Disaster, Social Fairness, and Social Status: Damage and Social Consciousness after the Great East Japan Earthquake

• In Event: 082 - Open Refereed Roundtable Session I
  In Refereed Roundtable: A. Table 19. International Sociology

Abstract

The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake brought enormous physical damage and personal loss across much of Eastern Japan. However, post-earthquake effects may vary by position in the socio-economic structure. This study uses original survey data to examine the association between a person’s social status and the sense that social resources are fairly allocated and post-disaster anxiety in Sendai, the largest city of the Tohoku region, and Senhoku, a rural area near Sendai. The results show a significant association between social position and both fairness and post-disaster anxiety. High status persons believe there is more fairness and express less disaster-related anxiety than low status people. Other measures of position in the socio-economic structure, such size of employing organization and education, affect anxiety indirectly through other variables. Social relational resources also affect fairness and anxiety. We found no relationship between amount of property damage and social status in Sendai area, but strong relationship in rural area. In general, lower status people experienced less property damage, but expressed greater anxiety and unfairness. This suggests that ability to recover after the disaster varies, with lower status persons least able to recover fully.

Authors

• Yoichi Murase, Rikkyo University

• W. Lawrence Neuman, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater