Diversified Behaviour of People through the Eye of

Human Anthropology(With Special Reference to Indiwinna Rural Fair,

Hambantota, Sri Lanka)

Charindu Sanjeeva Sayakkara

Human Anthropology

Department of Marketing Management

University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Briefing of the project

he world of business with its emerging trends is heading towards improving one’s

performance to reach towards success. In the modern era, each and every member

in business field takes a tremendous effort to understand the behaviour of people

within the context of the marketing stimulus. In that sense, Human Anthropology plays a

huge role as it scientifically and systematically studies of man and his work.

TIn order to enhance the awareness of the importance of marketing to a business entity, this

project has been under taken targeting a selected rural fair. Rural fair is a type of business

location where a large number of sellers and buyers get together and exchange goods and

services through the medium of cash in certain days to fulfill their basic requirements. It

greatly contributes sellers to offer what they prefer to sell at reasonable price while customers

can buy essentials which they prefer at affordable price within a short period of time.

This project would primarily focus on identifying different behaviour patterns practised by

sellers and buyers within fair premises. This project would more importantly consider the

anthropological aspects and characteristics as well.

Further, the analysis of diversified human behaviour from a marketing perspective would be

carried out providing people’s comments and thoughts given by them at the fair.

This would result in a more comprehensive analysis of the effectiveness of the marketing

function in the particular rural fair selected.

Therefore in conclusion of this project while being an assignment of the curriculum of the

subject of Marketing Anthropology, this was an immense experience for me to deal different

level of people within a shorter time period.

Introduction of Indiwinna Rural Fair

ven though Hambantota is one of the rapidly developing cities in Sri Lanka at this

modern time period, the existence of a rural fair for fulfilling the requirements of

every and each individual person is vastly predominant.EWith the result of significant developments, the existed urban council

of Hambantota was converted as a municipal council. Further a new

rural fair for the families of Indiwinna village which is far away of

about 500 meters from Hambantota city, has to be established and

implemented under the authority of the municipal council of

Hambantota.

Therefore, now, the rural fair is being conducted in the city of Hambantota at new location

on Saturdays and Sundays under the governing body of the municipal council, Hambantota.

The fair which I have selected for the purpose of conducting my survey, has been newly

placed at Indiwinna village for two months.

Indiwinna is a type of village in Hambantota town which has 400-500 families living for

more than number of years. Some of them are there from their birth. Significance of the

number of families, difficulty of having more amount people in short range of territory, the

distance to reach to other fairs in the region, rapid continuous development of Hambantota

city had been the reasons to establish a rural fair in new way under the governing authority

and supervision.

Before placing this fair, the existed urban fair had to be placed various places within a short

time period. At the very first time, Hambantota fair had been established at the centre of

Hambantota town. But the location had to be changed for various places because of the most

unforgettable experience ever of Sri Lanka in 2004, Tsunami disaster. Over 10,000 people

and millions of properties of city people had lost with the effect of Tsunami disaster within a

very few seconds. Nevertheless, the changes of the location of Hambantota fair had been

severely affected to both sellers and buyers of Hambantota town. As there was not an exact

place to build up a fair, the authority had to check several places for suit. Further, the main

reason was that is extreme development of the city.

Moreover, Hambantota Sunday fair was the one and only fair in Sri Lanka which was terribly

effected by Tsunami disaster in 2004. On that unforgettable day in the history of Sri Lanka,

more than 80% of people were in the fair, were killed. That was one of the most pathetic

matters in the history of fairs in Hambantota as well.

All and all, every and each matter of fact led the authority to establish a new rural fair for the

people of Indiwinna village, Hambantota.

Characteristics of Indiwinna Rural Fair

Indiwinna rural fair is newly established fair premises, which is located about 500 metres

away from Hambantota town, governed by the municipal council of Hambantota. Majorly,

this has been placed for the 400-500 rural families of Indiwinna village.

