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Department of Sociology

Faculty of Arts - University of Peradeniya

Dr. Sarathchandra Gamlath

Professor in Sociology

PhD (La Trobe), M.Sc. (AIT), PGdp(La Trobe), BSW(La Trobe, B.A.(Peradeniya)

  •    Department of Sociology
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About Me

Prof. Gamlath started his academic career in Sociology and turned to professional social work later after specific overseas training, including BSW, and completing PGdip and PhD in International Social Work and Social Development. He possesses a substantial level of experience as a professional social work practitioner across public, private and community sectors, in addition to his long experience in academia as an educator and in the industry as a qualified trainer and assessor. Prof. Gamlath is the founder of the new Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree programme at the University of Peradeniya. It is a landmark initiative as it is the first of its kind in the country’s university system, which includes 16 universities. In addition to the BSW, he has initiated Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work (PGdip) and Master of Social Work (MSw) degree programmes in the Postgraduate Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences (PGIHS) at the University of Peradeniya. He continues to focus on and promote “research-informed practice and practice-informed research perspectives” as his mission in his professional social work education, practice and research. Some of his work in the field of generic social work has been widely published both nationally and internationally. He is actively involved in a number of national and international professional associations and networks, and currently contributes with international consulting editorial tasks to several international periodic publications in the field of professional social work education and practice. Prof. Gamlath identifies himself as a fully qualified and substantially experienced social work educator and practitioner in the country.

Education

PhD

La Trobe University

MSc

Asian Institute of Technology

PGdip

La Trobe University

BSw

La Trobe University

BA

University of Peradeniya

Current Positions

Professor in Sociology - University of Peradeniya

Memberships

Member at Large - (Global Executive Council) - International Consortium for Social Development (ICSD)

2019 – to date

Executive Committee Member - International Consortium for Social Development (Asia Pacific Branch)

2017 – to date

Member - Older Adult Service Network, City of Monee Valley, Victoria, Australia

Member - Emergency Recovery Forum, City of Moonee Valley, Victoria, Australia

Member - Coastal Districts Planning Group (Home and Community Care ( HACC), City of Glen Eira, Victoria, Australia

Member - Bayside/Kingston Social Support Network (Home and Community Care ( HACC)’ City of Monash, Victoria Australia

Member - Aged Care Advisory Group – Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria (ECCV), Melbourne, Australia

Member - Monash CALD Senior Citizens Consultative Forum, City of Monash, Victoria, Australia

Member - Moorleigh Multicultural Senior Citizens User Group Committee, City of Glen Eira, Victoria, Australia

Member - Southern Metropolitan Region Cultural Diversity Network, City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia

Member - Whittlesea Ethnic Community Council, Whittlesea Community Connections, City of Whittlesea, Victoria, Australia

Member - Cultural Bridge Community Action Group, Whittlesea Community Connections, City of Whittlesea, Victoria, Australia

Awards

Toyota Foundation (Japan) award for PhD field research on International Migration and development in Sri Lanka - La Trobe University

1997

La Trobe University overseas student scholarship for PhD (partial) - La Trobe University

1995

Norwegian International Development Agency scholarship – NORAD (partial) for PhD - La Trobe University

1993

Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) award for MSc - Asian Institute of Technology

1989

Helmy Menzil memorial Prize for Sociology - University of Peradeniya

1985

Publications

BOOKS

Gamlath, S. (2019) International Migration and Development – Survival or Building up Strategy, Kandy: Kumara Publishers.

Gamlath, S. (2019) Professional Social Work and Intervention (in Sinhala), Colombo: Godage Publishers.

CHAPTERS IN BOOKS

Gamlath, S. (2018) Community Based Organisations - An Institutional Context of Poverty Alleviation with Professional Social Work Intervention, in Prof. Sarath Amarasinghe Felicitation Volume, (Eds. Pushpa Ekanayake and Samitha Udayanga) Ruhuna University, pp. 309-346.

Gamlath, S. (2012) Harmony within Diversity – Emergence of Peace and Development through Student Courage Society Activities in Northern Sri Lanka, in Harmony Exhibition, World University Friends pp. 3-17.

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Gamlath, S. (2020) \. Modern volunteering in the context of community work of CBOs: Is it another form of community engagement?, Modern Sri Lankan Studies – A journal of the Social Sciences, Vol. XI, No. 02, 2020.

Gamlath, S. (2020). Neither theirs nor ours but ours within theirs - The idea of a versatile style of professional social work practice in Sri Lanka, Journal of Sociological Studies, Vol. 1, No.1.

Gmlath, S. (2020). Reaching people first: A new paradigm to rural development and poverty alleviation, Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, Vol. 2, No. 2.

Gamlath, S. and Ranaweera, I. S. (2019). The relevance of sociological contribution in professional Social Work action of intervention: An Analysis of the ideas of Irvin Goffaman (Sinhala), Prathimana, Vol. 12, 2019.

