timely reminder.
Subject Area
Academic guidance counseling|Cultural anthropology|Labor relations
Recommended Citation
Jilani, Andrew Akbar, "Tani prachanaigal (water problems). Interpersonal conflict resolution practices of a plantation Tamil labor community in Sri Lanka: A qualitative case study" (1998). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9841881.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9841881