The area of fair premises is around 10,000 m2. As this has been newly established, this is old

just two months of time. Every and each Saturday and Sunday, more than 500 sellers reach to

the premises from different areas such as Katuwana, Bandagiriya, Ridiyagama, Bolana,

Pallemalla, Dehigahalanda etc. to sell products in addition to sellers of Indiwinna itself.

All most all essential goods such as rice, vegetables, fruits, stationary, cloths, slippers, sweets

etc. can be purchased under single location. What they cultivate in their land is being offered

to the fair at variable price. In addition to that, minor percent of sellers purchase vegetables,

fruits from Bandarawela area and other related items, and then they buy in the fair premises.

More than 1000 customers arrive at the fair for buying necessary products for a week. Over

80% of families of the village get used to doing shopping every and each weekend.

As sellers have to spend two nights at the fair premises, all necessary facilities have been placed with the particular spot by the authority.

Identification of

Anthropological

aspects at Indiwinna

rural fair and

analysis of their level

of practice

Culture

Culture is the sum total of learned beliefs, values and customs that serve to regulate the

consumer behaviour of members of a particular society.

In Anthropology, culture is a social heritage which consists formal and informal knowledge

apart from the different believes such as folk believes, scientific believes & religious believes

and norms.

Culture guides to satisfy needs. Although culture is dynamic, the greater similarity between

the people of the peasant societies surrounding to Indiwinna village, the sellers of the fair

normally use relatively similar marketing strategies. Further people in that area practice

similar interest, desires and consumption patterns.

All members of the fair possess common characteristics both socially and culturally based on

natural will. Apart from that, their relationships strengthen in accordance with cultural

characteristics.

In further understanding the behaviour of sellers and buyers of Indiwinna rural fair, it is much

needed to identify different cultural characteristics. Culture plays a significant role of the

changes consumer behaviour. Subjective cultural characteristics such as regional character,

ethnic character, religious similarities and differences, different languages etc. are concerned

with determining different behaviour patterns of people.

Language is concerned, in Indiwinna rural fair, both Sinhala and Tamil languages are spoken

as equal amount of Sinhala, Muslim and Tamil people live in that location. But simply all

sellers are capable enough of speaking the main language of Sinhala. Further, when they sell,

they use simple language words and patterns so that consumers are motivated to purchase

products.

One of the key factors of the fair transactions is bargaining. As both seller and buyer are well

matured with sharing thoughts of using proper language, this cultural character leads to have

transactions with high bargaining. As a result of it, the price is ultimately designed by

connecting thoughts of seller and buyer.

Religion is concerned, Apart from the significant number of Buddhist people, both Islamic

and Christian people also can be seen with transactions in the fair premises.

These subjective cultural characteristics play in determining different beliefs, practices and

values of the people and which in turn impact of people’s social norms, attitudes, behavioural

intentions and ultimately the final behaviour of the purchaser.

Under the components of culture, ideas and norms can be identified. According to customers’

different types of ideas such as scientific, religious, historical and mythical ideas, their

purchasing patterns and quantity may differ. In my survey, I got to know that Muslim would

buy product in accordance with their religious and mythical views. Moreover, under norms

which customer certainly practises and exercises, differ from individual to individual under

cultural aspects they are in.

Marketing Culture

In contemporary world, the marketing system is representing a culture which is studied by

cultural anthropologists. Market culture can be identified in terms of social behaviour of

buyers and sellers.

In order to understand marketing culture, it is much needed to realize the background of the

people in Hambantota Indiwinna fair.

Although Hambantota Indiwinna fair is a rural area, different people are still coming from

different villages such as Katuwana, Bandagiriya, Ridiyagama, Bolana, Pallemalla,

Dehigahalanda etc. to sell products in addition to little sellers of Indiwinna itself.

