Premium
Behavior of Victims and Information Processing during the Great Hanshin‐Awaji Earthquake
Author(s) -
Noda Takashi
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
international journal of japanese sociology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.133
H-Index - 15
eISSN - 1475-6781
pISSN - 0918-7545
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-6781.2000.tb00078.x
Subject(s) - period (music) , mass media , psychology , information media , business , advertising , acoustics , physics
The Great Hanshin‐Awaji earthquake revealed the inadequacy of research in the area of information studies. There is a lack of research on the availability of information on daily life which could alleviate suffering during the reconstruction period. The purpose of this paper is to confirm whether residents receive sufficient information to assist them in making rational decisions during the Great Hanshin‐Awaji Earthquake. Our research findings are as follows: (1) People's capacity to send information was very low early in the emergency period. (2) The channel of communication depended on whether people stayed in their own homes or lived elsewhere during the evacuation period. (3) The use of mass media by the aged (both in terms of receiving and sending information) was low. (4) The higher the damage to utilities, the higher was the levels of dissatisfaction with the existing means of information. Most people wished direct communications between the municipality and the victims. (5) Consummatory information on the actual situation was offered effectively by mass media in the stricken area. Similarly important information to support life in the stricken areas was offered by many volunteer groups.