How older people experience weather in everyday life: An ethnographic approach in an urban context

This is a qualitative research with an ethnographic approach that explores how older people experience weather in their everyday lives in an urban context; we investigate the relationship between everyday practices and weather... [ view full abstract ]

This is a qualitative research with an ethnographic approach that explores how older people experience weather in their everyday lives in an urban context; we investigate the relationship between everyday practices and weather in public and private spaces, adaptation strategies and perceptions about climate in the neighborhood. The participants live in the central region of Sao Paulo, Brazil, a highly urbanized city with 1.3 million people ≥ 60 yo and growing ageing index. The subtropical humid climate is usually cold/dry during the winter and hot/rainy during the summer.

The methodological approach included participant observation in public spaces for 14 months; 37 semi-structured interviews with residents ≥ 65 yo and document analysis (maps, temperature and demographic data). Participant observation was especially useful to investigate spatialities of weather-related practices in public areas; interviews captured perceptions and memories of places.

We identified physical, subjective and socioenvironmental aspects interwoven in weather related practices. There are gender-related aspects of practices in public and private spaces that must be considered when analyzing how participants take advantage of weather during leisure or when or they look after the home. The everyday life includes to anticipate (with embodied practices) and to adapt to the weather, negotiating strategies to keep routine outdoors and coping with uncomfortable urban conditions. This approach may generate interesting insights to understand weather-related practices in a potential climate change scenario.

Key words: ageing, everyday life, public space, climate change