Atsushi Yamamuro

<p>Nuclear accidents and similar events that take place during nuclear power development and utilization threaten the basic life security of people in nuclear hosting communities, which is built upon their health, social relationships, and plans about the future. Citizens in nuclear hosting communities need to deal flexibly with nuclear accidents, or their lives may suffer unexpected disruptions. These people are therefore faced with the challenge of maintaining their security in life by trying to reestablish their security in times of disaster. Grim realities, such as these, have prompted environmental sociology experts to tackle the question of how people in these communities can be assisted in their efforts to maintain their security.</p><p>In the past, researchers focused on people's opposing positions (e. g. either nuclear antagonists or protagonists) and much research has been conducted on the denuclearization movement. This paper, in contrast, gives attention to the self-reflective attitude of residents in nuclear hosting communities. This approach has been chosen because the initiatives of people in these communities have given birth to criticisms that are distinct from idealistic criticisms about reality. Therefore, these initiatives are expected to have a significant impact on the citizens' efforts to maintain security of life, which are distinct from the denuclearization movement.</p><p>This paper presents a provisional approach to understanding the continuous efforts of people in nuclear hosting communities to maintain security of life by giving attention to their shared experiences. These experiences define or expand on the ideas and practices related to their efforts to maintain life security. Therefore, attention was given to the question of the significance of the self-reflectiveness of people in relation to their initiatives.</p>