The ISP, or Independent Study Project, is written by students from the undergraduate programs of SIT Study Abroad and relates to a program theme. Using primary sources students choose topics with a manageable focus that can be carried out in a variety of settings, such as schools, nongovernmental organizations or field research stations. During the independent study period students work closely with a project advisor and other key contacts in the field. The ISP is typically a 20- to 40-page paper presented to student colleagues, the academic director and, often, the advisor and other interested host-country individuals.
Copyright permissions have been obtained by all contributors to this collection.
Submissions from 2015
Review or Rhetoric? An Analysis of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review, Sameer Rana, Pomona College
The Price on Our Practices: Motivation and Cultural Commodification in the Mongolian Tourism Industry, Joseph Recupero, Gettysburg College
Eating Out in Kathmandu: Restaurant Business and Nepal’s Urban Middle Class, Jessica Reid, Saint Michael’s College
NGOS, Community Associations, and Corporations in Partnership: CrossSectoral Collaboration in Serviluz, FortalezaCE, Leila Reynolds, Univeristy of Washington
“No todo se brilla” Tiempos de Espera: Reflejos de Estructuras Dominantes, Flora Richey, Carleton College
An Investigation of the Integration of Education and Mental Health Treatment into the Care of Diabetes in Syrian Refugee Women, Miller Richmond, University of Mississippi
Llama a tu abuela: mujeres cochabambinas en su tercera edad, Alexandra Ricks, Wesleyan University
Jordanian Special Needs Children’s Access to Services: Parental Perspective, Selena Rincon, Harvard University
Transnational Education Systems In Morocco: How Language Of Instruction Shapes Identity, Sarah Robertson, Scripps College
Hurdles to Health: An Exploration of the Social Determinants that Affect Attitudes toward HPV Vaccination in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, Megan Rogers, Seattle University
Too Many Rented Rooms: Creative Expression in the Tibetan Community and the Foreign Artist, Imogen Rosenbluth, Brandeis University
The Industrial Impact on Wetlands in Jinja and the Nexus of Industry, Wetlands, and Community (A Rights-Based Sustainable Development Approach), Ranger Ruffins, University of North Carolina
Jóvenes en movimiento: los papeles de la danza folklórica y contemporánea en las vidas de los jóvenes Cochabambinos, Maya Salas, Scripps College
Environmental Law in Madagascar: The Nagoya Protocol on Genetic Resource Use, Access and Benefit Sharing, Sarah Sanbar, Claremont Mckenna College
“Seguimos Siendo Indígenas” Una investigación sobre el discurso de los derechos y necesidades de la Comunidad Shipiba de Cantagallo como pueblo indígena en el contexto urbano de Lima., Janet Sanchez, Occidental College
Western Farmers’ Markets in Kathmandu: Vendor Perspectives, Caroline Saunders, Vanderbilt University
The Lucrative Business of Children: A Study of Child Trafficking in Nepalese Orphanages, Mira Saxe-Smith, Muhlenberg College
Women in Transition: Fighting Mentalities And Ensuring Political Participation in Post-revolutionary Tunisia, Hayley Schultz, Hope College
Soil total organic carbon and farmers’ perceptions associated with bokashi application in Cerro Punta, Panama, Emma Searson, Washington University
Social Responsibility and Enterprise: A Case Study of Les EauxMinéralesd’Oulmes Water Company in the Oulmes Region of Morocco, Kathryn Seibold, Colby College
Child Nutrition and Fitness in Switzerland and the United Kingdom: Analyzing Preventative Solutions for the Developing Obesity and Diabetes Crises, Nicolas Selemon, Bowdoin College
Inspiring Public Trust in the Domestic Legal System: The Impact of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), Jung Min Shin, Vanderbilt University
The Role of Productive Uses of Electricity in Rural Development: A Case Study of Xẻo Trâm and Hòa Đức Hamlets of Hòa An village, Vietnam, Gabrielle Short, University of Vermont
Conservation For Whom?: The Struggle for Indigenous Rights in Sagarmatha National Park, Jake Sivinski, Lewis and Clark College
Internal Migration: The Women Behind Bali’s Tourism Industry, Stephanie Skinner, James Cook University
Genocide in Northeast Brazil: Dismantling Colonial Legacies of Contemporary State Violence in Salvador, Kelsi Sleet, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Human impacts on water systems: Biological assessment of water quality in the Bosque Protector Río Guajalito (BPRG) using aquatic macroinvertebrates, Harrison Smith, University of Arkansas
Seeds of Peace: Visible Cooperation Between Jews and Muslims in Morocco, Namratha Somayajula, Oregon State University
Dasaran: A Medium for Grief in Bali, Anna Spencer, Colby College
Documenting a Wild Reality: The Experiences, Perceived Issues and Proposed Solutions of Four Actors in Human Wildlife Conflict in Jangwani Corridor, Tanzania., Jessie Springer, Hamilton College
