Norwegian Journal of Geography

Öhrling, S. 1975. Prerequisites of Community Development. Examples from two villages in Sri Lanka. Norsk geogr. Tidsskr. 29, 221–236.

The study is concentrated on two villages in rural Sri Lanka, Pelawatte in the wet zone and Kumbukgollewa in the dry. Both are agricultural but differ considerably in their social and economic structure. Production in Pelawatte is subsistence oriented and there are no big landowners in the village. In Kumbukgollewa, however, production being cash crop oriented, mainly paddy, the economy is highly dependent on external markets and furthermore it is dominated by a few landowners. The author is of the opinion that the centre-periphery relationships in Kumbukgollewa have adverse impacts on the efficiency of development programmes. The Sarvodaya movement has organized development projects in both villages. In Pelawatte there seems to be no structural obstacle to the efforts of the movement. In Kumbukgollewa, on the other hand, the dominant role played by the few landowning families is obviously a hindrance to successful development.     

The Journal of Geography

Abstract

Recent immigration has been an important factor in the growth and distribution of the United States population. The rising number of immigrants has accounted for up to one-fifth of the annual population growth and they have gone to the already populous urban centers and states. Immigrants must be recognized as an increasingly important element of the urban and population geography of the United States.