Radioactive Performances: Teaching about Radiation after the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster
Following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster and its release of radioac- tive contamination, the Japanese state put into motion risk communica- tion strategies to explain the danger of radiation e
AK COVID-Development Studies Intersections
Aalok KhandekarI am currently in the process of transitioning my M.A. level course on Science, Technology, and Development with 11 students to virtual instruction. One of my interests in engaging with COVID-19 is to examine how it (should) informs development ideologies and practices. How should students of development studies retool -- conceptually, methodologically, practically -- in wake of the pandemic?
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erin_tuttleThe organization does have extensive data collected from its members on the number of veterans, what kinds of injuries they are facing, and the level of success in rehabilitation among other topics.
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erin_tuttleThe study aimed to discover new or more effective methods of studying long term effects of exposure to toxic agents. It describes the new insights including the effectiveness of simple studies, ensuring control groups, and methods to do research by using ecological aspects or involving the community in places where medical researchers are not entirely trusted.
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erin_tuttleThis report is comprised of several parts, beginning with an introduction. The report describes radiation exposure and effects that have been linked to the Fukushima disaster. Then it outlines future goals of increased awareness of the risks of nuclear disasters and the effects of radiation exposure as well as the need for a network of experts capable of sharing knowledge and expertise when needed. Finally the report mentions further studies being completed concerning the effect of radiation on children.
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erin_tuttleThe film shows the challenging decisions that have to be made by doctors, patients, and family members. Although in the end the decision to continue fighting a terminal illness rests with the patient, their doctors have the enormous responsibility of providing honest medical opinions in a way that allows patients to understand their illness and make educated decisions. The film showed how challenging that is for doctors when their instincts are to keep fighting until the end, to give their patients hope even when a treatment has a slim chance of working and could make the patient sicker.
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erin_tuttleThis program is one of many run by Handicap International, and supported by the United States Agency for International Development. The program was run at Healing Hands for Haiti (http://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-14990-haiti-health-first-in-haiti-tra…), with instructors from the Universidad de Don Bosco in El Salvador.
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erin_tuttle- The article referenced the Congo Republic’s Civil War as an incident responsible for a significant amount of sexual violence, I looked into the conditions there for non-military citizens in order to better understand the significance of government in public health.
- While looking into the history of Congo the issues of neutrality for organizations such as the Red Cross, the idea being that if humanitarian aid organizations do not provide an advantage for either side of a conflict they will be allowed to provide aid to more individuals. This has proven quite effective but does often mean that aid workers are left mostly undefended in areas of conflict as neither side will protect them from the other.
- Finally, I looked into the statistics of rape worldwide which showed not only that rape is still highly prevalent in all cultures but also that the reporting rates for rape are inaccurate in many countries without significant health infrastructure or a government interest in preventing or aiding survivors of sexual violence.
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erin_tuttleThe argument is made using footage from the events occurring in Monrovia during the Ebola outbreak and subsequent months, which allows for the audience to truly understand the difficulties and horrors caused by disease. The film did not include much scientific data on the virus, only stating that 11,000 people had died and over twice that many had contracted the virus. Due to the public awareness of the Ebola epidemic, as it occurred so recently, and the graphic footage included, the film invokes feelings of horror and sadness for the many who couldn’t be helped.
In the aftermath of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, citizen scientists collectively tracked and monitored residual radioactivity in Japan, legitimizing alternative views to an official assessm