Even though sellers are being only in Saturdays and Sundays, the entire living pattern of most

of them is based on farming cultivation. Their important resource is land. What they cultivate

in their land is being offered to the fair at variable price. In addition to that, minor percent of

sellers purchase vegetables, fruits and other related items and then buy in the fair premises.

Sellers do not have high expectations and the word “future” is not greatly considering factor

for them. Simply they focus on short term benefits rather than long term relationships. So

their major requirement is to sell product however. If they are unable to sell what they have,

they do not further hesitate to deal at even below of the cost of the products. As a result of it,

they practise work without profits.

In my discussion, I was mentioned that most times they had to go back with high loosing. But

they are still not in a position to find any other job or occupation and their arrival at the fair in

every and each weekend is alive. In that sense they purchase products at loans and rent

vehicles to carry the goods towards the destination.

Another key factor is that the language of marketing situation cannot be identified if the

person is not familiar with the marking culture. And sellers terminology is also different in

different context.

Further, the people who have more than 30-35 years

in the service at the fair highly concentrate on their

goodwill in addition to the major purpose of profit maximization.

The world is changing so fast. Every day there are many inventions and discoveries. But I

could not still find any modern selling strategies or techniques, electronic material systems

apart from electronic balance machine at Indiwinna fair. Simply they still experience

traditional and conventional ways of selling attempts and practices.

At Indiwinna fair, there is not barter system, still the one and only mode of exchanging goods

and services is cash money. Social interaction of sellers and buyers is mainly based on the

exchange of money. Sellers are always eager to discuss the quality and other aspects of the

nature of the item. It helps them to convince the customers to motivate for purchasing their

product. Further carefully worded information is given to customers so that they have a

perfect position to buy products.

Another key factor is, there is a huge level of bargaining power of customers. Customers

often need to buy particular goods at under the price established or labeled by seller. I could

see in my visit to the fair that almost all the products are bought by customers with high

bargaining attempts.

When I talked to sellers, they emphasized that they are always in position to return products

and be helpful with keeping attention towards the customer when they are under difficult

circumstances. Sometimes their terminology is very emotional. They mentioned that it is one

of the psychological strategies to attract customers to their direction.

Sellers often use conventional balancing systems and

they still do not bother to give either bills or receipts

notifying the items purchased.

Another interesting factor is, some of the sellers have not got even a calculator to have

mathematical expressions. They believe that they are capable enough of doing all transactions

on their own without the help of any extra material system.

Shopping culture

In the marketing culture, the role of shopping is interesting. As far as people in Indiwinna

village is concerned, most of them are shopping the fair for the purpose of buying goods and

services which they are needed for the whole week. Their buying patterns are not rational.

They often expect to have maximum benefits at lower price going here and there within the

fair premises.

Most of the goods are bought impulsively. They never anticipate sensory stimulation

(Psychological pleasure), recreational atmosphere or social interaction of having shopping in

the fair. Most customers said to me that they find little pleasure in shopping in the fair

premises and tend to move shopping as they really need to buy.

Consumer Socialization

Consumer socialization has been defined primarily as the process through which young

people acquire skills, knowledge and attitudes relevant to their functioning in the market

place.

Most parents accompany their children to the fair

premises in order to give some sort of training and

experience how to purchase products from the fair.

Attitude

Attitude is a learned predisposition to behave in a consistently favourable or unfavourable

manner with respect to a given object.

All human behaviour therefore is directed towards achieving an adjustment between the

forces within us and those in the environment.

Consumers’ attitudes towards the fair

In my visit, I notify that customers would not highly reckon their status or social class. They

just move to place to place to buy what they extremely want. Most of their purchasing is

impulsive. Their preference is always directed with adjustment of environment.

As more of people in the fair is relatively uneducated,

their thoughts and beliefs towards different objects are very

dynamic. Most times, instant changes occur in the

selling process will largely lead to alter the minds of

consumers. Simply their rationality of buying process

is relatively low.

