Why We Build Border Walls

Episode 1 of the Borders & Belonging podcast, hosted by Toronto Metropolitan University and openDemocracy, titled "Why We Build Border Walls" was published on October 25, 2022 and runs 38 minutes.

October 25, 2022 ·38m · Borders & Belonging

0:00 / 0:00

Summary

Since the 1990s, the world has seen a spike in border wall construction. What is driving the increase? The episode begins with a reflection from journalist Todd Miller on the dangers facing undocumented migrants along the Mexican border. Maggie Perzyna (researcher with the Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Migration and Integration program) is then joined by Douglas Massey (Princeton University) and Elisabeth Vallet (University of Quebec at Montreal). Borders & B...

Episode Description

Since the 1990s, the world has seen a spike in border wall construction. What is driving the increase? The episode begins with a reflection from journalist Todd Miller on the dangers facing undocumented migrants along the Mexican border. Maggie Perzyna (researcher with the Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Migration and Integration program) is then joined by Douglas Massey (Princeton University) and Elisabeth Vallet (University of Quebec at Montreal).

Borders & Belonging, produced by CERC Migration and openDemocracy, considers both the individual experience – the difficult decisions and many challenges faced by migrants on their journey—plus the global processes – the national policies, international agreements, trends of war, climate change, employment and more – that affect the movement of people.

Through interviews with leading experts from around the world, Borders & Belonging brings together the hard evidence with stories of the human experience to shift the common discourse and kindle new thinking in advocacy, policy and research.

A group of top researchers contribute articles that complement each podcast with a deeper dive into the themes discussed.

🎧 Follow Borders & Belonging on LinkedIn.

🌎 Have a question or episode idea? Email [email protected].

Share this episode

Similar Episodes

The Hidden Identity Shifts of Moving Abroad

Mar 23, 2026 ·47m

What Are You Driven By: Logic or Emotion?

Feb 23, 2026 ·51m

The Cost of Living Abroad

Feb 8, 2026 ·51m

Challenging Beauty Standards: A Deep Dive into Cultural and Personal Perspectives

Jan 24, 2026 ·47m

Accents, Attitudes and Assumptions

Oct 25, 2025 ·48m

None of Us Are Perfect: The Art of Consistency

Oct 11, 2025 ·41m

Similar Podcasts

The Wandering Book Collector Michelle Jana Chan The Wandering Book Collector with host Michelle Jana Chan airs regular conversations with writers exploring what's informed their books and their lives around themes of movement, memory, sense of place, borders, identity, belonging and home. The podcast has welcomed Booker and Pulitzer Prize winners and finalists, such as Bernardine Evaristo, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Karen Joy Fowler, Carla Power and Maaza Mengiste. The choice of writers is representative of the world around us, naturally. https://linktr.ee/thewanderingbookcollector Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. The Feminine Outliers The Feminine Outliers Join two globally-minded, culture-curious women as they share the raw, real, and sometimes radical journey of uprooting their lives from the African continent to forge new paths in the US and UK. This isn’t just about immigration, it’s about Self Discovery. Through bold conversations and honest storytelling, they unpack what it truly means to seek sovereignty in identity, womanhood, work, and self-worth despite where you are from or where you are headed. From navigating culture shock to redefining success, love, and belonging, this is a space for anyone who’s ever questioned the script and dared to live beyond borders. Living in a globalised world - for iPod/iPhone The Open University What are borders for? Who controls them, and why might people risk their lives to cross them? This album examines the border between Mexico and the United States as a symbolic place which both connects and divides people, highlighting complex issues about cultural belonging and national identity. Many disturbing aspects of border control are revealed through the stories of migrants, border guards, factory workers, factory bosses and activists. In the audio track, members of the course team give further insight into the issues raised by the video tracks, and discuss how borders illustrate many of the problems of globalisation. This material is taken from The Open University course DD205 Living in a globalised world. Living in a globalised world - for iPad/Mac/PC The Open University What are borders for? Who controls them, and why might people risk their lives to cross them? This album examines the border between Mexico and the United States as a symbolic place which both connects and divides people, highlighting complex issues about cultural belonging and national identity. Many disturbing aspects of border control are revealed through the stories of migrants, border guards, factory workers, factory bosses and activists. In the audio track, members of the course team give further insight into the issues raised by the video tracks, and discuss how borders illustrate many of the problems of globalisation. This material is taken from The Open University course DD205 Living in a globalised world.

URL copied to clipboard!