Interviews: Looking Back Fifty Years

New Zealand By Experience is a series of interviews conducted by our team members with family and friends. The goal of this project was to listen to New Zealanders who have lived through significant changes that New Zealand has seen in order to gain the kind of insight that only comes from ‘being there’. We wanted to look backwards in order to gauge the extent of change over the last fifty years and thus explore the potential for change in the next fifty. Our target was to interview, using a questionnaire, a select group of individuals who lived through this period of change (now in their 60s and 70s). This has helped us develop the Conversations (see our June 2008 Newsletter) and forms part of the background for our scenario work. Many thanks to those who participated:

  • [sg_popup id=”24″ event=”click”]Geoff Bradshaw[/sg_popup]
  • [sg_popup id=”25″ event=”click”]Yvonne Curtis[/sg_popup]
  • [sg_popup id=”26″ event=”click”]Peter Jackson[/sg_popup]
  • [sg_popup id=”27″ event=”click”]Ted Watson[/sg_popup]
  • [sg_popup id=”28″ event=”click”]Rex White[/sg_popup]

Questionnaire

  • 
Name:
  • Age/birth year:
  • What is your background?
  • Are you happy for us to use these answers in our report?
  • What events have occurred (nationally or internationally) in your lifetime that you believe significantly influenced New Zealand?
  • What events have occurred (nationally or internationally) in your lifetime that you believe significantly influenced you as a person and your decisions?
  • What events have occurred (nationally or internationally) in your lifetime that may have not had large national impact, but stand out in your memory? Why do they stand out?
  • What technological advancements stand out as particularly significant and why?
  • What have been the most destructive events over your lifetime, be it natural disasters, violent events etc? Why?
  • Over your lifetime what have been significant social concerns and how have they manifested themselves?
  • Are there any periods of social concern or fear that in hindsight were unwarranted? (for instance the Y2K Bug or fear of alien invasion)
  • What New Zealand political speeches, stances or actions stand out as having an impact on you or our country and why?
  • In what way have the characteristics which shape and define New Zealand’s culture changed in your lifetime?
  • What are your biggest concerns for the future of New Zealand and why?
  • Is there anything you feel that has been left out of this interview that you would like to mention?