A Sociological Study of Tamil Entrepreneurship with Special Reference to Up-Country Tamil Business in Sri Lanka

Abstract

This study attempts to construct a broad discourse on particular characteristics of Tamil entrepreneurship with special reference to the Up-country Tamil community in Sri Lanka. It illustrates the nature of the Up-country Tamil business identity within the broader framework of Tamil ethnic entrepreneurship by providing a review of literature about the legacy of Tamil entrepreneurship, and using primary data collected from field research in the central highlands of Sri Lanka. Since the usual literature on ethnic entrepreneurship has emphasized internal and external contact, socio-cultural profile, and historical backdrop of reputed entrepreneurial communities, this attempt may be a different experience that emphasizes business approaches of a causally non-significant entrepreneurial group. Therefore, this thesis demonstrates, the Up-country Tamils are significant as creators of the entrepreneurial `little tradition? among other Tamil market makers such as the Nattukottai Chettiars and the Tamil Muslims.

The valuating reciprocity between different network relations, revealing the accumulating patterns of micro-scale fiscal and social capital, ethnographic exploration of the positive and negative effects of socio-cultural factors of the research community take significance in constructing a theoretical argument illustrating two strands of business approaches, i.e. the great and little tradition within a single ethnic group. It is also important in comprehending how far a marginal social group has succeeded in building their initial entrepreneurship needs through bonding relations within the community and expanding the networking capacity towards external contacts (bridging). Further, the study tries to understand the entire market system as a purposive action. Broadly, the study intends that these insights form an in-depth view on the nature of entrepreneurial behaviour of the bottom line, and these findings will be helpful in enhancing the social and economic status of marginal communities.