Thesis abstract:

«p»In the book «em»Occidentalism: The West in the Eyes of its Enemies«/em», (2004) Burma and Margalit explore the dehumanising picture painted of the West by its enemies. Scholars such as Burma, Margalit and Mishra explain Occidentalism as anti-western, anti-modernisation, anti-technological and anti-imperialistic sentiments that see the West as 'machine-like and soulless' ( Burman & Margalit). This study investigates Occidentalistic ideology as anti-Western, nationalistic and anti-colonial in order to understand pre and post-colonial articulation and invention of the West by the Sri Lankan society with specific attention to the changes in perspective by the diaspora. This research aims to analyse contemporary narratives as well as other Sri Lankan cultural texts, including historical accounts, memoirs, travel writing, social thought, and various colonial and post-colonial literature and other media to understand the cultural perception and development of the discourse within the chosen society. The study will also include research into the representation of the ‘Other’ by Sri Lankan migrant characters portrayed in literature produced by diasporic Australian -Sri Lankan writers who write in English, and also community observations and auto ethnographical study with the aim of understanding how these stereotypes or cliches of the Occidental have been influenced by national context and if they have changed or remained unchanged in the contemporary migrant societies which have greater cross-cultural interactions.«/p»