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 2012
The Life of a Child: Learning, Imitating, and Interacting Among Children in the Northern and Ashanti Regions, Annie Alexander, Juniata College
La Vista desde Arriba: El Uso de Cartografía Participativa para Empoderar a las Comunidades y Promover la Conservación del Medio Ambiente Los mapas como Herramienta en el proyecto de Cacao Silvestre en Baures, Beni, Lily Alexander, Macalester College
Prettiest in Pink? Dutch Teenage Girls and Femininity, Leah Allen, St. Michael's College
Régulations de l’Usage et de la Possession de Terre: Exploration de l'Efficacité des Règles Officielles Concernant la Gestion de Terre et Perceptions des Lois par les Habitants d’Andranomena Dans la Région Menabe, Ben Armstrong, University of Puget Sound
The English Language: Exploring its Educational, Economic, and Social Market Value in New Delhi, Andrea Asai, University of Oregon
Progression of Aesthetic: a Study of Beads and Adornment in Contemporary Krobo Society, Jordan Ashe, Spelman College
The Importance of Play to Childhood Development: A Child’s Right to Play While Living With HIV/AIDS, Rachel Bambrick, Ithaca College
Perspectives of Czech Youth Activists: Political Culture & the Cycle of Passivity, Alex Bargiacchi, Gettysburg College
Geological Survey of Cueva Guhamra, Cassandra L. Baumgartner, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Whose Gay Town is Cape Town? An Examination of Cape Town’s Gay Village and the Production of a Queer White Patriarchy., Mollie Beebe, Macalester College
To Huddle or Not to Huddle: That is the Question. A Brief Study of the Basis for Huddling Behavior in Eulemur rubriventer, Tessa Behnke, Colorado State University
Fund My Trip: Is Outmigration Changing the Functioning of Microfinance in Rural Areas?, Vadim A. Berg, George Washington University
La Contaminación Intradomiciliaria por Combustibles en las Casas de la IX Región de Chile, Hannah Bewsey, Claremont Mckenna College
Educación Intercultural y Bilingüe para todos: Espoleando para un Quiebre Potencial en las Normas de la Sociedad Chilena, Elizabeth Bickley, University of Virginia
Las Prescripciones de Alimentación en la Cultura Mapuche, Suzanne Block, University of Pittsburgh
‘Boys Boys’ Talk, ‘Girls Girls’ Talk: Gendered Approaches and Strategies towards Modern Contraceptive Use in Urban Kumasi, Yasmin Boakye, Washington University St. Louis
Creating Dignity Out of Despair: The Impact of the 2009 Decriminalization of Homosexuality in Delhi, Diana Boesch, Whitman College
The VACB model in Hòa An Village and Xeo Trâm Hamlet: Comparison and Analysis through a Gendered Lens, Alyssa Bosold, Gettysburg College
Goals, Challenges, and Successes of a Girls Development Organization in Kenya : A Case Study of Moving The Goal Post (Kilifi, Kenya), Madeline Boston, Middlebury College
Tujiin Nars: A Story of the Forest, Julia Bowman, University of Denver
International Coordination and Response to the Quality of Teaching in Refugee Camp Settings, Alexandra Box, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
How Pescadores Become Produtores: Gender, Family, and Sustainable Living on Brazil’s Northeast Coast, Wren Brennan, Macalester College
Actores Secundarios en el Movimiento Estudiantil Chileno en 2011 y 2012: Un análisis comparativo de la Asamblea Coordinadora de Estudiantes Secundarios y la Coordinadora Nacional de Estudiantes Secundarios., Carly Brook, Pacific Lutheran University
Investing with an Impact: Moving Business Beyond Profits, Graham Pansing Brooks, Emory University
La Etnoeducación Afroecuatoriano: una Herramienta, una Estrategia, un Arma, Haverty Brown, Whitman College
Bent out of Shape Embodied Knowledge in the Art of Copper Repoussé, Tierney Brown, George Washington University
Somos Seres Humanos: Radio, Comunidad y Vida en Íntag, Grant Buhr, University of Illinois at Chicago
Paleoecological Study of Unguja: Can Past Environments be Inferred from Fossilized Corals and Mollusks?, Meredith Burger and Jory Lerback, Denison University / Franklin & Marshall College
Comunicación entre Personal Médico y Pacientes Indígenas un Estudio de la Medicina Intercultural en Huancarani, Cusco, Peru, Jordan Cahn, Denison University
An Outline of Contraceptive Use in Mali, Lillie Carlile, Macalester College
A Proxy War or A Struggle for National Liberation: The Ideological Motivations and Human Rights Considerations of the United States-Contra Alliance, Sarah Cassel, Wesleyan College
A Necessary Effort: The Construction of a Binational Immigration Policy for Nicaraguan Immigrants in Costa Rica, Irma Castañeda, Wheaton College
