Stigma perceptions, social media neighborhood storytelling, and future outlook in post-disaster Fukushima

Abstract

After more than nine years since the Great East Japan Earthquake struck Japan,the unresolved situation in FukushimaNuclear Power Plant and long-term effects of radiation continue to situate residents of Fukushima under the post-disaster context. This study examined the influence of Fukushima residents’ stigma perception and connectedness to offline and online neighborhood storytelling networks on future outlook. Based on an online survey of 936 Fukushima residents, the study found that residents who perceive higher stigma toward Fukushima from outsiders were more likely to have a negative future outlook than others. On the other hand, residents’ connectedness to the neighborhood storytelling network – consisting of interpersonal conversation, connectedness to community organizations andlocal media – was positively related to future outlook. With regard to online communication, people who engage in expressive storytelling about local affairs on social media, such as uploading stories or sharing information, were more likely to have a positive future outlook than others. Moreover, expressive storytelling about local affairs on social media was found to moderate the effect of stigma on future outlook: the negative effect of stigma on future outlook was mitigated for those who engage in expressive storytelling about local affairs. Implications of the results are discussed.