Joffe, Helene, Rosetto, Tiziana, Solberg, Christian and O'Connor, Cliodhna (2013) Social Representations of Earthquakes: A Study of People Living in Three Highly Seismic Areas. Earthquake Spectra, 29 (2). pp. 367-397. ISSN 8755-2930
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Official URL: http://earthquakespectra.org/doi/abs/10.1193/1.400...
Abstract
Much research on people’s seismic adjustment activity in highly seismic
areas has assumed that low levels of adjustment are attributable to insufficient
awareness of seismic risk. Empirical evidence for this assumption is weak,
and there is growing appreciation of the role played by sociocultural and emotional
variables in risk perception and behavior. This study explored these sociocultural
and emotional dimensions via 144 interviews and questionnaires, with
matched samples of locals in Seattle (United States), Osaka (Japan), and Izmir
(Turkey). The data showed that high awareness of possible seismic adjustment
measures was not translated into behavior, with all sites demonstrating low
adjustment uptake, though the North Americans adopted significantly more
adjustments than the other cultures. Thematic analysis of the interview data suggested
that adjustment behavior was undermined by anxiety, distrust, distancing
self from earthquake risk and fatalistic beliefs. The paper concludes by recommending
how culture-specific disaster mitigation plans may be developed to
address these factors.
Item Type: | Article |
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Additional Information: | Helene Joffe, Tiziana Rossetto, Christian Solberg, and Cliodhna O'Connor (2013) Social Representations of Earthquakes: A Study of People Living in Three Highly Seismic Areas. Earthquake Spectra: May 2013, Vol. 29, No. 2, pp. 367-397. Copyright (2013) Earthquake Engineering Research Institute. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute. |
Keywords: | social representations; earthquakes; highly seismic areas; risk perception; seismic adjustment activity; awareness; Seattle; Osaka; Izmir; |
Academic Unit: | Faculty of Science and Engineering > Psychology |
Item ID: | 6783 |
Identification Number: | 10.1193/1.4000138 |
Depositing User: | Cliodhna O'Connor |
Date Deposited: | 13 Jan 2016 12:23 |
Journal or Publication Title: | Earthquake Spectra |
Publisher: | Earthquake Engineering Research Institute |
Refereed: | Yes |
URI: | https://mu.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/6783 |
Use Licence: | This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here |
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