Gamlath, S. (2019). Survival or building up strategy: An analysis of the impact of existing family and community resources for socio-economic progress from migration benefits, International Journal of Community and Social Development, Vol. 1, No.2.

Gamlath, S. (2019). Beyond the common sense – Professional social work education in the University of Peradeniya by centenary, Social Affairs, Vol. 2 No. 1, 2019.

Gamlath, S. (2018). Personal disability or social inability: Social construction interpretation and community partnership for welfare of PDWs, Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, Vol. 1, No.2

Gamlath, S. (2017). Social Work – An introduction to the origin and nature of a unique human service profession, Samaja Vimasuma, No. 17 (in Sinhala) (ISSN 2012-7306)

Gamlath, S. (2017). Volunteering and community connection: A lesson from Australian model of community volunteering, Sri Lanka Journal of Social Development, Vol. 2, September, 2017.

Gamlath, S. (2016). Community volunteering: A new way of community engagement and connection in modern societies, Indian Journal of Social Work and Social Development, Vol. 7, No 1 & 2.

Gamlath,S. (2015). A personal narrative on the role of micro-level professional social work practice calling for its application in Sri Lanka, Social Affairs, Vol. 1, No. 3.

Gamlath, S. (2015). Positive Approach to Ageing – A Policy lesson for community-based aged care system in Sri Lanka, Social Affairs, Vol. 1, No, 2

Gamlath, S. (2015). Leadership, empowerment and harmony for social Development, Samaja Sameeksha,VOL. 1, No.1 (in Sinhala).

Gamlath, S. (2001). The Migration-development link in the context of distorted development: A reinforcing relationship, Social Development Issues, Vol. 23, No. 2.

Gamlath, S. (2000). What did they need and what did we bring? An analysis of the impact of giving tenurial rights to encroached land on rural development, Asia Pacific Journal of Rural Development, Vol. 10, No. 2.

Gamlath, S. and Sirisena, W. M. (1999). Women and decision-making: Participation of rural women in household Decision making in three villages in Hambantota district in Sri Lanka, Journal of Rural Development and Administration, Vol. 31, No. 1.

Gamlath, S. (1998). The Link between international migration and development: Implications of the situation in Sri Lanka, Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work, Vol.8, No.1.

Gamlath, S., Cox, D. and Pawar, M. (1997). Social work and poverty alleviation in Asia, Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work, Vol. 7, No. 2.

Gamlath, S. (1990). Looking for opportunities in the north: A review of international migration as a problem of development in the south, Economic Review- Saga University Journal-Japan, Vol. 32, No. 1.

Gamlath, S. (1992). Regularized land tenure, land management and rural poor: A sociological analysis, Journal of Socio-economic and Management Studies, Ruhuna University, Vol. 1 (in Sinhala), 1992.

Gamlath, S. (1992). A sociological analysis of Sinhala Folk Songs, Journal of Sociological Studies, Ruhuna University, Vol. 1 (in Sinhala), 1992.

PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

Conference on Social Work for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development, National Institute of Social Development, Ministry of Social Development and, Sri Lanka, 2017.

UNO Convention and Social Policy for persons with Disability in Sri Lanka – In Search of Pathway to Justice, Annual Research Congress, PGIHS-RC-2017, Postgraduate Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2017.

Harmony within Diversity – Emergence of Pace and Development through Student Courage Society Activities in Northern Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2012.

Modern Social Work Intervention and Traditional Community Based Systems of Sharing and Caring; A harmonious Arrangement for an Indigenized Service delivery, National

Workshop on documenting traditional community informal care and welfare systems in Asia-Pacific countries and developing a training manual for NGO’s grassroots workers, Charles Stuart University, Wagga-Wagga, Australia, 2002.

Regional training needs of social development personals, (with David Cox and Manohar Pawar), Regional Social Development Centre, School of Social Work & Social Policy, La Trobe University, 1997.

CHIEF EDITOR/EDITOR

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, Postgraduate Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences (PGIHS) University of Peradeniya (2017 -2020)

MEMBER OF EDITORIAL BOARD

Social Development Issues – Alternative Approaches to Global Human Needs (Official Publication of International Consortium for Social Development) Published by Follmer Groups Inc. Chicago

International Journal of Community and Social Development Sage Publication New Delhi

Sri Lanka Journal of Social Work National Institute of Social Development Ministry of Social Empowerment and Welfare

Sri Lanka Journal of Sociology Department of Sociology University of Peradeniya

Research Interests

Generic social work practice (clinical and community-based)

Social work and social development

Community-centered development

International Social Work

Social work and human rights

Localization of professional social work practice

Volunteering and community connection

Community-based organizations / Non-Government Organization

Vulnerable Population Groups (Elderly, PWDs, Children)