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Soon after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, on March 11, 2011, spots of relatively intense radiation contamination were discovered far outside Fukushima Prefecture, including parts of the Kantō region. However, the region was left unrecognized in the official discourse about the nuclear disaster, depriving it of sufficient countermeasures that could help the local communities. This study analyses the work of activist groups comprised of parents, primarily mothers, who organized regular thyroid cancer screenings for children from the Kantō region in 2013. While the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant accident has been the subject of numerous studies, none addressed the problematic ethical concept of epistemic injustice. Through the analysis of semi-structured interviews with Kantō region activists and physicians, as well as participant observations of group activities undertaken in 2013-2019, this study argues that thyroid screenings could be seen as an act to restore justice. Thyroid cancer screenings could legitimize activist claims for a safer environment, thus potentially allowing parents to have a voice in policy-making and to make positive changes in their community.
Academic dissertation (other)
