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 2005
K’oando: La Mesa Urbana en Cochabamba, Erin Hatheway, Whitman College
Supporting Ourselves: Maintaining Mental Well-Being Through an HIV+/AIDS Support Group in a Rural South African Community, Narda Hernández, Southwestern University
Microcredit in the Rural Areas of Northwest Yunnan Province, China: Investigating the Operation of, Results of, and Obstacles to Microfinancial Institutions, Evan Hofmockel, University of Colorado at Boulder
The Silence Around Them: AIDS NGOs, Scaling Up and AIDS Fatigue in University Students, Carolyn Holmes, DePauw University
Natural Loggers: Leaf Cutter Ants as Pests in Northwestern Ecuador, Aaron Honig, Tufts University
The Needs of the Marginalized; Documenting a Crisis Defined as Such by the Catadores de Lixo of Jangurussú, Jane Hudson, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Crafting a Co-Operative: Lessons on Women’s Education, Artisans’ Livelihoods, and Rural Development in Morocco, Jenifer Humphrey, Brown University
Good Morning, Africa! (Dreams and Identity in Morocco), Chantal James, Spelman College
Evangelization and Religious Conflict in Chiapas: In Search of Common Ground, Katie Jones, Pomona College
La Migración por Obligación: Los Movimientos Migratorios de los Mapuche, Rebecca Jones, Gordon College
La Participación de la Juventud en el Desarrollo Comunitario: Un Estudio en la Organización Juvenil de CANTERA, Ciudad Sandino, Surya Karla, Occidental College
Coral Reef Tourism and Conservation in Bocas del Toro: An Analysis of Ecotourism and its Tour Guide-Based Components, Rebecca Kayes, Wellesley College
Melbourne’s Community Gardens: Harvesting More Than Just Vegetables, Dana E. Kennedy, Vassar College
De Maíz Vivo” La Siembra de Maíz en la Sierra Norte de Oaxaca, Holly Kingsbury, Bowdoin College
Remember Ruben? L’Histoire de Ruben Um Nyobé à Travers la Société Camerounaise, Katelyn Knox, Williams College
Bofes e Sapinhas: Lesbian Life in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, Ronny R. Kraft, Mills College
The Road to Recovery: Economic and Social Development in Srebrenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Erinn Lachner, Claremont McKenna College
The Role of Tibetan Buddhism and Culture in Sustainable Development (A Case Study of Yubeng Village), Frazer Lanier, Lewis and Clark College
Facilitating Public Participation in the Eastern Cape Province: A Case Study of the Centre for Governance in Africa, Paul D. Lemaistre, Tufts University
Las Abejas y los Zapatistas: Una Comparación y Contraste de Dos Movimientos Indígenas en Chiapas, México, Anna H. Lifson, Macalester College
Czech Fiction? Kafka and History in Czech Literature, Zachary Macholz, Susquehanna University
La Participación Potencial en la Producción de Café Orgánico Vía la Alianza de Agricultores Orgánicos (Aliagro), Emily Hannah McAteer, Brown University
Arte y Pobreza: Integración Social a Través de Movimientos Culturales, Betsy McCormick, Harvard University
El Movimiento de Mujeres y el Estado Nicaragüense: La Lucha por la Autonomía, Sarah Moberg, Carleton College
Análisis del Desarrollo Sustentable en la Industria del Salmón en Chile, Theresa Mohin, Duke University
Una Enfermedad de la Sociedad: Una Investigación de las Causas, los Tratamientos, y la Prevención de la Desnutrición de Niños en el Centro de Nutrición Infantil, Albina R. de Patiño, Kimberly A. Mukerjee, Colby College
Transmission of Environmental and Conservation Knowledge in Andohahela National Park, Mika S. Nagasaki, Brown University
People Living With, Not Dying From Disease: Patient Empowerment Through Anti-Retroviral Therapy and Possibilities for Social Change, Xin Wei Ngiam, Harvard University
A Child’s Dance of the Sankofa: Redefining, Reconstructing, and Reclaiming Identity, Shawnrey Notto, Pomona College
Aprender sin Educación: El Aprendizaje, la Historia Personal y el Contexto Comunitario en la Experiencia de la Universidad de la Tierra, Leah Oster-Katz, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The State of “Differently Abled” People in the Western Cape, South Africa, Joshua Wade Paul, Wabash College
The Inter-Communal Relations Among NGOs Operating With Cyprus, Shelby Reneé Port, University of Washington
The Bond and the Beautiful!, Nicole Rearick, University of Pittsburgh
The Agenda Setting Function of Mass Media, Tampa, John Howard, Print Media and Public Opinion: How It All Came Together in Melbourne, Rosemary Schultz, Gustavus Adolphus College
