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 2011
Seawalls in Samoa: A Look at Their Environmental, Social and Economic Implications, Sawyer Lawson, Bates College
Food Is Life: The Impact of a Changing Food Industry on the Role of Women in the Home, Diana Lay, Whitman College
Mapping Agroforestry Design in Project Tipitamba: The Influence of Spacing on Tree Growth, Joseph Lee, University of California, Los Angeles
Experiencing Samoa Through Stories: Myths and Legends of a People and Place, Samantha Lichtenberg, Skidmore College
A Berber in Agadir: Exploring the Urban/Rural Shift in Amazigh Identity, Thiago Lima, Tufts University
Hacia la Educación Intercultural: Una Investigación Sobre Discursos de Diferencia Cultural en Escuelas de Santiago y las Implicancias Para una Comunidad y Sociedad Diversa, Clara Lippert, Earlham College
Presence of the Dingo (Canis lupus dingo) on Risk Sensitive Foraging of Small Mammals in Forest Ecosystems, Amanda Lu, Harvard University
No Me Conoces: Integración Social de Refugiados Colombianos en Quito, Anna Luberoff, Smith College
A New Face in the Crowd: An Examination on the Social Integration of Children With Disabilities, Christen Maguire, The College of Wooster
W[h]ater You Afraid Of? Fears, Myths and Barriers to Swahili Aquatic Culture, Charlotte Jacqueline Mailly, Smith College
Exploring Marine Conservation Efforts in Tasmania: An Internship With Ocean Planet, Lauren Markram, Skidmore University
When Mountain Bellies Grow Round: Localized Knowledge and Behaviors Facilitating Pregnancy and Childbirth in Phaphlu, Nepal, Cailin Marsden, Marlboro College
Derechos Humanos y la Manera de Defenderlos - Human Rights and the Manner of Defending Them, Savannah Martínez, Trinity University
Medical Pluralism in Morocco: The Cultural, Religious, Historical and Political-Economic Determinants of Health and Choice., Tyler Martinson, Macalester College
“Necesitamos Amar la Autonomía”: Los Retos Que Enfrenta el Desarrollo Autonómico de la Raas, Joshua L. Mayer, Amherst College
Social Support for Young Carers An Analysis of the Available Social Support for Children Caring for AIDS-Sick and Other-Sick Caregivers in Emoyeni, South Africa., Flannery McArdle, Carleton College
Redefinir “Desarrollo Sustentable”: El Caso de un Grande Proyecto Hidroeléctrico, Keely McCaskie, University of Pittsburgh
Public Perceptions of Corruption in Tanzania: How Does the Corruption Perceived by a Sample of People in Arusha, Tanzania Compare to Tanzania’s Transparency International CPI Rating of 3.2 and What Does It Mean for Tanzania?, Kelly L. McDonnell, Skidmore College
Biogas Technology on Uzi Island, Zanzibar: A Feasibility Study, Peter J. McInerney, Skidmore College
Made in Oman: Promoting Manufacturing and Export in the Sultanate of Oman, Tyler Philip Eldridge McWilliam, Loyola University Chicago
“Jamás Será Vencido:” Un Estudio de Caso de la Producción de Deporte y Capital Social del Club Deportivo Unión Jiménez en Valparaíso, Kevin Mechenbier, Harvard University
“ Gimme SAMOA That!”: The Changing Diet in Samoa, Dana Melby, University of Colorado at Boulder
Still Separate and Still Unequal: Community Relations’ Policy in Post-Conflict Northern Ireland, Wilma Metcalf, Duke University
The Benefits of Having an Integrated Health Care System in Madagascar, Elizabeth Miller, University of Iowa
La Reproducción de Desigualdad de Género en los Liceos, Rebecca R. Miller, Brandeis University
Veterinary Issues and Livestock Development in Zanzibar: Farmer Practices and Attitudes, Shuana Milne-Price, Washington University in St. Louis
Sherpa Inc. The Cultural Commoditization of the Sherpa Identity, Melissa Mittelman, Middlebury College
Portraits of the Land: Environmentalism and Contemporary Art in Mongolia, Sarah Morgan
Highlife in the Ghanaian Music Scene: A Historical and Socio-Political Perspective, Micah Motenko, The College of Wooster
El Agua o el Oro: La Lucha por Quimsacocha, Laura Moulton, Macalester College
Let's Talk About It: Political Relationships in Nepal, Benjamin Wolf Lehr Mueser, Goucher College
Women’s Organizations in Tunisia: Transforming Feminist Discourse in a Transitioning State, Caitlin Mulrine, Denison University
Relative Democracy: Rwandan Perspectives on Representative Government, Gabriel C.J.M. Nahmias, Emory University
Employing Empowerment: Developing the Discourse for Women’s Empowerment in Uttarakhand, India, Harriet Napier, Middlebury College
White Water Rafting and Its Role in Entrepreneurship at Bujagali Falls, Alex Nelson, University of Denver
