Recreation Patterns of Upcountry Estate Tamil Community

Abstract

The upcountry Estate Tamil Community (ETC) can be considered as a special segmentation of the Sri Lankan community considering geographical, social, cultural, professional factors and etc. This study has ascertained actual recreational patterns of this special segmentation of the community. By observing and studying the community it was predicted that they have different recreation patterns characterized by their own. Cluster sample method was used to select the sample and workers were selected for the sample from three clusters. Data collected via structured interviews as most were illiterate of the community. This study was limited to tea pluckers (Gathering people) and labourers of the surveying area. The result proved that the people were tightly bound to a daily routine, living a monotonous life with few expectations and having recreation patterns shaped by the geographical and their occupational patterns. The survey data led to the conclusions that the ETC was confined their estate environment and do not wish to have any contact with outside their community. As such, recreation programs and activities suitable for their locality have to be introduced.