The People Factor

Stress changes the way the brain functions.  In this episode, we talk with Dr. Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg about his research into brain function and change as a result of urban stress.  It is a fascinating dive into how our environments shape who we are and how we respond the the world around us.

Join me in talking with my great friend Marcio Alves as we take a quick overview of migration to cities and the impact cities have on our psychological well-being.

Episode 18, Part 2 wraps up my 2015 interview in Austin Texas.  My goal in conducting these interviews was to try and understand experiences of people who moved by choice and how they compared to those who moved by force.  While there are as many stories and experiences as there are individuals moving, I wanted to see if some basic generalizations could be sifted out of these stories.  This interview with Pastor Joseph Parker of East Austin's David Chapel Missionary Baptist Church does a great job of encapsulating these experiences and explores strategies for smoother facilitation of migration into a community.

Hi all.  Due to unforeseen circumstances, I am not able to post the conclusion to my interview with Pastor Parker today.  Please enjoy this previous Episode on migration and I'll be back next week with Part 2 of Episode 18.  Have a great weekend.

In this episode, I’ll wrap up the interviews that I did during my April 2015 trip to Austin by sharing my interview with Pastor Joseph Parker.  The thing that I enjoyed most about talking with Pastor Parker was that, unlike my other interviews, Pastor Parker’s focused on changes in Austin from a community leader perspective rather than a personal story of migration. As the Senior Pastor at David Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, located in the heart of East Austin’s Chestnut Neighborhood, Pastor Parker has worked at the policy level to try and ensure that the culture of community in East Austin is preserved. And he shared with me the community’s vision, his disappointments and his hope for the future of his beloved community.

Today we’re going to hear from someone whose migration experience encapsulates both migration by choice and a move that was definitely forced. In fact, the forcing of this family from their business because of gentrification made the national news.  Join me for this 2015 interview with Sergio.

Join host Jane Turville in the conclusion of her interview with LaShonda as we take a look at connection to place in Central East Austin.

Please join in the conversation by email - [email protected] - or by leaving a message or a question on the People Factor page at Anchor.

Join host Jane Turville as she shares more stories of migration to and from Austin.  This episode includes stories from those who are moving within Austin and its surround by force, not choice.  Their stories reflect changes in Austin that aren't necessarily investments in those who call the city home.  Join the podcast and join the conversation at facebook.com/thepeoplefactor .

In this continuation of a 2014 interview with long-time Austin resident Red (who first coined "Keep Austin Weird") we explore migration from the viewpoint of those already living in place as more affluent migrants move in.

In Part 2 of this episode, we talk with Red, a native of Austin who moved back home.  Red is locally famous in Austin for coining the phrase Keep Austin Weird. Born in Austin, Red migrated quite a bit in his youth because he wanted to experience new places. But once that itch was scratched, Red decided to come home and at the time of our interview in 2014, he had made Austin his home for 30 years.

Red’s always been active in keeping an eye on changes in Austin. And, for our exploration, Red presents a very interesting dichotomy. He is both the new incomer as well as someone who strongly identifies with the place of his birth.