What Do You See? Visualizations of Sexuality Among Young Women in Rijeka, Croatia, Annika Shore, Sarah Lawrence College
El Papel del Café en la Economía de Nicaragua: Desafíos, Estrategias, y el Futuro, Matt Shuman, Brandeis University
El papel homosexual del cine de Pedro Almodóvar durante la movida madrileña = The role of homosexuality in the films of Pedro Almodóvar during the Movida, Spencer Silverthorne, Kenyon College
An Oasis in Byron Shire: Factors in the Progress and Success of a Local Greens Party, Adam N. Smith, Carleton College
The Super Market: Examining the Bangladesh Market as a Model for Local Economic Development, Sally K. Smyth, Wesleyan University
Les Dernières Réformes de la Sécurité Sociale et l’Accès aux Soins en France, Carly Sorenson, University of Redlands
A Small Town Drug Problem: The Socio-Economy of Malindi’s Heroin-Using Population, Greg St. Arnold, Marquette University
Abortion: The Reality for Women of Praia Grande, Anna Tawse, Denison University
El Impacto de Micro-Crédito en Superar la Pobreza, Magda Tsaneva, Colby College
History and Society: Fact, Fiction and Reform in the Serbian Education System, Valerie Ullrich, Middlebury College
Facing Reality: The Story of Icaro Amorim, Nicole Vengrove, New York University
Drowning Shangrila: Balancing Environmental Protection With Development in China, Tessa A. Vennell, Brandeis University
Deaf Culture in Mombasa and HIV/AIDS Education, Krystel Viehmann, Mount Holyoke College
The Political Economy of Giving: Legitimacy, Welfare, and the Influence of Foreign NGOs in China, Nathan Wallace, Drake University
Maternity, Sexuality, and Capability: An Exploration of the Aesthetics of the Rural Moroccan Female Body, Carlye Warren, Bucknell University
Periodismo Medioambiental, Peter Weisberg, Claremont McKenna College
Les Filles de Marianne: La Laïcité, la Libération, le Voile, et le Féminisme Chez les Femmes Françaises ou Daughters of the Republic: The Perspectives of French Women on Laïcité, Liberation, the Veil, and Feminism, Kirsten M.Y. Wesselhoeft, Willamette University
The Effect of Human Predation, Rats and Goats on Small Colonies of Wedge-Tailed Shearwaters (Puffinus pacificus) in Southwest Madagascar, Alexis P. Will, Bucknell University
La Flore Qui A Faim : Une Enquête Chimique, Biologique et Culturelle de la Dimorphisme Rouge/Verte et les Applications Médicinales de Nepenthes madagascariensis, Keirnan Willett, Bowdoin College
¿Qué Vale Más: El Agua o el Oro? Las Implicaciones de y Reacciones al Proyecto Minero Pascua Lama, Leni Wolf, Connecticut College
Educando al Hombre Nuevo: La Pedagogía Histórica y Política de la Cruzada Nacional de Alfabetización, Kevin Young, Wesleyan University
Submissions from 2004
The Depoliticization of Czech Female Art, Roya Amirsoleymani, University of Redlands
The Return of the Sick Man of Europe: A study of the political, economical and cultural grounds for/against the entrance of Turkey to the European Union as viewed by Turkish Immigrants and Germans living in Berlin, Ursula A. Arno, University of Colorado at Boulder
De Dónde Eres? Reflexión Teatral de una Mujer Americana en España Sobre el Nacionalismo y la Identidad = Where Are You fFom? A Theatrical Reflection of Nationalism and Identity, Madeline Kathleen Baugh, Occidental College
Citizenship in the Republic of Ireland: In the Context of the European Union and the Citizenship Referendum, Cora Bruemmer, University of Rochester
Finding The Door in the Mirage: The Politics of Cultural Change in Mongolia, Evan Buxbaum, Swarthmore College
Are you for Bush or for Kerry? A Discourse Analytical Study of the Russian Mass Media Response to the 2004 United States Presidential Elections., Matthew Thomas Calvin, University of Colorado at Boulder
Land Conflict Resolution Within an Autonomous Space, John Cheney, American University
A Changing Church: Radical perspectives of Catholicism from the margins of society in Dublin, Caitlin Connelly, Ithaca College
Village Elections: Emergence of a Democratic Political Culture or Reinforcement of a Repressive Regime?, Laura Conniff, Columbia University
The Effects of Modernization on the Bedouin Populations of Jordan, Peter DiCampo, Boston University
Los Santos Católicos y su Repercusión en la Sociedad = Catholic Saints and the Repercussion on Society, Virginia Dyson, Birmingham Southern College
