A Critical Evaluation of the Fukushima Nuclear Plant Accident - Coursework Example

Theoretical Essay Name: Course: Tutor: Institution: Date: Introduction The current global market faces increased changes, especially d to the risks and challenges caused by the modernization process posing high risks on long term sustainability. Moreover, the process is characterised by the growth of an increased number of citizens’ engagement and involvement (Mythen and Walklate, 2006, 11) In order to evaluate the role of mainstream PR and fixed assumptions on the societal responses, this essay applies the 2011 March Fukushima nuclear plant accident. Moreover, the essay applies both the risk society and the active/passive citizenship theories to critically analyse the case study. Active/ Passive Citizenship Theory Citizenship perception and definition has changed over the years. In this regard, the concept of citizenship has evolved to accommodate the aspects of differential citizenship. This is a non-traditional citizenship perception through which membership to more than a single citizen membership is perceived possible in the society. In particular, there are two types of citizenships namely the passive and the active citizenship categories respectively (Hudson, 2000, p.18). On one hand, a passive citizenship is one characterised by the individual rights and freedom to be part of a given society group. This is especially in the form of State, regional, or race citizenship. Under his citizenship category, the members have rights and their inclusion and remaining in the citizenship groups is not reliant on their actions, but rather on their rights (L’Etang and Pieczka, 2006, p.106). On the other hand is the active citizenship category. Under the active citizenship category, members acquire the status through active involvement. In this regard, unlike the passive citizenship where members are admitted based on their rights, the active citizenship category is included to responsibility and duty to serve the society. Therefore, members acquire the citizenship status not based on a given legal right, but based on their active actions to enhance and facilitate the societal well being. Among the common categories of the active citizenship category include corporate citizenship, and environmental citizenship among others (Hudson, 2000, p.22). Active citizens play a crucial role in influencing the socio-economic situations in an environment as a means of promoting and increasing the society overall well being. In this regard, they play a role in the responding to the risk society environment by develop and adopting both proactive and active strategies and actions to reduce the overall risks in the society, both in the present and in the long run period (L’Etang and Pieczka, 2006, p.109). The Risk Society Theory Beck developed the risk society theory. The theory holds that besides the traditional risks in the society that were caused by a wide range of external factors, there is a new category of issues and risks caused by man-made features and effects in the society (Forsyth, 2010, p.43). The theory recognises that traditionally, a majority of the human and society risks were caused by external factors of which the human society had no control over. Therefore, human beings developed reactionary measures to mitigate such risks occurrences such as risk and emergency response teams to respond to earthquakes. However, Beck argued that increased modernisation has altered the risks category and issues including those caused by human beings. Therefore, the theory argued that this has led to the emergence of a society as a risk entity that perceive and accepts progress and changes based on the associated risks and their short and long term implications on the society (Mythen and Walklate, 2006, p.10). In this perceptive, there is a direct relationship between actions and changes acceptance in the society and the risk evasiveness levels in the respective societies. On one hand, a society with low risk avoidance would be ready to accept a given action in the society, one with high risk avoidance would be unwilling to accommodate or accept given actions in the society (Forsyth, 2010, p.47). In its analysis, the risk society theory holds that the society operations and actions are guided by the risk perception of given actions. In this perceptive, the society develops both proactive and reactive measures to mitigate risks. On one hand, the reactive measures are those that the society develops to overcome risks after they happen as a means of reducing their impacts. On the other hand, the proactive measures are those that are meant to reduce the risks with a high incubation period. In this case, the risk society theory holds that the society encourages actions such as organisations CSR programs and risk management systems to reduce the risks impacts (Mythen and Walklate, 2006, p.12). Fukushima Nuclear Accident Case Analysis The Fukushima nuclear power accident on March 2011 resulted from a combination of an earthquake and a Tsunami, which hit the region consecutively. This led to the nuclear power generators failure, resulting to radioactive emissions and the subsequent evacuation process around the area. The implications were both in deaths and economic implications such as the blocking of food, meat and other food processing and exportations from factories and organisations operating from the region. A key characteristic of the accident was the low information, communication process for the electric power Company and the Japanese government on the incident (Aldrich, 2012, p.6). Active Citizenship Response Demonstration A review of the Fukushima nuclear accident illustrates the application and the changing citizenship status from the mere passive citizenship model to a more engaged active citizenship approach. On one hand, a passive citizenship approach is demonstrated among the Japanese population in the 1960s and 1070s as the nuclear plants were set up in the rural areas. In this regard, the government acquired the host populations’ support through offering grants and other support and financial assistances. In this regard, the scenario demonstrates citizens who perceive their citizenship in Japan based on their legal rights and entitlement to the government compensations for hosting the government projects (Aldrich, 2012, p.4). Therefore, although the society rights and ownership of the host land was compensated, minimal was executed by the society to ensure the overall society future stability, sustainability and well being. However, in the days after the Fukushima accident, an evaluation of the Japanese society illustrates a changing citizenship structure. In this regard, besides the passive citizenship as Japan State citizens, there emerged lobby and environmental groups to agitate against nuclear plants in the nation (Chua and Rubenfeld, 2015, p.30). In this regard, the emergence of the lobby groups such as the Fishermen associations and other environmental conservation lobby groups has led to the emergence of active citizenship in Japan in areas such as environmental citizenship among others. This has been a key pillar and development approach through which the Japanese energy industry management has changed (Aldrich, 2012, p.5). In this regard, unlike in the traditional structure where strategies