The SHINRAÏ project aims to develop a detailed understanding of the mechanisms involved in the loss/gain of public trust in institutions following a nuclear accident and to analyze the emergence of new citizen experts, or "counter-experts." In addition, the project aims to shed sociological light on issues related to land management after a nuclear accident: evacuation decisions, radiological threshold decisions, the role and limitations of decontamination, waste management, etc.
Rina Kojima is participating in this project in order to conduct field research for her thesis. Her thesis focuses on analyzing the social consequences of the "reconstruction" policy for residents affected by the Fukushima accident in areas contaminated over the long term.
Method
The SHINRAÏ project includes field research in Japan with four types of actors:
- Authorities involved in post-accident management at various levels: governmental, prefectural, municipal (e.g., Reconstruction Agency, Accident Victim Assistance Office, Fukushima Prefecture Decontamination Service, etc.),
- Scientists and experts involved in advising the authorities, or members of expert committees, or those who are critical of or denounce the measures taken by these authorities,
- Non-governmental organizations: aid to victims and radiation refugees of the nuclear accident, citizens engaged in carrying out "independent" measurements of radioactivity, so-called "citizen scientist" movements engaged in building up expert knowledge independent of state expertise,
- Residents affected by the Fukushima nuclear accident. The investigation focuses on the two towns of Naraha and Kawauchi, located in the mandatory evacuation zone after the accident. Following decontamination operations, the Japanese government wishes to organize the return (once the evacuation order has been lifted) of residents to their towns and has drawn up a general program for the return of evacuees, which is to be implemented by local authorities. The survey aims to analyze this process, as well as the decisions of residents (to return or not to return) and the various reasons behind these decisions. An additional case concerns the Watari district (in the city of Fukushima), which was not part of the "forced evacuation" zone but was subject to decontamination operations due to contamination above established standards (presence of numerous "hot spots"). Rina Kojima conducted surveys with these residents during three missions to Japan: March 2015, September 2015, and September 2016.