November 21, 2013
The Takashi Iba Laboratory at the Faculty of Policy Management and the Satoko Oki Laboratory at the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies have created "Survival Language," a pattern language to promote preparedness for major earthquakes and swift action when an earthquake occurs.
Survival Language is a new type of disaster preparedness support tool for thinking about, communicating, and practicing preparedness and better actions to take during an earthquake.
It organizes practical disaster prevention wisdom into "small units" and gives them easy-to-remember names. It is hoped that these devices will make it easier for people to incorporate each piece of wisdom into their daily lives and discuss them with others. To enable swift decision-making and action during an earthquake, it uses memorable words and illustrations.
Survival Language is written in a descriptive format called "pattern language." In other words, it compiles practical wisdom on what kind of "problem" is likely to arise in a certain "context" and how best to "solve" it. Each of these pieces of wisdom is technically called a "pattern."
To give a specific example, the pattern "Everyday Use of Stockpiles" describes wisdom about stockpiling food and drinking water for a major earthquake. Even if you prepare for a major earthquake, it may not happen right away, so stockpiled food and water often expire. This defeats the purpose of stockpiling. Therefore, by purchasing slightly more food and water than usual, using them in your daily life, and replenishing them as you go, you can always maintain a fresh stockpile.
To give another example, the pattern "Life Over Furniture" states that during an earthquake, you should move away from furniture instead of trying to hold it in place. When an earthquake strikes, many people instinctively try to hold onto their furniture. However, in the strong shaking of a major earthquake, it is nearly impossible for a person to hold furniture in place, and they risk being crushed underneath it. It is crucial not to try to hold furniture during an earthquake but to move away from it immediately. Furthermore, furniture should be secured in the first place. There are effective and ineffective ways to secure furniture, and these are also included in Survival Language.
Thus, Survival Language compiles wisdom on earthquake preparedness and actions during an earthquake into small units. A key feature is that these small unit patterns are given memorable and easy-to-remember names, such as "Everyday Use of Stockpiles" and "Life Over Furniture." Through this verbalization, it is not only easier for individuals to remember and recall the information, but it is also expected to stimulate communication about disaster preparedness.
● Survival Language will be exhibited and presented at the Keio University SFC Open Research Forum (ORF), held at Tokyo Midtown on November 22 (Fri.) and 23 (Sat., holiday), 2013.
Booth B04 (Takashi Iba Laboratory)
"Passport to a Creative Society – Acting Flexibly According to the Situation"
For more details about ORF, please visit http://orf.sfc.keio.ac.jp/
● "Survival Language" Website: http://ilab.sfc.keio.ac.jp/survival/
Comment from Associate Professor Takashi Iba
What I always keep in mind when creating Survival Language is that "disaster preparedness is design." In other words, we see disaster preparedness not as something where you follow a prescribed method, but as something that each person "designs" for themselves according to their own situation. For example, thinking about stockpiling is "designing" your own life cycle. Also, thinking about how to secure furniture is part of "designing" your own living space. And deciding what actions to take when an earthquake occurs can also be described as an act of "design" in the form of instantaneous decision-making. Survival Language was created to support this "disaster preparedness design" for each individual. Since this project has just begun, we hope to continue creating many more patterns while recruiting new members.
→ "Survival Language" Website : The latest version of Survival Language is available here.
→ Facebook Page : Get the latest information on Survival Language.