Gender differences in perceived nuclear risk

Results of this study (see source document for full description) showed that Japanese men indeed expressed lower levels of perceived nuclear risk (Morioka, 2014). Additionally, Japanese men tended to interpret the nuclear power as a threat to financial stability, rather than to physical well-being. Morioka (2014) argued that Japanese men tend to disregard personal risks and have a sense of invulnerability because of their masculine identity. This identity is seen to be related to the 'corporate-centred' social structure in Japan, which expect of men to prioritize work over private life. Male workers in Japan are seen as 'company warriors', hence they are expected not to show a high level of risk regarding their personal well-being and to rationalize risks that are related to the financial stability of the country (Morioka, 2014). In a subsequent paper, Morioka (2015, p. 7) stated: „In the minds of Japanese men, work organizations and the nation are synonymous, and the fate of both are closely tied to nuclear energy. Japanese employees thus come to believe that the fate of their companies, the economy, and the nation all rest on their shoulders as male breadwinners, and came to rationalize nuclear risks despite their ambivalence towards it. “The study conducted by Marioka (2014) confirms previous findings regarding gender differences in perceived nuclear risk (Davidson & Freudenburg, 1996; Finucane et al., 2000; Slovic, 1999), but also illustrates that gender differences might be originated (or at least aggravated) by the specific socio-cultural context.

Note: See source document for full reference.

Cultural Factors: Norms/values, Gender roles, Ethnicity, Worldviews

Hazards: Man-made non-intentional hazards or emergency situations, Man-made intentional hazards

Disaster Phases: Prevention, Preparedness

Types of Actors Concerned: Non-active citizens

Recommendations:

• Develop guidelines for disaster practitioners that take into consideration the different needs of and approaches to different ethnical groups
• Develop risk assessments methodologies, which consider cultural factors, the manner in which people cognitively process information and which employ a gender perspective