The Relationship Between “Global Meanings” and “Local Meanings”: A Case Study of Protests Against the Construction of the “Kaminoseki Nuclear Plant” in Iwaishima, Yamaguchi Prefecture

The relationship between “global meanings” and “local meanings”:

A case study of protests against the construction of the “Kaminoseki nuclear plant” in  Iwaishima, Yamaguchi Prefecture

YosukeTatsuno

Sophia University

　　How do global social movements relate to local social movements, and in what way does the former influence the latter? This presentation examines the relationship between “Global meanings” and “Local meanings” considering two analytic frameworks on social movements: cultural theories of social movements and the new social movement theories.

　　cultural theories of social movements pursue the "construction process and the source of meanings" (Nomiya 2002). On the other hand, the new social movement theory pursues the construction process of "collective identities" (Melucci 1996), in other words, this perspective highlights the fact that movement groups and participants construct ideas through the various interactions between them.

 　　In the present work, we provide a case study of a protest against construction of a “Kaminoseki nuclear plant” at Iwaishima located in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Attention is given to two groups. The first one is the “Iwaishima no shizen wo mamorukai”, a group that specializes in the environmental aspects of biological diversity. The second one is “Kamininoseki genpatu wo tatesasenai Iwaishima toumin no kai”, a group that specializes in the environmental aspects against construction of Kaminoseki nuclear plant. Using the investigation data of the voice of the participant in that two groups, we analyze the motive of participation, the resource of motive, and cultural factors (e.g. collective memories, local histories, and the scene), in order to find out the construction process of “global/local meanings” and “collective identities”.

 　　Lastly, we attempt to clarify that the “global meanings” was related to the significance of the “local meanings”, and highlight the resource of the“global/local meanings” and construction process.