Dr Bilesha Weeraratne’s Study Featured in the Publication Social Remittances and Social Change, Edited by Professor Nasra Shah

21 August 2024

Dr Bilesha Weeraratne, Research Fellow and Head of Migration and Urbanisation Research at IPS, has contributed a chapter titled “Social Remittances and Social Media: Evidence During Sri Lanka’s Socioeconomic and Political Crises” to the publication Social Remittances and Social Change: Focus on Asia and Middle East. The publication is edited by Professor Nasra Shah, Professor of Migration and Development, Lahore School of Economics, Pakistan.

This chapter explores the often under-recognised yet significant role of social remittances—i.e. non-financial exchanges of ideas, values, and practices—during Sri Lanka’s recent crises. While the impact of financial remittances on the country’s development is well-documented, the influence of social remittances, particularly through social media, has received less attention.

Dr Weeraratne’s research highlights how Sri Lankan migrants used social media to stay actively engaged with their home country’s social, economic, and political landscapes. These interactions on social media played a pivotal role in shaping public attitudes and opinions during the crises. Interestingly, the chapter notes that the outflow of social remittances—ideas and practices shared from Sri Lanka—had a more profound impact than the inflow, especially given the significant drop in financial remittances in 2022.

This chapter is one of the first studies to examine the impact of social media on social remittances, providing valuable empirical evidence on how these digital interactions can contribute to Sri Lanka’s social, economic, and political development. The findings underscore the potential of leveraging the link between social remittances and social media to navigate and address future crises.