The Cultural Legacy of the Williamite History in the Context of Northern Ireland, John William Nelson, Villanova University
Community Empowerment Through Youth Employment: A Comparative Study of Social Programs for Youth Job Creation, Stacey Nelson, University of Florida
A Field Study of Consociationalism in the Northern Ireland Assembly: A Moderating Influence or Threat to Democracy?, Ellen Louise Noble, Macalester College
Jordan’s Mental Healthcare System, Katherine Nolan, Wellesley College
The Continuously Changing Self: The Story of Surinamese Creole Migration to the Netherlands, Jenise Ogle, Harvard University
The Solid Waste Management System of Jaipur: An Overview and Analysis, Laura Olivier, Washington University in St. Louis
Pragmatism and Inescapable Truth: Young Mongolians’ Perceptions of Chinese, Caroline Olsen, Colorado College
Animal Enrichment Strategies for Promoting Natural Behaviors in Captive Populations of Tasmanian Devils (Sarcophilus harrisii), Tierney O’Neal, Franklin & Marshall College
“El Tema no Existe”: La Salud Sexual Lésbica en Valparaíso, Chile, Isabel Osgood-Roach, Occidental College
Dipo and Other Rites of Passage in Odumase Krobo, Cam Ostrow, Colby College
The Tourists and the Toured: Identity in Greenmarket Square, Sophia Perlman, Middlebury College
The Successes and Shortcomings of Participatory Slum-Upgrading in Villa 31, Jacob Perten, Washington University in St. Louis
A Foreigner’s Gaze on the Micro-Culture of the Car-Rapide—Senegalese Values vs. Monetary Lust, Merrill Pierce, University of Denver
Street Food Policy in a Growing Economy: A Case Study of Street Food Vendors in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, Alexandra J. Pill, Emory University
"Après Dieu, c’est l’Artisan": A Study of Bamikéké Woodcarving in Dschang, Cameroon, Rebecca Potts, Pomona College
Pulling the Cash From Cashmere: Reviving Nepal's Pashmina, Corinne Prevot, Middlebury College
From Pasture to Plate: A Study of the Rituals, Ecology and Economics of Sheep in the Context of Aid Al Adha in Morocco, Carrisa Sue Pritchard, University of Denver
Media in Sāmoa: Journalists‟ Realities, Regional Initiatives, and Visions for the Future, Leslie Pyne, Wesleyan College
Wood Usage in Rural Tanzania: An Investigation Into the Sources and Accessibility of Fuelwood and Polewood for the Residents of Kizanda Village, West Usambara Mountains, James Ray, University of Puget Sound
Puerto Disperso: La Existencia o No de la Comunidad y el Espacio No-Heteronormativa en Valparaíso, Chile, Rebecca Raymond-Kolker, Smith College
Reproductive Realities: Fulani Women & Contraception, Corrina Regnier, Vassar College
Autism in Kenya: A Social, Educational and Political Perspective, Ariana Riccio, Tufts University
A National Symbol or a National Frustration: Academic, Artistic, and Political Perspectives of the African Renaissance Monument, Justin Wayne Ritter, University of Denver
Effectively Filling Gaps in Care: A Comparative Study of Models of Government Partnerships with Community Health Organizations in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, Madeline Ross, Tulane University
The Crisis of Unity in the 21st Century: The Unrealized Dream of Pan-Africanism in Cameroon, Araba Sapara-Grant, Syracuse University
La Educación en España: Del Franquismo al Partido Popular Education in Spain - From Francisco Franco to the 2011 Popular Party: Una Historia Breve de las Leyes y los Caminos del Cambio Educativo en España - A Brief History of the Laws and Paths of Educational Change in Spain, Kaitlyn Saruwatari, University of California Riverside
Love for Sale: How Working Conditions Influence the Dramaturgical Presentation of Self for Sex Workers in Amsterdam, Elizabeth Scheib, Fordham University
El Caso de Mapuches Urbanas y su Relación al Estado Chileno, Rachel Schmidtke, University of Virginia
Reproductive Health Education in the Kibera Slum: Developing a Slum-Specific Curriculum, Susanna Schneider Banks, Wesleyan University
La Medicina Tradicional y la Medicina Moderna en Cusco, Katelyn Scott, Illinois Wesleyan University
Playing the Blame Game: English Education in Omani Government Schools, Valentine Sergon, Pomona College
Permaculture and Community: Manifestations of Subculture, Ecology, and Objectives in Comunidade Campina, Emily Sessoms, Rollings College
Contradictions Between Party and Man: Student Perceptions of Julius Malema, Annie Elise Shapiro, George Washington University
Plants, People, and Partnership in Madagascar: How Pharmaceutical Companies and Bioprospecting Ventures Must and May Positively Benefit the Communities Whose Resources They Use, Rebecca Slotkin, Washington University in St. Louis