Organic Cacao Farming in Transamazônica: An Assessment of Sustainable Livelihood Development, Stephanie Cesario, University of Vermont
From Recyclers to Risk-Takers: The Social, Economic and Political Challenges of Selling Second-Hand Clothes in Kenya, Hailey Chalhoub, Stonehill College
Mecanismos de Opresión: Una Exploración del Género en La Población del Folklore, Alicia Chatterjee, Tufts University
The Costs of Class: Private Schooling, Parental Choice, and Class Aspirations among Kathmandu’s Working Poor, Andrew Chen, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Himali Didi: Finding the Strength in the Women of Nepal, Emily Cheung, Skidmore College
Evaluating CERES Fair Food as an Urban Sustainable Food Initiative: A Comparison of Retail Pricing, Wholesale Pricing and Food Miles for a Healthy Food Basket, Stella Chung, Brown University
The Current Education System in Senegal: A Closer Look at the Advantages and Disadvantages of Attending a Private Catholic Institution in Dakar, Erin Clasby, Boston College
The Attitudes and Perceptions of the Local People Towards the Durgun Hydropower Plant, Francis H. Clougherty, Sonoma State University
Nationalism and Painting in Colonial Bengal, Jasmin Cohen, University of Puget Sound
“The Invisible Disability:” Perceptions and Potential of Children with Autism in Kisumu, Kenya, Talia Cohen
The State of Artisanal Fisheries in Southern Unguja: Governance, Conservation and Community, Nathanial Colbert-Sangree, Oberlin College
Indicadores de Maduracion Sexual y Su Relacion Con Indices de Masa Corporal (IMC) y Habitos de Alimentacion en Escolares Femeninas de Arica, Chile, Melissa Colden, Ithaca College
Conocimientos y conductas sexuales en trabajadores migrantes (Arica, Chile), Anna Conley, Washington University in St. Louis
Descubriendo el Otro Lado de mi Ración Diaria de Quinua: El caso de Coqueza., Rebecca Croog, Gettysburg College
El Desarrollo Comunitario de la Comunidad Mapuche de Llaguepulli a Través de su Proyecto Turístico., Blair Curcie, University of Richmond
Take Back Rondebosch Common: A Case Study on Discontent With the DA and Urban Land Reform in Rondebosch, Cape Town., Kyle Dallman, Beloit College
Inteñas en Acción: El eco-feminismo y el Desarrollo Alternativo en Íntag, Ellicott Dandy, Colby College
The Interdependence of Gedi Ruins and the Giriama: A Study of Ancestral Spirits, Jinn, and the Impact of Islam, Tucker Deady, Dickinson College
Confronting Agrarian Crisis and Deconstructing Farmer Debt: The Story of Sulthanpur Village, Andhra Pradesh, Erica DeJong, Macalester College
The Effect of Climate Change on Mongolian Herding Communities: Investigating the Current Prevalence of Ecomigration and Community Perceptions of and Responses to Migration in the Countryside, Rachael Diniega, University of Virginia
Education Structures for Ecotourism: A Case Study on Shangri-La, Ruth Donaghey, Providence College
Tibetan Guozhuang in Diqing Autonomous Prefecture: A Comparative Musical Analysis, Christina du Breuil, Northwestern University
The Application of Biomimicry Design Principles in Sustainable Agriculture Systems: A Permaculture Case Study, Jillian Du, University of California, San Diego
Water and Sanitation: A Study of Deserted IDP Camps in Lapul Sub-county, Patrick Dunlap, St. Edward's University
Managing Diversity and Dealing with the Obstacles to Integration of Non-European Union Migrants: A Comparison of Policies in the Netherlands and France, Eryn Eby, University of Puget Sound
Educando Para el Futuro Mapuche: Un estudio de caso de la Enseñanza Intercultural en Nivel Media en la IX Región de Chile, Henry Edelstein, Carleton College
Perspectives of Print Media in Samoa: Considering Varying Viewpoints on its Role in Society, Grace Elkus, Elon University
Unidad Fraccionada: Las Tensiones de la Coalición Indígena Originario Campesino y de la Base Popular del Movimiento al Socialismo, Alexandra Ellerbeck, Wesleyan College
Capitalizing Art: The Marketing of Senegalese Bronze Sculpture, Julia Mears Embry, Williams College
The ‘Narod’ in Narodnjaci: Perceptions of Turbo Folk in Contemporary Sarajevo, Uchechi Esonu, Bowdoin College
Listening to Kabir: Pluralism, Paradox, and the Kabir Panth, Parker Eudy, Rice University
Tsunamis: Desprevenidos por la Realidad de la Geología Un estudio de la Posibilidad y Precauciones por un Tsunami en Puerto López, Manabí, Ecuador, Abigail Eurich, Yale University
Access to Healthcare for the Poor: Will the Affordable Care Act Address Income-Related Health Disparities in the United States?, Sonya Fabricant, Whitman College
El Lago Está Enfermo, Nosotros También, Sarah Fitzgerald, Providence College
Changing the very fabric of society: A case study of the Fundación Entre Mujeres holistic empowerment model, Briana Frenchmore, Pacific Lutheran University