Using the Trees to Understand the Forest: Evaluating the Risks of the Panama Canal Amplification Project, Caroline Gross, Harvard University
The Maidens of the Maiden City, Lauren Herman, Cornell University
Sexuality in Chile, Elana Jacobs, Smith College
Ich Rede, wie Ich Mich Wohl Fühle: Language and Ethnic/Cultural Identity among German-born Young Adults of Turkish Descent in Berlin, Emily R. Jenkins, Earlham College
Un Tren que Pasa: La Lucha de la FAA por Alcanzar la Representación en el Mercosur, Heather John, University of Toronto
BiH in Black and White: Photo-Diary of My Adventure Learning How NGO’s Anti-Trafficking Prevention Programs Work in Small Communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Rebecca Johnson, University of Rhode Island
Fences in Mongolia: A Study of Land Reform, Nicholas A. Kroshus, Gustavus Adolphus College
A Learning Process: The Implementation and Effects of Returnee Policies in Post-War Bosnia-Hercegovina, Danielle Kuczera, Illinois Wesleyan University
La Cultura del Agua en al-Andalus = The Culture of Water in al-Andalus, Natalie Lacy, Macalester College
La Crise du Vin Français ? L’Effet des Évolutions Sociaux et Culturelles sur l’Adaptabilité de l’Économie du Vin Français = French Wine in Crisis? The Effect of Culture and Social Changes on the French Wine Economy, Andrew McKibben, Pomona College
Politicizing Sexuality: An Investigation of LGBT Rights and the NGO Sector in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Rachel Kathryn Mercer, Washington University in St. Louis
La Lucha del MOCASE Para Desarrollo y Autonomía, Katie Metcalf, Villanova University
La Génie d’Oc: La Stratégie Castanienne = The Genius of Oc: Tha Castanian Strategy, Jason Moreau, Marlboro College
Managing the Commons Through Obligation: Communality in the Sierra Juárez of Oaxaca, Katie Moyer, Beloit College
Communalism to Consumerism: Consumer Culture in Samoa, Amelia Neptune, Pitzer College
Mental Healthcare in a Rural Community, Thuy Nguyen, Brown University
Inmigración Marroquí en Granada = Morrocan Immigration in Granada, Emily C M O’Neill, Macalester College
Descriptive and Comparative Study of the Nutritional Knowledge and Behavior of Mothers of Young Children Who Have Received Targeted Nutritional Education and Those Who Have Not as a Method to Ascertain the Effectiveness of the Little Tree Nutritional and Educational Centre in Combating Malnutrition in the Pienaarsig Township of Nieu Bethesda, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, Amelia Peterson, University of Puget Sound
A Comparison of Anuran Species Richness Between Primary and Secondary Forest in São Francisco do Pará, Michael Reichert, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
In Search of the Truth: Modern Church-State Relations in Yunnan Province, Kathryn Rosenbaum, Agnes Scott College
Efectos de las Plantaciones de Árboles Exóticos y el Movimiento Mapuche, Shannon Ryan, Colorado State University
Spirituality in Limbo: An Observation and Analysis of Mongolia’s Modern Religious Climate, Dustin Saldarriaga, Harvard University
La Calamidad del Nemagón: La Vía Crucis de los/las Bananeros en Búsqueda de la Justicia, Abigail Sanders, Middlebury College
Assessment of the Artisanal Shark Fishery and Local Shark Fin Trade on Unguja Island, Zanzibar, Deborah Schaeffer, Bowdoin College
McDonald’s and Samoan Youth: A Case Study of Globalization, Anna Schechter, Bates College
Cervical Cancer Screening in Rural South Africa: An Analysis of the Awareness, Attitudes, and Practices of Women Served by the Masincedane Clinic, Jordan Schneider, University of Colorado at Boulder
Environmental Sustainability and the Traditional Tibetan Home, Katherine Shrader, College of William and Mary
Leaving the Streets, Jane Slater, Connecticut College
Art and Democracy in Environmental Decision Making, Audrey Stewart, University of Rochester
Semana Santa en Blanco y Negro = Semana Santa in Black and White, Renata Strychaz
Self-Esteem of the Female Adolescent: As Promoted Through the Life Skills Class, Kelsey Sullivan, Connecticut College
Indigenous Healing Practices and their Effect on TB and HIV/TB Patients’ Utilization and Compliance With Anti-TB Medication, Josephine Thinwa, Southwestern University
Just Behind the Mountain: Refugee Children Imagine Tibet, Emma Tobin, Hampshire College
Multi-Culturalism in Ireland: Examining the Context of and Debates Surrounding the Citizenship Referendum, Melanie Todman, Carleton College