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 2014
Métissage Culturelle: Identity, Aesthetics, and the Social Roles of Portraiture in Saint Louis du Sénégal, Shailee Wilson, University of San Francisco
El mundo del tejido: concepciones de identidad femenina y roles de genero en Chinchero, Cusco, Perú, Jamie Wollum, Tufts University
El crecimiento de narcotráfico en Rosario: violencia disciplinada y la resistencia social frente a este sistema / The Growth of Narcotrafficking in Rosario: Disciplined Violence and the Social Resistance to Resist this System, Caitlyn Yates, Trinity University
Renforcement des Femmes: WOPA and Sustainable Empowerment Through Vocational Training, Anna Youngmann, Siena College
For Want of Water, A Will: Community Participation in the Development of a Potable Water Project in Melio, Cameroon, Morgan Yucel, Pomona College
Schoolgirls’ Experience of Menstruation ss Expressed Through Body Mapping in a Quasi-Rural South African Village, Angela Zablotny, Boston College
El Modelo Médico, el Capitalismo y la Acción Pública: Un estudio sobre discapacidad y empleo en la Argentina / The Medical Model, Capitalism and Public Action:A Study of Disability and Employment in Argentina, Zoe Zakin, University of North Carolina
The Effects of Altitude and Micro-Spatial Habitats on the Physiognomic Characteristics of Syzygium Guineense in Mazumbai Forest Reserve, Erin Brynn Zalmanek, University of Colorado At Boulder
Dreaming Larger Than Life: Perceptions of South African Black Wealth and Aspirations of Success Among Young Adults at Wiggins Secondary School, Mikaela Zetley, Northwestern University
Influencias Antropogénicas en el Mantenimiento de los Senderos en el género de Hormigas corta hojas Atta, Glen Zinck, Tufts University
Submissions from 2013
Mapping the Knowledge Economy of Medicinal Plants in Northern Madagascar: Information and Resource Flow in Traditional Health Practices, Chanelle Adams, Brown University
Skype’s the Limit Testing the Value of Cross-cultural Relationship-building in International Development, Charley Allegar, Hamilton College
Fros, Weaves, and Kinks: The Social and Political Significance of Hair for Black and Coloured Women in Cape Town, Carol Antunez, Hamilton College
Implications for Soil Microbe Research: Investigations into the Feasibility of DNA Amplification from Stained Roots and Temporal Patterns in Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Communities., Catherine Ausland, Elmhurst College
Cultural Exchange: Afro Ethnic Tourism in Bahia, Ayana Oforiwah Austin-Depay, Pomona College
Out of this World: An Ethnographic Study of Mystics, Spirits, and Animist Practices in Senegal, Peter Balonon-Rosen, Tufts University
The Pertinence of Maternal Education on Child Immunization in Rural Uttarakhand: More Than Just Increased Rates, Sarah Banerji, Middlebury College
The Impact of the Chinese Rural Healthcare System on Infectious Disease: A Study of the History And Reform of Chinese Healthcare, And the Global Implications of Infectious Disease Control in China, John Barbadoro, Bates College
An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Khan Academy Videos for Teaching Mathematics at Menzi High School, Naman Barman, University of Southern California
El Papel De Ecoturismo en La Comunidad Nativa De Shintuya, Alto Madre De Dios, Peru: Las Percepciones De la Misma Comunidad, Dylan Barnes
A Shift in the Sector: International and National Volunteer Development Strategies in Modern Nepal, Megan Barrie, University of Colorado At Boulder
The Perception of Maternal Anemia and the Effect of Nutritional Education: A Qualitative Analysis Among Village Mothers in Rural Kumaon, Uk, Kelsey Bash, Colgate University
The Unique Commonalities of Identity & Social Action in Salvador, Bahia, Nephthalie C. Bernard, Wheaton College
An Exploration of Diabetes Care in Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal, Suburbs as Seen Through the Work of Diabetes South Africa, Mallory Bernstein, Muhlenberg College
Capacity and Implementation for Judicial Reforms in Morocco: “Painting a Building that is Collapsing”, Hally Bert, Bates College
Measuring and Improving Sustainable Resource Management at Byron Region Community College, Jeremy Betterley, Ithaca College
Bridge Across the Divide: Rewriting a New Historical Narrative in Derry~Londonderry, Elena Bilodeau, St. Michael's College
Adapting & Appropriating Art from Afar: Negotiating a Global Identity Through Popular Culture, A Study of Salsa in the Senegalese Context, Elizabeth Bockenfeld, George Washington University
What Happens After Chelibeti Bechbikhan: A Study of the Reintegration and Rehabilitation Process for Women who Have Been Trafficked or Sexually Exploited in Nepal, Mary Mackenna Bowles, Rollins College
“We Give Way:” 6 Narratives of the Academic Negotiation Between English and Afrikaans at The University of Stellenbosch, Alexis K. Boyer, George Washington University
