Ethnography Summary
Mark interviewed his father to gain insight into the life of a firefighter of 26 years who is nearing retirement. His father is on the far low end of the spectrum that we are considering and we hope that we can analyze his lifestyle to get an idea of what people are doing as they near retirement.
Date: 3/4/17
Type: Interview
Location: Facetime Interview
Team participants: Mark Egan
User Characteristics: “Motivated Do’er“
Male, Aged 49
Position: Battalion Chief FDNY
From: Staten Island, NY
What is this person about – what drives him/her?
Mark’s dad is very family driven and technically savvy, he finds himself being the person who is called by all family members whenever any sort of home improvements are needed. Keeping these skills sharp is something that he takes pride in.
Memorable quote from interview: “I’ve got the curse, but it’s important to know these things.” (When asked about his home improvement and carpentry skills, he responds that he has the curse of knowledge and is hence called upon by everyone imaginable to fix things around the house.)
Top 3 Learnings:
- Turning skills into hobbies is therapeutic and works the mind, keeping it sharp.
- Keeping up physical fitness into retirement is important for longevity of the body.
- Retiring at a young age can lead to many advantages, allowing extra time for many of the healthy practices that we have been seeing are important for retirees.
Key Insight – There are many ways to keep the mind sharp as we age. Some people obsessively read,
some play games, others practice skills.
ACTIVITIES:
- Running with dog
- Working at firehouse
- Reading newspaper
- Traveling with wife
ENVIRONMENT:
- Home
- Gym
- Firehouse
INTERACTIONS:
- Interacts with family
- Walks dog
- Work relationships
OBJECTS:
- Car
- Firetruck
- Running shoes
- Dog leash
USERS:
- Immediate and extended family
- Friends
- Fellow Firefighters
- Dog
- Neighbors