Perceptions of Potable Water in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur and Barmer Districts, Melissa Spross, Texas A&M University
The Circle of Empowerment: The Nzinga Group's Approach to Empowering Afro-Brazilian Adolescent Girls and Women Through the Cultural Tradition of Capoeira Angola, Sofia Stafford, Duke University
The Pelagic Artisanal Fishing of Mangapwani, Northern Unguja, Shavonne Stanek, Oberlin College
Taking Root: An Analysis of the Best Method for Active Forest Regeneration in the Cloud Forest, Charlotte Startin, Scripps College
A Behavioral Analysis of the Pre-release Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) Currently at Devils@Cradle: An assessment of the impacts of captivity on the wild behaviors of Tasmanian devils that are important for their reintroduction, survival, and inclusion in wild populations, Anna Staudenmaier, Macalester College
The Digital Gap: An Investigation into the Access and Use of Internet in Matagalpa, Nicaragua, Kayla Steinberg, Macalester College
The Role of Occupational Therapy in Implementing Inclusive Education in a Residential Care Facility: A Case Study, Erica Steinhoff, Ithaca College
Perceptions of Safety Among Adolescents in Jordanian Host Communities: A Pilot Study Conducted In Housing Communities in Baqa’a and Ramtha, Katie Stevenson, Bates College
The Himalayan Gold Rush The untold consequences of Yartsa gunbu in the Tarap valley, Noah Stone, Middlebury College
Remnants of the American War: An Interactive Documentary, Jacob Sussman, Wesleyan University
An Avian Biological Gradient Across Tropical Dry Lowland Local Habitats at Playa Venao, Los Santos Province, Panama, Abigail Thomas, Stonehill College
Las Luchadoras Inspiradoras: El papel de las mujeres en los movimientos estudiantiles chilenos, Arielle Ticho, University of Northwestern
Marine Animalia Organism Diversity and Reef Condition on Two Reef Sites at Big Creek Beach and Boca del Drago, Bocas del Toro, Panamá, Bri Tiffany, Washington University
“Doce Pasos” en la Dirección Correcta: la adaptación cultural de prácticas terapéuticas en un centro de rehabilitación para hombres ecuatorianos, Jason Tinero, Washington University in St. Louis
Government and Private Primary Schooling in Rural Sikkim: Understanding Perceptions and Problems, Liam Toney, Pomona College
Intercountry Adoption and Child Sponsorship in Vietnam: A Practicum-Based Exploration of a Complex Relationship, Rainah Umlauf, Vassar College
PLACE REIMAGINED, Michelle Unger, Washington University
Water Quality in the Río Pastaza Watershed A comparative study of Ríos Topo, Zuñag, and Pastaza and the impact of the Topo Hydroelectric Project using Macroinvertebrates as Bioindicators, Jesse Vega-Perkins, Northwestern University
Habitat selection, behavior, and natural history of the newly described leaf chameleon Brookesia micra (Reptilia, Squamata, Chamaeleontidae; Glaw, Köhler, Townsend & Vences, 2012) on Nosy Hara, Madagascar, Andrew Villeneuve, Bowdoin College
Casa de los Ningunos: un estudio de caso sobre la re-imaginando de “Sumak Qamaña” en un contexto urbano y contemporáneo, Vanessa Voller, Colorado College
Assessment of Coral Health and Fish diversity in the Fringing Reefs of Porvenir Island and Korbisky Island, Guna Yala, Panama, Emily Waddell, Gettysburg College
B-Boy and Buuz: A Study of Mongolian Hip-Hop Culture, Quinn Graham Wallace, Mount Holyoke College
Sembrando el cambio: agroecología cuencana y paradigmas del desarrollo, Erin Walters, Whitman College
Contemporary Challenges of Urban Planning in Amman, Neena Wang, Washington University in St. Louis
A Study on The Multidimensional Effects of Animal Rights and Tourism in Bandia Reserve, Lauren Watwood, Oregon State University
God in Pre- and Post- Genocide Rwanda: Understanding People’s Perspectives, Ben Weinberg, Drake University
Confronting Cultural Challenges for Migrant Healthcare in Switzerland, Rebecca Weiss, Washington University in Saint Louis
The Restoration Process: Lessons from a Community-Based Conservation Initiative in Tunkhel, Mongolia, John Wendt, Colorado State University
El parto humanizado: perspectivas de profesionales en las maternidades públicas de Buenos Aires, Lara Kaplan Westbrook, University of Washington-Seattle
Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Sustainable Food Sourcing: Dayutang Village, Hani Rice Terraces, Nina Whittaker, Kenyon College
Why?-abetes: Understanding Diabetes Management in Rural Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa, Kyra Wicklund, Gustavus Adolphus College
Marriage Culture in Tunisia: Post-Independence to Post-Revolution Shifts, Emma Wilder Conover-Crockett, Kenyon College
“I’ve Taken My Own Power”: Insights into women’s empowerment and its effectiveness in different NGOs in Cape Town, Molly Willeford, Illinois Wesleyan University
Magnetic Island marine park zones: Effects of fishing restrictions on predatory reef fish populations, Casey Wilson, Gettysburg College
More Religious and Less Moral: The Changing Face of Religious Coexistence in Ladakh, Henry Wilson-Smith, Stanford University
