Trauma, self-stigma, and visual narrative: participatory research in Shinchimachi, Fukushima, following Japan’s 2011 nuclear disaster

Kwesell, Allison

doi:10.1177/1470357220912458

Cited by 12 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 40 publications

(55 reference statements)

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“…So rest in peace) at an annual memorial in Shinchimachi for victims of the March 2011 disaster (Kwesell, 2013). people felt branded as polluted (汚染された) from a prefecture of radiation (放射能の県; Kwesell, 2013Kwesell, , 2018. While some studies have examined types of stigmas imposed on residents of Fukushima (Maeda & Oe, 2015;Shigemura, Tanigawa, Saito, & Nomura, 2012), few have focused on how the residents perceived the stigmas imposed on them.…”

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confidence: 99%

A Multidimensional Analysis of Stigma: Findings from a Qualitative Study of Fukushima Residents Following Japan’s 2011 Nuclear Disaster

Kwesell¹,

Jung²

2019

JICRCR

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This study examines stigma from the perspective of residents of Fukushima prefecture following the 2011 nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan, to better understand effective crisis communication strategies that can mitigate the negative effects of self-stigma and promote sustainable psychosocial recovery. Social cognitive theory was employed to explore cognitive, affective, and behavioral changes faced by Fukushima residents in response to the stigma imposed upon them after the disaster. The study result based on in-depth interviews with residents of Shinchimachi, Fukushima, indicates that affectively, participants experienced a remarkable amount of fear and sadness. Cognitively, they focused on concerns about outsiders’ negative images or misinformation about Fukushima, changed priorities or values, and self-efficacy. Behaviorally, they actively resisted the stigma while strengthening their connections and belonging to their own community. Additionally, residents felt that they were branded as polluted and contagious and attributed the creation of a Fukushima stigma to a lack of full and accurate information as well as mistrust in main information sources, including media and government. This research suggests that developing a more transparent and locally based communication and information system could mitigate the negative effects of self-stigma. Theoretical implications for future research and policy suggestions for crisis communications are discussed.

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confidence: 99%

A Multidimensional Analysis of Stigma: Findings from a Qualitative Study of Fukushima Residents Following Japan’s 2011 Nuclear Disaster

Kwesell¹,

Jung²

2019

JICRCR

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“…The advertisement asked for people to join a photography research project about living in isolation (quarantine or lockdown) during the COVID-19 pandemic or to share the advertisement. The present research started with a visual self-narrative workshop (Kwesell, 2020) with 57 participants (47 female, 10 male) from 19 states in May 2020, where they were asked to photograph elements of their daily life for one week and reflect on other participants’ photographs through PEIs. Their average age was 44 years old, ranging from 20 to 80 years old.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Photographs and COVID-19: The therapeutic quality of shared narratives and collective memory

Kwesell

Wu²,

Lama³

et al. 2023

Communication and the Public

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Mainstream media photographically documented intimate and difficult moments of COVID-19 while also publishing hopeful images. These spanned from intubation, death, and facial bruising from personal protective equipment to Italians harmonizing in song and nightly balcony cheers for US health workers. At the same time, people were documenting and sharing their own experiences across social media. Past research suggests impactful photographs elicit stimuli that can slow people’s psychological recovery or offer a therapeutic quality that incites post-traumatic growth. Despite a large body of research that examines visual framing with media photographs, few studies examine the ways in which viewing photographs of disaster influences disaster survivors, and to our knowledge, no studies examine this during an unfolding trauma in a world in which the survivors themselves digitally archive the event through images. The present panel longitudinal study seeks to investigate this gap by better understanding the impact of COVID-19 photographs through employing a visual self-narrative approach and photo-elicitation interviews. Fifty-seven participants were recruited in May 2020 and 35 repeat participants were recruited in May 2021. The research examines (1) reasons people vulnerable to the pandemic may find viewing and sharing photographs important, (2) responses to shared images, and (3) changes people experience in their relationship to photographs over time. Findings suggest that participants have a drive to share their experiences and learn about others, while pandemic photographs in themselves hold more of a negative impact for the viewer as they are experiencing the pandemic, which, over time, lessens and trends toward more positive nostalgia.

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“…Hasegawa et al 2016). Temporary housing kept people safe from the elements, yet many complained of poor conditions where families were squeezed into small spaces and temperatures were poorly regulated (Kwesell 2018). Such situations increased their susceptibility to contagious and cardiovascular diseases as well as increased stress and changed behaviors (A.…”

Section: Population Fluctuationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changed Communities and Sources of Information: A Qualitative Study about Recovery in Post-nuclear Fukushima, Japan

Kwesell¹,

Jung²

2021

International Journal of Mass Emergencies & Disasters

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Japan's 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster are still in the recovery process. Though buildings and infrastructure have been reconstructed, socio-psychological recoveries have been ongoing and indefinite. Residents from coastal villages along Fukushima Prefecture have dealt with mass deaths, loss of land, high exposure to radioactive nuclides, and forced evacuations, while communities across the entire prefecture have been altered by global perceptions and demographically with an influx of evacuees. This qualitative study examines long-form survey answers from 123 respondents from eight different areas of Fukushima. Findings suggest that in post-nuclear Fukushima, connection to individuals in the changed community environment, community support, and the ability to confide in neighbors about experiences has been hindered. In addition, a presence of internal stigma, tensions concerning unfair compensation, uneasiness about a lack of information from media, a hesitation to talk about the disaster, and continued indicators of PTSD remain. Though past research has examined a global Fukushima stigma and the effects it has on residents, until now none has examined the internal stigmas residents have toward each other and the effects they have on the community. Through examining the social situation in post-nuclear Fukushima, this research stands as an important contribution to better understanding the social and socio-psychological strains that may be hindering a full recovery from disaster.

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Trauma, self-stigma, and visual narrative: participatory research in Shinchimachi, Fukushima, following Japan’s 2011 nuclear disaster

Cited by 12 publications

References 40 publications

A Multidimensional Analysis of Stigma: Findings from a Qualitative Study of Fukushima Residents Following Japan’s 2011 Nuclear Disaster

A Multidimensional Analysis of Stigma: Findings from a Qualitative Study of Fukushima Residents Following Japan’s 2011 Nuclear Disaster

Photographs and COVID-19: The therapeutic quality of shared narratives and collective memory

Changed Communities and Sources of Information: A Qualitative Study about Recovery in Post-nuclear Fukushima, Japan

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