With the usual apologies for cross-postings to different mailing lists, members may be interested in two articles that I have had published in recent month.


The first is 'Developing a Model to Explain Modifications to Public Transportation Accident Memorials' which has been published in Mortality.

Abstract:

With the notable exception of modifications to memorials related to the Titanic, public transportation accidents have remained largely ignored by the academic community. This article fills a gap in the literature by developing a model to explain modifications which occur many years after the event. Such modifications, beyond the financial means of most individual families, are unexpected given that the lack of need to reinterpret the event, as often occurs with modifications to memorials which may have a wider social significance. The article develops a model using existing literature on transportation accident memorials, memory studies and death studies, pointing to the need for three factors: local approval, co-ordination (of both people and funds), and a trigger. In relation to the trigger, the model finds that this relates to the continuation of the bereavement process as well as potentially issues relating to 'dark tourism'. Having developed the model, it is tested against the case study of a modification made to a memorial, Irei-no-Sono, for the world's largest single-plane crash, JAL flight JL123. The article finds, in addition to the model working for this case, there is a need for bereavement theory to be better used within studies on memorialisation.

For further information about this article see: https://hoodcp.wordpress.com/other-selected-research-publications/developing-a-model-to-explain-modifications-to-public-transportation-accident-memorials/


The second article is 'Disaster Narratives by Design: Is Japan Different?', published in International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters.

Abstract:

Disaster movies remain a relatively under-studied "genre" of narrative, particularly in relation to which conventions are used within such narratives. One of the key works is by Yacowar (2012) and not only categorized disaster narratives into eight types, but also highlighted 16 conventions that exist in these movies. However, that study was done in 1976. Furthermore, Yacowar's study was primarily on English-language narratives. Just as Mileti (1999) has suggested that disasters are "designed" by a range of cultural and social influences, are disaster narratives similarly constructed through inherent cultural and social influences? This article not only looks at the conventions in 38 disaster narratives covering the 40-year period from 1978 to 2018, but it also analyzes 22 Japanese-language narratives in order to assess the degree to which conventions may be universal. Japanese disaster narratives were chosen due to Japan being linguistically and culturally different from the countries where English-language narratives were made, and that Japan has a developed film industry and one that has produced many disaster movies over the years. The article finds that many of the conventions suggested by Yacowar no longer apply, but that there are 17 conventions that can be placed into one of three groups; those found in English and Japanese narratives, those found only in the former and those found in the latter. That there are three separate groups reveals that there are clear differences between what constitutes a disaster narrative in different areas. These differences, ultimately, are likely to not only influence the degree to which a narrative will be successful in its own country, but also the degree to which it could be exported to other countries.

For more information, see: https://hoodcp.wordpress.com/other-selected-research-publications/disaster-narratives-by-design-is-japan-different/


All the best,
Christopher Hood


--
Dr Christopher P. Hood
Reader in Japanese Studies
School of Modern Languages
Cardiff University

Darllenydd yn astudiaethau Sianpeneg
Yr Ysgol Ieithoedd Modern
Prifysgol Caerdydd

66a Park Place
Cardiff
CF10 3AS
United Kingdom

Email: HoodCP@Cardiff.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)29 2087 4515
Mob: 07905 821109

66a Plas y Parc
Caerdydd
CF10 3AS
Y Deyrnas Unedig

Ebost: HoodCP@Caerdydd.ac.uk
FFôn: +44(0)29 2087 4515
FFôn symudol: 07905 821109

Twitter: @HoodCP
Line: HoodCP
Skype: christopher.p.hood
http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/modern-languages/
https://hoodcp.wordpress.com/
Cardiff University is a member of the Russell Group of Universities.
Cardiff University is a registered charity, No.1136855.
Please write to me in English or Welsh or Japanese.

Mae Prifysgol Caerdydd yn un o brifysgolion Grŵp Russell.
Mae Prifysgol Caerdydd yn elusen gofrestredig, rhif.1136855.
Ysgrifennwch ataf yn Gymraeg neu Saesneg neu Siapeneg.


Recent publications
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'Disaster Narrative by Design: Is Japan Different?' in International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters
https://bit.ly/342tGDN

'Contents Tourism in Plane Sight', in Seaton, P., and Yamamura, T., Contents Tourism and Pop Culture Fandom: Transnational Tourist Experiences
http://bit.ly/396aLJu

'Developing a model to explain modifications to public transportation accident memorials' in Mortality
http://bit.ly/3a7i17W

Japan: The Basics http://bit.ly/2w3AF23

Osutaka: A Chronicle of Loss in the World's Largest Single Plane Crash
http://bit.ly/393jvjp

Dealing With Disaster in Japan: Responses to the Flight JL123 Crash, http://bit.ly/2PpnwXV