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RASAS 2022- 33

Factors Influencing in Adapting to Bottled Water Consumption in Urban Areas in
Sri Lanka

1
Sandaruwan K.A. , Dilprabha L.H.W. 2
Department of Sociology, Department of English & Linguistics, University of Ruhuna
akilazilvaruhuna@gmail.com

The urban areas of contemporary Sri Lanka have been victimized by the consumerist
society. People in urban society are increasingly accustomed to consuming bottled

drinking water. Therefore, this study will focus on factors influencing adapting to bottled
water consumption in urban areas in Sri Lanka. Here, the focus is on the socio-economic
factors in adapting to bottled water consumption in urban areas in Sri Lanka, the current

trends and reasons to popularize bottled drinking water in urban areas in Sri Lanka, and
the impact of social status on the consumption of bottled drinking water among the Urban

community. Twenty-five bottled drinking water consumers were selected among urban
consumers using the purposive sampling to collect data for this premise. Accordingly,
data collection methods such as case studies, questionnaire interviews, and observations

have been used to collect data. Through those data, urban people identified several key
factors that affect their consumption of bottled drinking water. The main factor that
influences the urban community’s consumption of bottled drinking water is their

personal belief system. A considerable number of people consider the brand of the
bottled drinking water and in some instances; though people have water resources at their
residence, they tend to buy bottled drinking water while traveling, as it is more

convenient.

Keywords: Consumption, drinking water, urban community, personal beliefs, social
status

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