The Jordanian Attitude Towards the Women’s Quota System, Aida Woldegiorgis, Bucknell University
La vida revivida: Una exploración de la salud, el medio ambiente y la cultura en los procesos de la producción ecológica de Cochabamba, Ethan Wood and Emily Wyler, University of Denver / Cornell College
Historical Perspectives on a National Heroine: R.A. Kartini and the Politics of Memory, Amber Woodward, Macalester College
Changes in Luoshui: How the Outside World Affects Luoshui Village and the Mosuo Culture, Lucy Woychuk-Mlinac, Macalester College
Percepciones de la muerte y la espiritualidad cristiana-aymara entre los proveedores del cuidado a los adultos mayores en Putre, Emma Wright, Duke University
The Challenge of Representing Community: Designing Content in Radio Sagarmatha and Community Radio Madanpokhara, Wesley Wright, Hope College
The Effect of Refugees on Jordanian Identity, Max Yenkin, George Washington University
Mutually Assured Survival: An Analysis of Globalization’s Influence on Nuclear Disarmament, Ryan Zehner, University of Colorado at Boulder
The Making and Re-making of Dolpo Identity: A Case Study of Do-Tarap, Lin Zhu, Sarah Lawrence College
Ouch, That Hurts: Childbirth-Related Pain Management and the Inappropriate Replacement of Traditional Obstetrical Knowledge in Kumaon, Uttarakhand, India, Sabrina Zionts, Wellesley College
Submissions from 2014
Comparison of Coral Reef Health: Lokobe National Park and Tanikely National Park, Northwest Madagascar, Kailani Acosta, Brown University
Modern Portraits of Childbirth in Exile in McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala: A Melding of Tradition and Innovation, Luna Adler, Barnard College
Cape Town on The Eve of The 2014 Elections: 12 Narratives on Political Efficacy and The Post-Apartheid Presidency From Langa and Stellenbosch, Richard Ahne, Claremont Mckenna College
New Study of Altitude and Butterfly Diversity Evaluation of butterfly diversity in La Hesperia and influence of altitude on diversity, Savannah Artusi, University of Virginia
Fuera de la Casa En Búsqueda de Espacios para Mujeres Jóvenes en Matagalpa / Outside the House Search Spaces for Young Women in Matagalpa, Brenna Bailey, Whitman College
A Strategic Alliance: An Exploration of Israeli-Russian Relations, Megan Bailey, DePauw University
Government Efforts and Personal Opinion Explain the Medicalization of Pregnancy and Childbirth Through Time in Lower Mustang, Nepal, Ruth Baker, Bates College
Don’t Diss the Reninjaza: A Case for Integrating Traditional Birthing Attendants into the Allopathic System to Improve Prenatal Health in Rural Madagascar, Shenna Bannish, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Shantideva’s Bodhicaryavatara: An Internal Pilgrimage to Universal Peace and Compassion, Meghan Barwick, Lehigh University
La Brigada Ramona Parra; Muralismo y Cambio Social en Chile / La Brigada Ramona Parra ; Muralismo and Social Change in Chile, Sarah Baumann, Rhodes College
How to Plan a Birthday Party: An Allopathy Enthusiast's Guide to Integrating the Values of Traditional Medicine into Childbirth, Emily Baumgaertner, George Washington University
Mama Nyani: A Study of the Correlation of Behaviors and Habitat in Papio Anubis, Madison Beran, University of Colorado At Boulder
Bioremediation of Polluted Zanzibar Seawater: The Nutrient and Bacterial Bioextraction Potential of Native Seaweeds and Bivalves, Katie Bergman, Wake Forest University
A Mixed Bag: The Inter-Religious Marriage Experience in Bali, Chelsea Bhajan, Washington University in St. Louis
Hip Hop Highways: Mapping Complex Identities through Moroccan Rap, Anisha Bhat, Pomona College
Educational Music: the role of music education, combined with the ideology of the popular education movement, in the development of the agency of children from Villa 21/24, Laurel Bingman, Rice University
Is the Smartphone Smart in Kathmandu?, Seth Bird, Trinity College
La Isla del Sol, Courtney K. Blackmer-Raynolds, Colorado College
Women's Health and Abortion Culture in China: Policy, Perception and Practice , Naomi Bouchard, Johns Hopkins University
Identity Crisis: Making Sense of Post-Apartheid Relationships Between Whiteness and Antiracism, Justin Bradshaw, Brandeis University
Exploring the Preservation of Pastoralism and the Natural World in Western Mongolia , Josephine Brownell, Colorado College
Violence Against Women and Machismo A research study of how Machismo justifies cases of violence against women and the psychological process that influence women to remain in abusive relationships in the city of Fortaleza, Rosa Cabrera, University of Colorado
The Invading Fly: Innovative Pest Management Solutions for Control of Bactrocera Invadens in Pemba, Zanzibar, McCall Calvert and Lindsay Gucker, University of Colorado At Boulder / Beloit College
Imagined Communities: Changing Markets and the Implications for 21st Century Mali China Migration, Mamasa Camara, Spelman College
Breaking Barriers: The Influence of Socioeconomic Status on Obesity among Women in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, Christina Camoriano, Santa Clara University