Cambiar el negocio de la Finca: Un Perfil del Agroturismo en la provincia de Herrera, Julianne Gagnon, Washington University in St. Louis
The Valley Trust: a Historical Review of Food Security and Nutrition-Related Programs at a Health Promotion Non-Governmental Organization in the Valley of a Thousand Hills, Kwazulu-Natal, Jeannine Garcia, Brandeis University
Identificación y Análisis de Las Determinantes Sociales que Mayormente Influyen el Uso Inseguro de Los Plaguicidas en el Valle de Azapa en la Región de Arica y Parinacota, Emma Garrison, Ithaca College
“The Customer is Always Right” Customer Service and Managerial Structures in Relation to Company Size on Main Road Rondebosch, Cape Town, Carlos Gausman, Denison University
Les Oubliés de l’Histoire: Perceptions of Harkis and Community Awareness, Lauren Gilbert, Muhlenberg College
Perceptions of Wealth and Poverty in Samoa, William Glass, Rollins College
Water Security and Management in Burkina Faso: How Socio-Political and Cultural Complexities Affect Development, Megan M. Godfrey, University of Oregon
Empresas Recuperadas, Elana Gold, Temple University
Las carreteras ya no cantan: una investigación sobre la riqueza y diversidad de especies de anfibios en sitios sensibles a lado del Eje Vial N°4 en la Reserva Biológica Tapichalaca, Harrison Goldspiel, Brandeis University
Changing Paradigms: Community Policing in Calabar, Isael Gonzalez Goodman, Pitzer College
The Role of Mothers in Muslim Families in Ouakam, Dakar: Navigating Traditional Gender Roles in a Modern Context, Emily Goodhue, St. Olaf College
Africans in a Country “Without Blacks”: Challenges and Accomplishments of the Integration of Recent African Immigrants in Argentina - Africanos en un País donde “No Hay Negros”: Los Logros y Desafíos de la Integración de los Recientes Inmigrantes Africanos en la Argentina, Stephan Grabner, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Un Compromiso al Parto Culturalmente Sensible: Una Evaluación de la Interculturalidad en Salud reproductiva en el Norte de Chile, Kalin J. Gregory-Davis, Barnard College
Who Else Would Plant The Trees? A Status Update on the Pemba Flying Fox, Hannah “Hawa” Grose and Catherine Grace “Rahma” Clemmens
Why are Cities the Only Place for Dreams? Outmigration of Youths From Rural Uttarakhand, Peter Grunawalt, University of Vermont
I Can Show You the World: Surveillance and Introspection in Tunisian Medinas., Rachel Hagler, Williams College
Beauty in the Indigenous Pageant The Cultural and Social Relevance of Miss Samoa, Mariko Hamashima, Vassar College
Assesment of Social and Economic Impacts of Biogas Digesters in Rural Kenya, Alison Hamlin, University of Rochester
Harmony or Mere Toleration? Examining Inter-religious Relations in Amertasari, Keller Hawkins, Whitman College
PEPFAR Problems: How Does the United States’ Presidential Emergency Program for AIDS Relief Empower Women?, Caitlin H.
Visibilización de la Población Rural en Villa la Angostura Después de la Erupción del Volcán Puyehue, Claire Henkel, Macalester College
La Educacion Chilena: ¿Derecho Humano o Bien De Consumo?, Simone Nicole Henry, Macalester College
“Todo Pasado es Presente”: Racismo Abierto y Confrontación Violenta en Cochabamba el 11 de enero de 2007, Andrew Hernández, Swarthmore College
Beads, Sculptures, and Baskets: South African Traditional Craft as a Means of Economic Empowerment, Sasha Kaori Hippard, Smith College
The Long and Winding Road: An Experiential Study of Mongolian Transit, Tommy Holmberg, Bates College
Awareness of Type II Diabetes in the Developing World: Case Study in Binh Du’o’ng, Vietnam, Anna Hong Le, Wofford
Teaching A Man To Fish: NGDOs, Development Interventionism, and the Theory and Practice of the Capacity Building Approach., Sa’eed Husaini, Hope College
La Reconstrucción de Identidad a Través del Proceso Migratorio: Una Exploración la Experiencia Migrante en el Norte de Chile para los Jóvenes Adolescentes del países andinos Fronterizos en Aportación de Espacios Trans-Fronterizos de Expresión Identitaria, Allison Ipsen, Claremont Mckenna College
Nutrition and Diabetic Management in Urban Kenya, Madeline Jackson, Middlebury College
Land Rights, Cultural Hybridization, and Self-determination of First Peoples A Case Study Among the Ngöbe of Western Panama, Clancy Jandreau, Colorado State University
Serbian/Albanian Bilingualism in Kosova: Reversal or Entrenchment of the Curse of Babel?, Sarah Littisha Jansen, York Universite
A Survey of the Orchid Diversity (Orchidaceae) in Sainte Luce, Petriky, and Mandena (Southeast Madagascar), Anne Kathleen Johnson, Duke University