Sellers’ attitudes towards the fair

Sellers’ attitude is always to offer what they have at the end of the time at fair. If they are not

in a position to sell or their selling frequents are low, they would not worry to sell them at

even below price of the cost of product. Their attitude is formed in relation to social

situations and that they are shared by the members of the fair.

Non-existence of rational marketing system and unawareness of marketing value system

often account for low marketing mentality of sellers.

Competition

Competition includes all the actual and potential rival offerings and substitutes that a buyer

might consider.

In my discussion with persons, they straight away wanted to mention that there is no

competition between fellow members. And they have good interaction and strong relationship

with each other. If a seller does not have a certain product which customer needs, and further

it is available at the place of their fellow member, they do not hesitate or think twice to send

the particular customer to that particular premises. So, this lack of competitive motivation is

often an obstacle and a barrier to have a rational market.

Therefore the 3 characteristics of community introduced by Robert McIver can be seen in

Indiwinna fair. They are;

1. We feeling.

2. Role feeling.

3. Dependency feeling.

Under the we feeling, all the sellers in a certain product category think that they are living

with the feeling of togetherness.

Under the role feeling, the sellers believe that their obligation is to work and sell their

products according to the tradition and norms.

Under the dependency feeling, the sellers still feel that each and every one of them has to

depend on each other. If a seller has a problem, others are providing their help and support in

different manner.

Identification of

components of social

structure at

Indiwinna rural fair

and analysis of their

degree

Gender

Gender relationship is a significant component of the social structure of a society. It refers to

the sociological differences between males and females.

In studying, gender character in this rural fair of my visit, it could be understood that more

male people sell their products than female people. They mentioned that male members work

outside the family in order to sustain their livelihood while female members work inside the

family caring and bearing the rest of the members in their family.

As the fair is held on Saturdays and Sundays, they have to arrive at fair premises Friday

evening. Therefore they have to spend two nights in the fair premises. So, that is main reason

why more male people can be seen than that of female people. Some sellers take residence

near to the places if they have relations or close friends. In that sense, sellers who are closer

to the fair premises would not have an issue.

But minority of female sellers ventures their goods in different

manner. I could identify that the female sellers of more than 20

years of service period in the fair, are still happy to be at the fair

premises or surroundings of the fair.

Further, most of the sellers have been using their elder sons to fair work if he has completed

his education. But some of the non-completed male students also can be seen in the selling

procedure.

I was told that some female sellers go back to their residence after the fair selling of

Saturdays if their residence is not too far away. Hopefully, they would come back to the fair

next morning using public transportation service.

In perspective of customer, both male and female consumers

move in the fair premises to buy what they actually need.

But some places like providing only ladies items, we can mostly

see females in those related areas.

Age

Age is also a universal principal used to prescribe social status in socio-cultural system. With

definite biological changes occur for humans in their progress from infancy to childhood to

adulthood and all ages, the buying behaviour of people alter in different age period in human

living process.

In my survey I could notice that ages of 25 to 55 people play

a big role of providing necessary items to their own family.

Most of people in this age category are married and may

have children. In that case, these kinds of people always find

and buy essential products such as rice, coconuts,

vegetables, fruits etc. which are much needed to fulfilling

their day today life.

People who have not got married or less than 25 years, cannot be significantly seen in

Indiwinna fair, buying the above mentioned essential goods. Ages of 10 to 20 persons

schooling, are still looking for the items which they can be highly entertained. They search

new trending items such as cartoon pictures, stickers, decorated cards, sports items etc. in

addition to the items needed for their education such as books, pens, pencils and other

educational related materials.

In perspective of seller, most of sellers are mid 30’s and 40’s. Their service time period at the

fair is more than 20 to 25 years. People who have just finished their school life also take part

in the actions with providing help to their parents. Surprisingly, a few of the persons who are

still schooling are also in selling process as they have high enthusiasm and impression

without considering their age level.

