| ID | 132904 |
| Title Proper | Significant breaking worse |
| Other Title Information | the Fukushima nuclear crisis as a moral panic |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Cleveland, Kyle |
| Publication | 2014. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | The trifecta of disasters in japan that unfolded on 1 1 March 201 1 strains credibility: a 9.0-level earthquake (the largest ever recorded in Japan), a thousand- year tsunami that devastated a 300-kilometer stretch of coastline in northeastern Japan, and three nuclear reactors in meltdown, exposing signi?cant portions of japan to potentially dangerous levels of radiation. In the aftermath of these unprecedented disasters, the meaning and signi?cance of this disaster have evolved. As Japanese government authorities and the general public alike have come to un(ierstand the nuclear disaster in more nuanced terms, retrospective evaluations now cast this crisis in its historical context and are coming to calibrate the level of significance in more consistent terms than was the case in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. This article analyzes how media and government authorities assessed the Liu Kushima nuclear disaster from its onset and considers how cultural frames of reference came into play, leading to selective perceptions about the nature of the accident and its presumed effects. The author discusses the nuclear disaster as a "moral panic," as the media constructed a narrative arch that ampli?ed perceptions of risk in often melodramatic terms, filtering information that shaped public perception and influenced the action of decision-making elites. In addition to discussing how the nuclear disaster affected Japanese domestic politics, the article addresses the impact of the nuclear disaster on international alliances and its implications for the nuclear industry. |
| `In' analytical Note | Critical Asian Studies Vol.46, No.3; Sep.2014: p.509-539 |
| Journal Source | Critical Asian Studies Vol.46, No.3; Sep.2014: p.509-539 |
| Key Words | Nuclear Disaster ; Fukushima Nuclear Disaster ; Nuclear Industry ; Internal Politic ; Nuclear Politics ; Historical Context ; Moral Panic ; Melodramatic Terms ; Nuclear Policy ; Nuclear Regime ; Japan ; Nuclear Crisis |