Considerable attention has been directed recently towards the role of
culture in sustainable community development. Individuals and
communities have their own values, meanings, customs and knowledge
systems that affirm identity and diversity and play a key role in sustaining
livelihoods. However, such features have been frequently ignored in
development planning. This paper explores the importance of cultural
values in attaining rural livelihood sustainability and draws upon fieldbased
research in two villages close to the city of Kandy in central Sri
Lanka. The research demonstrates that the sustainable livelihoods
approach, whilst useful, does not adequately address traditional cultural
values, and frequently perceives culture as a constraint in understanding
livelihood opportunities and planning future development trajectories.
The research demonstrates the significance of understanding the interface
between culture, livelihood sustainability and community development