Social Group

Social groups can be identified as two or more persons shared with common interests and

desires, get together to accomplish a common goal. Under the social group, every and each

individual has psychological feeling as a group.

In my visit to the fair, I could notice different types of

social groups could be seen in the fair premises.

Under the social groups, a few of whole families had

taken part. Apart from that, friendship groups,

relation groups and neighbour groups were also in

the action of buying process.

Family

According to the definition of Anthropology, Family is a social group of two or people

related by blood, marriage or adoption, who live or reside together for an extended time

period sharing economic resources and caring for their young.

Most of the families of the people in Indiwinna fair are extended families. Further majority of

the families consist of more than children. I could identify that both husband and wife of the

families arrive at the fair to sell goods while keeping their children with the protection and

caring of their grandparents. Children in those families have to spend two nights in each week

without their parents. But, in some of the families, mother goes back home in the evening

season and comes back early in the next morning. There is no such a problem for the sellers

in Indiwinna village area.

Further the tendency of children towards the occupation of their parents is significantly high.

As a result of it, most children involve working with their parents just after the school life or

even before the end of school time period.

Unbelievably, children who have not aged at least 15 years have been taking part with selling

process.

In perspective of customer is concerned; I have seen that parents of the familiesare the key

purchaser of the family in the process of buying essential goods. In addition to that elder

children take part with the occasional purchasing.

Status& Role

A status is a recognized position that a person occupies in the society. A person’s status

determines where he or she fits in society in relationship to every one else. A status may be

based on accompanied by wealth, power, prestige or a combination of all of them.

In the perspective of sellers in Indiwinna fair, sellers do not highly bother about social status.

They have very poor educational level. Unfortunately, most of them have not completed even

ordinary level education. So, they only make an attempt to build their social status at the level

of others in same category of the fair. Simply they never mind what the world thinks of them

or not. Further their future expectations are not greatly wide. Not surprisingly, sellers bother

only how they are in position to fulfill their day today needs and wants. But it should be truly

mentioned that while my discussion with them. I could recognize that they are really satisfied

and impressed what they have already achieved.

Status of customer is concerned; customers too practise similar types of attitudes and beliefs

maintained by sellers. Buyer normally purchases what they require for the whole week in the

fair premises. In that sense, they would not think twice to buy goods at lowest possible price.

Another factor is, most customers come to the fair premises by foot rather while some of

them are expecting the help of taxi. Simply majority of customers are in buying oriented

process.

As far as role is concerned, a role is a set of expected behavior

pattern, obligation and norms attached to a particular status.

People, are in the fair, play their role so that they can attain the

fulfillment of their daily life activities. As persons are only in fair premises on Saturday s and

Sundays, sellers work hard to sell their commodities whereas buyers strive to get maximum

quality products at lowest possible price so that they can meet their requirements for whole

week.

In other five days, sellers are getting ready and preparing particular commodities to sell. In

my survey with them, I could notify that some of them, who venture vegetables and fruits,

travel to area like Bandarawela to purchase fresh products. Apart from that, some sellers

exercise gardening and agricultural events at the rest of the days.

Conclusion

This project undertaken enabled me to enhance my knowledge and awareness of diversified

human behaviour under marketing perspective. Identification of the existing aspects of

Human Anthropology helped me a lot to study how they consist in different people in

different manner.

Also through the survey carried out to sellers and buyers, I concluded the level of practice of

anthropological concepts at people of Indiwinna rural fair.

Even though Indiwinna fair is a newly established rural fair which is governed under the

authority and supervision of municipal council, Hambantota, I made the permission from

municipal council, Hambantota to conduct the survey to gather more details about people.

I was able to add more value to this analysis through information gained from buyers and

sellers at the time which their action is on.

Therefore, in overall this project was an important source of knowledge and experience to

me, it facilitated me to get a further practical exposure of the aspects of Human

Anthropology.