Production, Culture, and Representation: An Anthropological Exploration of Food in Kathmandu, Nepal, Blair Brady, Tufts University
Cameras and Incense: Negotiating Religious Dance on Tourist Bali, Emma Brandt, Brown University
Cape Town Performance Poetry: The Activist’s pen is Mighty, Kelsey Rae Brattin, Illinois Wesleyan University
Opinions of Individuals in the Greater Durban Area Concerning Government Healthcare, Alexander Braun, Middlebury College
The Institutional and Social Integration of Child Asylum-Seekers in the Schools and Society of the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland, Sonja C. Brinker, University of Colorado At Boulder
Pollinator Habitat Availability and Diversity in Various Tropical Agroforestry Management Systems of Coffea Arabica in Santa Clara, Chiriqui, Julia Brokaw, Cornell University
The Impacts of Education: A Case Study of Muslim Women in Ngaoundéré, Cameroon, Margo Brookfield, University of Oregon
Una Lucha Contra la Corriente: Análisis de la ley 779 Ley Integral Contra la Violencia Hacia las Mujeres en Nicaragua, Christina Brown, Warren Wilson College
The Movement of a Movement: VETËVENDOSJE! and the Transition from Grassroots to Government, Helena Bruce, Macalester College
Standardized Chaos: A Portrait of the Indonesian Education System, Andrea Bucciarelli, Hamilton College
Carbon Can’t Buy Happiness: An Analysis of Ecological Footprints and Happiness of University Students in the City of David, Panama, Samantha Burlager, Macalester College
Reviviendo Las Voces Perdidas: El Papel de la Educación Intercultural y Bilingüe (EIB) en el Sistema Educativo Chileno, Ashlie Busone, Gordon College
Fanta Fanafody: Malagasy Traditional Medicine in a Globalized World, Mary Buswell, Carleton College
Impacts on the Contemporary Visual Arts Community in Samoa, Sarah Cancelarich, Bates College
The “Good” South African: Concepts of Nation-Building and Social Cohesion in the Public School Setting, Kristi Carey, Colgate University
Tanzanian Agricultural Markets and the Resulting Effects on Farmers Market Mechanisms at a Local Level in the Western Usambara’s Lushoto District, Carson A. Casey, University of Vermont
Evolving Stages: Duty and Fate in the Construction of Tibetan Tradition, Divya Chandramouli, Mount Holyoke College
Uganda’s Cotton and Textile Sectors: Current Production Challenges, Motivations and Effects on Development, Daniel Geiser Chell, California Lutheran University
Transitional Justice and its Role in Development in Post-Conflict Northern Uganda, Jessica Chirichetti, George Washington University
Water Access and Security for Mongolian Peri-Urban Communities in the Face of Climate Change and Development, Heather Cook, University of Denver
Quechuañol: Préstamos lexicales en el quechua de Cochabamba, Kyle Coombs, Macalester College
Food from Foreigners: Examining Expatriate Entrepreneurship in the Food Sector of Nepal, Melanie R. Couchman, Kenyon College
Marine Turtle Health Assessment and Aquarium Suitability: Uzi Island, Zanzibar, Olivia “Warda” Crane, Gustavus Adolphus College
Singing With Griots in Dakar: How Traditional Vocal Music has Traversed the Ethnicities, Languages, and Generations of Senegal, Bridget Anne Creedon, Gettysburg College
The Modern Status and Future of Dongba Religion, Chris DeLacy, University of Oregon
Factors Influencing Access to Healthcare Services, Melissa Delia, University of Pittsburgh
To Vote or Not to Vote: Youth Political Agency in Post-Revolutionary Tunisia, Sarah Dickson, Colgate University
“Let’s Talk About Sex, Baby”: An Explorative Study of Sexual Communication Between Heterosexual Couples in The Netherlands, Maggy Di Costanzo, University of Puget Sound
Motivations to Migrate: Migration from Morocco and the “Failure” of Rural Development During the Eurozone Financial Crisis, Alexander Djaha, Colgate University
Special Education: A Comparison Between Special Education in Bali and in America, Jacey Ann Dold, Gettysburg College
El peso profundo de 9 millones de toneladas: Un Análisis de los Efectos del Modelo Sojero Paraguayo en las Vidas de Mujeres Campesinas = The Heavy Weight of 9 Million Tons: An Analysis of the Effects of the Paraguayan soy Model on the Lives of Rural Women, Abigayle Dolmseth, Claremont Mckenna College
Gagner La Vie: Examining Return Preparedness and Resource Mobilization Among Moroccan Immigrants to France who Return to Live Permanently in Agadir, Morocco, Karolina Michelle Dos Santos, Harvard University
HAKI: A Musical Activism Project, Katrina Doyle, George Washington University
Acquário Ceará: The Future of Tourism in Fortaleza, Elizabeth Duffield, University of Virginia
¿Mi Casa es Su Casa?: Inmigración, Discriminación e Interculturalidad En Liceo Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra, Kathia Dumelle, Rice University
Balancing Conservation and Development: A Case Study of Economic Efficiency in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, Louisa Dunwiddie and R.Turner Shaw, Claremont Mckenna College / George Washington University
