Illusions of Safety : Culture and Earthquake Hazard Response in California and Japan

Illusions of Safetysurveys the cultural influences on responses to earthquake risk in both the United States and Japan. It compares and analyzes the attitudes of Japanese and Californian respondents for their shaping of individual responses to earthquakes.

This book is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. CMS-9542154 and CMS-9316749. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. We wish to acknowledge the collaboration of Professor Shinobu Kitayama of Kyoto University in sharing in the design of the study. Kitayama developed the application of the concepts drawn from "cultural psychology" to the specific research topic of earthquake hazards response, conducted focus groups in Yaizu and Shimizu that resulted in the development of a cross-cultural questionnaire design, was in charge of the survey execution in Japan, and participated in every stage of the analysis of survey results. Professor Mayumi Karasawa of Shirayuri College in Tokyo coordinated the administration of the survey research in Japan. In Japan, an undergraduate, Takahiko Masuda of Kyoto University, managed the data analysis and coordination with the Oregon team. In Oregon, two graduate students in geography participated in the study design and execution: Tom Kochevar, and Daphne Minton.