“Se ha Levantado la Bandera Mapuche”: La Identidad del Estudiante Mapuche y Cómo se Relaciona con el Perfil de Egreso del Establecimiento Intercultural, Gale Stafford, Bennington College
Cultural Conceptions of Health, Caroline Stephens, George Washington University
Influence of Sexual Education on Sexual Behavior and Contraceptive Use Among 15 to 19 Year-Olds at Colégio Azevêdo Fernandes in Salvador, Brazil, Julia Still, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
La Operación y Estructura de Salud Familiar Comunitaria Intercultural en el Caso de Achocalla, Dominic Strada, George Washington University
Tafasiry: Theater as a Tool for the Conservation of Malagasy Oral Tales, Cassandra Stroud, Barnard College
“Gente Que Va y Viene”: Relaciones Entre el Turismo y las Comunidades Mapuche en la Zona de San Martín de los Andes “People Who Come and Go”: Relationships Between Tourism and Mapuche Communities Near San Martin de los Andes, Katharine Sullivan, Washington University
In the Realm of Supay: The Stories of the Miners, Graham Sutherland, Macalester College
Exploring Taksu & Meditation - Mysterious Power and the Tools to Realize It, Leonard Swanson, University of Oregon
Batik: A Process and a Means of Progress, Emily Swietlik, Tulane University
Bills, Bribery and Brutality: How Rampant Corruption in the Electoral System Has Helped Prevent Democracy in Uganda, Sam Tabachnik, Tulane University
Preferencias Sexuales de Aves a las Carreteras Los Efectos de la Carretera Cuenca - Molleturo – Naranjal en las Proporciones de los Sexos en los Individuos de la Especies de Phrygilus Unicolor en el Parque Nacional de Cajas, Sarah Takushi, Illinois Wesleyan University
La Educación de Sordos en España Deaf Education in Spain, Jaclyn Terrio, University of Arkansas
Healers and Researchers: Towards a More Balanced Relationship, Gracie Tewkesbury, Duke University
Las Montañas Respiran: La Cosmovisión de la Comunidad de Rayampata Representada a Través del Mito Pitusiray-Sawasiray, Gillian Thornton, University of Oregon
El Uso Escondido de Anticonceptivos Modernos: Una Reflección del Machismo de los Hombres y el Empoderamiento de las Mujeres en El Alto y La Paz, Kathleen Elizabeth Trocin, Northwestern University
The Identity of the Chinese in Belgrade: A National Question, Wan (Sabrina) Tsai, University of Texas at Austin
Conflicting Perspectives, Contentious Problems A Case Study of Kwale International Sugar Co. Ltd. in Msambweni District, Jayme Tsutsuse, University of Southern California
Understanding Social Marketing in a Not-For-Profit NGO Setting: An Internship With PACE in Eastern Uganda, Veronica L. Tuerffs, University of Colorado at Denver
Reconstructing the Farm: Life Stories of Dutch Female Farmers, Marisa Turesky, Brandeis University
Beyond Words: Chronicling Spiritual Ecstasy and Experience in Sufi Poetry, Kate Van Brocklin, Brown University
Economic Empowerment and HIV Prevention Among Young Women and Girls in Kenya: Lessons From the Study of Economic Empowerment Programs, Samantha van Putten, University of Richmond
LGBTI: El Movimiento de Base de Quito, Genevieve Venable, Whitman College
L’Entrepreneuse et la Réunion Examining ROSCAs and Women’s Entrepreneurship in Bafoussam, Cameroon, Elizabeth Verity, University of the South
Healing South Africa: The Institute for Healing of Memories as a Lens for Post-Conflict Trauma Initiatives, Rachael C. Ward, Gettysburg College
Commercial Patterns and Spatial Networks in Hanoi’s Old Quarter: A Case Study of Vendors on Lan Ong Street, Daniel Weiner, Tufts University
La Relación Entre el Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires y un Grupo de Cartoneros Organizados, El Ceibo - La Necesidad de una Alianza de Esfuerzos The Relationship Between the Government of the City of Buenos Aires and an Organized Group of Cartoneros, El Ceibo - The Need for an Alliance, Ketter Weissman, University of Pennsylvania
The Deep Roots of Vietnamese Tea: Culture, Production and Prospects for Development, Robert Wenner, University of Denver
La Etnia y las Cesáreas en los Partos en el Hospital Público de Arica, Chile, Marisa Westbrook, George Washington University
Faces of Angels: Photography as a Fundraising Tool for AIDS-Affected Children in the Kibera Slums, Sandhira Wijayaratne, Johns Hopkins University
Riesgo de Exposición a los Plaguicidas en Familias con Niños Menores de 6 Años de Azapa y Lluta, Andrew Wilbur, Johns Hopkins University
Sandino Socialists, Flagwaving Comrades, Red Rabblerousers: The Struggle for a Left Praxis in Northern Ireland, Benny Witkovsky, Vassar College