La Vulnerabilidad de la Tercera edad en Desastres Naturales: Un Estudio de la Inundación en La Plata, Argentina el 2 de abril de 2013 = The vulnerability of the elderly during natural disasters: A study of the flooding in La Plata, Argentina on April 2nd, 2013, Katelyn Dutton, Barnard College
Femininity, Dependency, and Patriarchy: The Marginalization of Women With Japanese Encephalitis and Neurological Sequelae in the Northern Terai Region of Uttar Pradesh, Katherine Ehrenreich, Macalester College
Transmission of Traditional Agricultural Knowledge: Intergenerational or International? Examining Youth’s Involvement in Agriculture, Georgia Elgar, University of New Hampshire Durham
“hariyo ban Nepalko dhan” (“Nepal’s Wealth is the Green Forest”): The People’s Participation in Structuring Sustainable Development through Community Forestry, Natasha Eulberg, Gettysburg College
Mas Que EL Apoyo Academico: La Educacion no formal y el Programa Servicio Pais Educacion, Leah Ewald, Hope College
What Really Matters: A Triangular Study of Gender Roles and Standards of Beauty in Cameroon Through the Lens of Television Advertisements, Deborwah Faulk, Spelman College
Effects of Ocean Acidification on the Behavior of Two Marine Invertebrates: A Study of Predator-prey Responses of the Molluscs Conus Marmoreus and Strombus Luhuanus at Elevated-CO2 Conditions, Jennifer Fields, Pitzer College
Vision 2035 and the Kribi Deep Seaport: An analysis of the Economic Impacts for Cameroon, Charlotte Fisken, Pomona College
William Hodges and Thomas Daniell: Picturesque Representations of “Hindoostan”, Nathaniel Fitch, Gettysburg College
Tibetan Women Tailors: Sewing a Community of Tibetan Women Tailors, Charlotte Fleming, Williams College
A Case Study of Rural Finance Self-Help Groups in Uganda and Their Impact on Poverty Alleviation and Development, Rebecca Flynn, University of Notre Dame
The Social Lives of Pots and Potters in the Kathmandu Valley, Briana Foley, Reed College
Integrating Music into Samoan Primary Schools: Teachers’ Perceptions and Potential Benefits, Jennifer Fortin, Saint Michael’s College
An Autoethnographic Exploration of Holistic Wellness Through Three Paradigms of Wellness; Western Medicine, Traditional African Healing, and Herbalism., Alison Frankel, Tulane University
Most 81/82: An Artistic Demonstration Against the Dehumanization of Society, Hope Fried, Smith College
Desde Basura, una Cultura: El sitio Samarina, La Libertad, Ecuador, Alexandra Friedl, University of the South
The Modern Opinions Regarding Polygamy of Married Men and Women in Dakar, Hannah Fried-Tanzer, George Washington University
Access to Capital in Dakar: An Analysis of Microfinance, Michael Furlane, Tulane University
Living Openly: 2 Narratives of Black and White Lesbians Living in Cape Town, Rebecca Gant, Franklin & Marshall College
The Art of Controlling a Meteorological Event: Responsibility of the Government and Perspectives of the People Regarding Flooding in the City of Buenos Aires, Jennifer Giffels, Providence College
Poverty, Wealth, and How Traditional Medicine Would Benefit the United States, Becky Darin Goldberg, Tufts University
Even Flowers Bloom on Unmarked Graves: Stories of Disappeared South Africans, Willa Goldberg, St. Edward's University
Through Women’s Eyes The Development of Lijiang and Nakhi Cultural Change, Wyatt Gordon, Skidmore College
Written Journalism in Vietnam, Conor Grant, Middlebury College
The Need for a More Stable Cacao Industry, Lauren Griffith, Siena College
Examining the Effectiveness of the Millennium Villages Project Through the Health and Education Sectors: A Case Study in Ruhiira, Uganda, Meixi Guo, Vanderbilt University
Headlines in Rhyme: A Case Study on Le Journal Rappé as an Agent of Senegalese Sociopolitical Change, Jessica Hackel, Boston University
Los Efectos de La Educación Intercultural Bilingüe en la Ciudad de Cusco, Lilly Hacker, Warren Wilson College
HIV/AIDS in Yunnan Province: A Study of Stigma and Support, Sofia Haile, Macalester College
Modernization and Its Effects in Loma Bonita: A Leap from Historical Subsistence Agriculture into the Precarious Commercial Market, Piper Halpin, University of Colorado At Boulder
Twenty Years Later: Perceptions and Understandings of Democracy in Durban, Kwazulu-Natal, Jennifer Hamilton, George Washington University
An Evaluation of Potential Management Options for the Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) Population in Kizimkazi, Zanzibar, Rebecca Hamilton, Rollins College
Land Law, Land Rights, and Land Reform in Vietnam: A Deeper Look into “Land Grabbing” for Public and Private Development, Kaitlin Hansen, Northwestern University
"Let It Come From the People”: Exploring Decentralization, Participatory Processes, and Community Empowerment in Western, Rural Uganda, Rachel Harmon, Cornell University