and regulations flowed from top-down, the new structure allowed for a bottom-up activism structure that has characterised the changed Japanese energy industry regulations. Effects of Mainstream PR in Risk Society A strategic evaluation of the Fukushima nuclear plant accident and the resulting reactions illustrates the role of active citizenship in creating a risk free society and mitigating the potential societal risks. In terms of the risks caused by the plant, the fact that the nuclear generation process and the establishment of the nuclear plant were manmade makes the risks manufactured. Therefore, all the resulting effects of the accident were manufactured and thus posing a risk to the society, requiring mitigation actions. One of the direct risks of the accident was the radioactive exposure to those within the area, including humans and animals as well as plants. On the other hand, a more indirect risk was contamination of the water that was about 100,000 litres on the reactors base (Aldrich, 2012, p.8). Consequently, the water would be steadily reabsorbed into the water table and deposited into the ocean in the long run period. Therefore, although the effects would not be felt in the short term period, it could be harmful to the population in the long run period. The use of mainstream PR in risk society was applied by the Japanese government and the power company. In this regard, they both tried to mitigate the effects of nuclear power generation support and trust with the public through concealing accidents as well as slowing information flow on such accidents. Consequently, this led to increased mistrust of the tow key Stakeholders (Narasimha, 2010, p.116). Therefore, the Fukushima accident serves as a clear illustration that the mainstream PR is bound to decline in popularity and relevance as the society posed to the society increases. In this regard, the future risk society, mainly comprised of the active citizens will require efficient communication systems rather than PR systems from the organisations. Therefore, rather than developing PR systems to mitigate and enhance organisational, brand in the event of a crisis, the organisations should strive to develop proper communication systems (Mythen and Walklate, 2006, p.27). Such communication systems should not only provide information to the citizens, but also allow for a scrutiny and information verification process as a means of promoting and facilitating the society trust and confidence in the availed information (Narasimha, 2010, p.119). Moreover, such a communication structure should provide a feedback opportunity though which the consumer base would respond and offer their active citizenship based opinions and recommendations to facilitate increased sustainability and risks mitigation in the long run period. Effects of Fixed Assumptions on the Society The developing action of increased active citizenship and risk society situations has increased the overall society’s behaviour. Traditionally, organisations could develop and formulate assumptions of society and society segments based on their demographics, regions, as well as culture. However, this has changed over the years. On one hand, with the rise of increasing number of risks in the society, the traditional social classifications based on wealth have been altered. Instead, the current society classification is based on their recognition and understanding of the current risks (Crick and Lockyer, 2010, p.37). Thus, wealth does not guarantee risk mitigation efficiency in the new society order. Moreover, the new society order is characterised by a changing range of active citizenship. In this regard, active citizenship, membership, and the obligation of responsibility and duty to such memberships influence the society behaviours and actions. Thus, in the long run period, the behaviour and actions of a society may change. Based on the above analysis on the effects of a risk society status and the rise of increased number of active citizenship in the society, makes the development of fixed assumptions on such a society wrong (Fielding & Fielding, 2005, p.34). Therefore, rather than developing mixed assumptions on the society, stakeholders should strive to develop regular audits and reviews on the society. In this regard, the regular reviews should be conducted based on the society gradual changes and existing and expected situations, which have a direct impact on the members’ actions and behaviours. Conclusion In summary, the essay develops a critical evaluation of the Fukushima nuclear plant accident in Japan. In this regard, the essay’s main focus is on the role of organisations PR activities in the current changing society, as well as the risks of fixed assumptions on a public reaction in the market. In order to develop a strategic analysis of the issue, the essay applies both the risk society and the active/ passive citizenship theories. On one hand, the risk society theory, developed by Beck, argues that the existence of manufactured risks change the human actions and process as a means of mitigating them. On the other hand, the active citizenship theory states that, unlike the passive citizens who fall under the respective categories by rights, the active citizens are motivated by duty and responsibility. A case study evaluation of the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident illustrates a growing, active citizenship through the resultant lobby groups opposing the nuclear energy policies. Moreover, an evaluation of the case based on the risk society theory, it is apparent that the accident changed the perception in the society, which has led to increased demand for upward communication channels. In this regard, a strategic approach adopted by the active citizens to manage the risks has been increased activism in the energy industry. Thus, the essay concludes that while as mainstream PR is being replaced by up and down communication structures; development of fixed assumptions of public reactions is an outdated practice due to the regularly and frequently changing society risks. References Aldrich, P. D. 2012 Post-Crisis Japanese Nuclear Policy: From Top-Down Directives to Bottom-Up Activism, East-West Centre, New York. Chua, A., & Rubenfeld, J. 2015, The triple package: How three unlikely traits explain the rise and fall of cultural groups in America, Penguin Books, New York. Crick, B., & Lockyer, A. 2010, Active citizenship: What could it achieve and how?, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh. Fielding, M. L, & Fielding, M. L. 2005, Effective communication in organisations: [preparing messages that communicate], Juta Academic, Lansdowne, Cape Town Forsyth, D. R. 2010, Group dynamics. Belmont, Calif: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Hudson, W 2000, ‘Differential citizenship’, in W Hudson & J Kane (eds), Rethinking Australian citizenship, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, pp. 15–25. L’Etang, JY & Pieczka, M 2006, Public relations critical debates and contemporary practice, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, London. Mythen, G, & Walklate, S. 2006, Beyond the risk society: Critical reflections on risk and human security, Open University Press, Maidenhead Narasimha, R. E. C. V. 2010, Effective Public Relations and Media Strategy, India, PHL Learing. Read More