TTLV: Explaining from a sociological perspective the mutual assistance activities of residents in the northeastern region of Japan during the March 2011 double disaster

MASTER'S THESIS INFORMATION

1. Student's full name:Nguyen Tuan Khoi            

2. Gender: Male

3. Date of birth: November 11, 1990

4. Place of birth: Hanoi

5. Decision on recognition of students No. 2797/QD-XHNV-SDH dated December 28, 2012 of the President of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi

6. Changes during the training process: Change of thesis topic name

Old topic name:Explaining the psychology of Japanese people in disasters – the case of the Northeast disaster

New topic title: Explaining from a sociological perspective the mutual assistance activities of residents in the northeastern region of Japan during the March 2011 double disaster

7. Thesis topic name:Sociological explanation of mutual assistance activities of residents in the northeastern region of Japan during the March 2020 double disaster11

8. Major: Asian Studies Code: 60.31.06.01

9. Scientific instructor:Assoc.Prof.Dr. Phan Hai Linh(Department of Japanese Studies, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU)

10. Summary of thesis results:

This study analyzes the mutual assistance activities of Japanese residents during the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster through two main sources of data: (1) Japanese government reports on public relief and community assistance activities; (2) field investigation data and interviews with witnesses in the field. On that basis, the author uses sociological theoretical perspectives to explain the meaning and build a model of mutual assistance activities during this disaster. The March 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster, with the largest scale and extent of damage in Japan since World War II, has caused a state of emergency and stress in the lives of Japanese residents. However, the damage and stress caused by the disaster are very different between localities and even between areas within the same city. In that context, community mutual aid activities of civil and volunteer organizations have developed very vigorously, supplementing the citizen relief activities of the government and local authorities. In addition, field investigations also showed the existence of spontaneous, temporary mutual aid actions among witnesses in the early period immediately after the disaster, when external relief had not yet arrived. Community mutual aid activities are the result of the “new public” born in Japan after World War II, while spontaneous mutual aid actions are considered the result of an “utopian form of mutual aid community arising in the disaster”. In fact, spontaneous mutual aid actions can be considered the result of “communitas” – a “counter-structural” social relationship that arose in the “marginal” state of the disaster, existing dialectically with the class and institutional relationship of mutual aid activities from the government and the community.

11. Practical application:

- This study reaffirms the existence of emotional, spontaneous social relationships in a highly disciplined and institutionalized society like Japan, contributing a perspective on Vietnam's integration trend with the civilized world.

- The thesis has reference value for studies on community relations in modern Japan and social studies on disasters in general.

12. Further research directions:

Through a case study of Japanese mutual aid activities during disasters, the author hopes to further explore and develop the theory of “Japanese realism.”

13. Published works related to the thesis:

“Mutual assistance actions of disaster area residents in the Double Disaster in Eastern Japan” published in “Special lecture on Japan Studies – Disaster and Revival”, Vo Minh Vu (editor), The Gioi Publishing House, 2015

INFORMATION ON MASTER'S THESIS

1. Full name: Nguyen Tuan Khoi 2. Sex: Male

3. Date of birth: November 11, 1990 4. Place of birth: Hanoi

5. Admission decision number: 2797/QD-XHNV-SĐH, Dated on December 28, 2012 by the Rector of University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU-Hanoi

6. Changes in academic process: changes in thesis title

Old thesis title: Understanding psychological process of Japanese during disaster – case of Northeast Japan disaster

New thesis title: Understanding the mutual-help actions of residents in the Northeast Japan area during 311 double-disaster from sociological perspective

7. Official thesis title: Understanding the mutual-help actions of residents in the Northeast Japan area during 311 double-disaster from sociological perspective

8. Major: Asian Studies Code: 60.31.06.01

9. Supervisors: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phan Hai Linh (Japanese Department, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU-Hanoi)

10. Summary of the findings of the thesis:

This research analyzed mutual-help activities among Japanese residents during the double-disaster of earthquake and tsunami 311, by the following data: (1) reports of Japanese government on public reliefs and supports from communities; (2) field-works and interview data. Based on these analyses, sociological theories and perspectives are used to explain the meaning and to construct the model of mutual-help activities during this disaster. 311 double-disaster, which was the most terrible both in the level of quake and tsunami, and the level of damages since the Second World War, causing the tension and critical atmosphere in daily life of Japanese. However, the damages and critical level differ enormously from one prefecture to the others, and even between areas in the same city. In such context, supports from communities, for example, donations of civil society organizations and volunteers emerging vibrantly. These support complemented reliefs of Japanese center and local government to protect their citizens from insecurities. Additionally, field-work research also indicates the existence of spontaneous and momentary mutual-help actions between witnesses right after the occurrence of the disaster, when helps from outside had not come yet. Community supports might be derived from the “new public” formed in Japan after the Second World War, while spontaneous mutual-help actions could be the result of “disaster utopia” – the “extraordinary communities” arising in disasters. In fact, spontaneous mutual-help actions can be the result of “communication” – the “anti-structure” social relationship arises in the “liminality” of a disaster. This social relationship exists dialectically with the hierarchical, institutional relationships of support coming from government and.

11. Practical applicability, if any:

- This research reaffirmed the existence of emotional, spontaneous social relationships in such discipline over-respected and highly institutionalized society like Japanese society. This research also contributed a viewpoint of the author to the integration tendency of Vietnam into the civilized world.

- This thesis could be a valuable source of reference for researches on community relationships of contemporary Japan or sociological researches on disasters in general.

12. Further research directions, if any:

Through researching the case of mutual-help activities of Japanese during disaster, the author shows excitement at a deeper studying and developing the idea of ​​“Japanese realism”.

13. Thesis-related publications:

“Mutual-help actions of residents in disaster area during Great East Japan Earthquake” in “Specialized Lecture on Japanese Studies – Disaster and Restoration”, Vo Minh Vu Ed., The Gioi Publishers, 2015