Fashion as a resistance method for the afro sri lankan community

Abstract

This research article aims to address the dearth of research on Afro Sri Lankan fashion as a means of resistance and identity. It employs an ethnographic approach, commencing with an analysis of fashion preferences within the Afro Sri Lankan community. The research delves into existing literature on Afro Sri Lankan history, cultural diversity, and contemporary profi les, while also exploring fashion persistence methods in other cultures from a cross-cultural perspective. The community and the infl uence of various factors on their current fashion preferences pay particular attention to the historical and current use of fashion. An interpretivist philosophy guides the research methodology, and a pragmatic approach is adopted to gather qualitative data through in-depth interviews with six participants from the Afro Sri Lankan community residing in Sirambiadiya, Puttalam, Sri Lanka. Key themes emerging from the interviews provide insights into the community's fashion preferences, the determinants of their fashion choices, fashion preservation methods within the community, and the challenges faced by the community. The research culminates in a comprehensive examination of the Afro Sri Lankan community's cultural attire, the determinants of their current fashion preferences, and their sartorial expressions of Afro Sri Lankan identity.