week_five_historical_interpretations
docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Southern New Hampshire University *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
100
Subject
History
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
docx
Pages
3
Uploaded by LieutenantHackerFinch8328
HIS 100
Professor Jessica Cappadona
Alfonso Gonzalez
29 September 2023
HIS 100 Module Five Activity Template: Historical Interpretations
Replace the bracketed text below with your responses.
Identify the topic you chose to explore:
Chernobyl disaster
Describe how exploring your research question improved your understanding of the historical roots of
your current event.
Investigating the Chernobyl disaster provided me with context regarding how nuclear
accidents can be influenced by political, social, and economic factors. The disaster shed light
on the role of government policies and regulations in nuclear safety. I learned that the Soviet
Union's secrecy and lax safety protocols played a significant role in the Chernobyl disaster. In
addition understanding the public and international response to the Chernobyl disaster,
including the spread of information, government actions, and public fear, helped me
understand how societies react to nuclear emergencies. Investigating the Chernobyl disaster's
aftermath, as documented by experts like Alexey V. Yablokov and Vassily B. Nesterenko,
highlighted the critical role of scientific research and advocacy in addressing nuclear disasters.
All of this helped me understand that the Fukushima incident that happened more recently in
Japan did not occur in isolation but within a broader historical framework of nuclear energy
and global politics. It made me wonder how the Fukushima disaster might have similarly far-
reaching effects on the environment, public health, and the perception of nuclear energy in
Japan and worldwide.
Explain how biased perspectives influence what is known about both your historical and current events.
Biased perspectives have played a significant role in shaping the narratives of both the
Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters. In the case of Chernobyl, the Soviet Union's policy of
secrecy and control over information led to a deliberate downplaying of the disaster's scale
and consequences. The Soviet Union obscured the full extent of the nuclear accident and its
immediate health and environmental impacts, creating a distorted initial narrative. Similarly,
in the context of Fukushima, Japan's close relationship with the nuclear industry and
regulatory agencies contributed to a tendency to downplay risks and prioritize economic
interests over safety.(Pritchard P.1) This bias influenced the dissemination of information
about the disaster's causes and impacts, potentially leading to an underestimation of its
severity. While industry interests may attempt to minimize the portrayal of nuclear accidents
and their long-term consequences, biases can also be seen on the other side of the argument
for example sensationalism in reporting can lead to misconceptions and fear of nuclear power.
(Inglehart P.1)
Propose how the narrative about your historical event might change if it were told from a missing
perspective.
If the narrative about Chernobyl were told from the missing perspective of the citizens directly
affected by the accident, it would likely provide a more human-centered and emotionally
charged account of the tragedy. For instance, with today's technology, such as smartphones
and social media, these affected citizens could instantly share their personal stories, photos,
and videos, giving the world unprecedented access to their experiences. This real-time
dissemination of information would make it incredibly challenging for any entity, including the
Soviet Union, to control the narrative as they did in the 1980s.
Witness accounts, shared through social media platforms, could vividly portray the immediate
chaos, fear, and confusion that gripped the region in the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster.
These personal narratives could also shed light on the heroic efforts of first responders, the
sacrifices made by local communities, and the struggles of those who faced long-term health
consequences. Overall, such a shift in perspective would humanize the tragedy, emphasizing
the resilience and suffering of the people affected, and potentially challenging the official
narrative that downplayed the severity of the accident.
Propose how the narrative about your current event might change if it were told from a missing
perspective.
If the narrative about the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan were told from the perspective
of the local residents and communities directly impacted by the disaster it could provide a
more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the event. This perspective might
emphasize several crucial aspects for example residents who were forced to evacuate their
homes and communities due to radiation concerns could provide firsthand accounts of the
emotional and logistical challenges they faced. People who were affected by radiation
exposure could help give testimony of their medical treatment as well as long term health
problems they faced. The economic consequences of the disaster could be shared through the
experiences of the local business owners who lost everything due to the disaster,
Incorporating these missing perspectives into the Fukushima narrative would create a more
balanced and human-centered account, highlighting the profound and multifaceted impacts of
the disaster on individuals, communities, and society at large.
Works Cited
Title: "Chernobyl: New Safe Confinement over reactor site unveiled"
URL: https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna42847069
Title: "Technical bases for the Chernobyl reactor No. 4 sarcophagus. Technical report"
URL:
https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6836183
Yablokov, Alexey V., and Vassily B. Nesterenko. "Chernobyl: Consequences of the Catastrophe for
People and the Environment." ResearchGate,
[Link:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273882622_Chernobyl_consequences_of_th
e_catastrophe_for_people_and_the_environment.]
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help