The People Factor

In a fresh twist on traditional perceptions, host and producer Jane Turville travels across America to explore the underlying impacts of population growth on human ability to thrive in a modern world.

Population numbers matter.

Most of us in industrialized countries don’t understand why. Most environmentalists don’t really know either, although they are sometimes quick to name population as a problem. And while many demographers, sociologists and economists collect fascinating data on specific demographics, their data doesn’t connect population size to the larger challenges we face in our everyday lives.

We just don’t seem to know how to talk about population growth. Instead, we settle for numbers, data and the occasional sound-bite. One thing we certainly don’t do include in the conversation is people!

Population growth isn't numbers or data. It's people. People in all their weird, wonderful, creative, opinionated, frustrating, beautiful glory. It's people having the choice and the opportunity to meet their deepest needs and thrive. It's people connecting with place, with home, with themselves and with the natural systems that unite us all.

THE PEOPLE FACTOR focuses on people. Specifically, how changing population numbers impact two key questions that every person on this planet asks themselves - “Who am I?” and “How do I fit in?” Their answers determine the level of fulfillment each person experiences. Does population growth impact how we answer these questions? If so, how?

To find some answers, we’ll take a road trip across America to talk with psychologists, sociologists, economists and environmentalist to explore how the answers individuals have to these questions are influenced by poverty, consumption and consumerism, sense of place, belief, aging societies and ageism, and the role of jobs and how we spend our time. We’ll talk with neurobiologists to explore how individual brain function impacts personal and social identity development. Through it all, we’ll continually relate population growth to what we discover to see how population numbers do, or don’t, impact our perception of self and community.

The purpose of this film project isn’t to draw hard conclusions, provide “answers” or advocate for one specific viewpoint. It is created to provide everyday, mainstream individuals with a platform for discussion based on something they understand fairly well – themselves and their own lives. If the project inspires questions and creates discussion, then I'll feel that I've succeeded. Please consider joining me by making a donation. Together, we’ll put people back into population!

Samples from project: https://www.vimeo.com/224356231 https://www.vimeo.com/224357356
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