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 2018
The value of chemical defense: the effects of toxin milking on the physical, physiological, and behavioral performance of cane toads (Rhinella marina), Ryann Blennerhassett, Rollins College
Boys’ Sex Education in Rural Maharashtra: Context, Community, and Trust, Sierra Bradshaw-Kreimer, Bryn Mawr College
“We Are The Gap: Understanding the Inclusion of Immigrants in Moroccan Left-Wing Politics”, Sam Brown, Muhlenberg College
“Karm Hi Pooja Hai (Work is Worship)” The Determinants that Influence the Subjective Health and Well-Being of Cycle Rickshaw Wallahs in Varanasi, India, Benjamin Bryer, University Of Maryland
Causes and consequences of child marriage among Syrian refugee populations in Jordan: An investigation of perceptions., Alex Buckman, University of New Hampshire
Medicina tradicional y la transmisión de conocimiento ancestral en la comunidad afroboliviana de Tocaña / Traditional medicine and the transmission of ancestral knowledge in the Afro-Bolivian community of Tocaña, Marvin Bynoe, Claremont McKenna College
Sustainable Tourism Practices in Vietnam: The Influence of Institutions and Case Study of Sapa’s Growing Tourism Industry, Alexandria Cahill, George Washington University
Ethically Sourced Vanilla: Certifications in the production of vanilla in the SAVA Region of Madagascar, Maisie Campbell, Bowdoin College
Examinando la relación entre el ecoturismo y la migración en La Nevería, Pueblos Mancomunados, Oaxaca / Examining the relationship between ecotourism and migration in La Nevería, Pueblos Mancomunados, Oaxaca, Thomas Canny, University of Houston-Downtown
The effects of seawater temperature on photosynthesis in Crustose Coralline Algae, Alexander Carlson, Brown University
Comprehending Climate Change in the Himalayas: An exercise in digital storytelling, Emily Carlson, Gustavus Adolphus College
Conservation Coverage: An assessment of the protection of highly threatened species of birds and mammals in Tanzania, Adolfo Castro Domínguez, Yale-NUS College - Singapore
(Dis)locations: Dutch Disabled LGBTQ+ Subjects and Queer Social Space, Sarah Cavar, Mount Holyoke College
Vivencias de jóvenes con autismo de la ciudad de Temuco, desde la percepción de sus familiares y educadores / Experiences of young people with autism in the city of Temuco, from the perception of their relatives and educators, Sophia Cerreta, Hamilton College
Tibetan Perceptions of LGBTQ, Lauren Champagne, Lafayette College
IMAGINANDO LA INCLUSIÓN: El uso de la escritura creativa para imaginar una educación superior inclusiva para personas con discapacidades en Bolivia / IMAGINING INCLUSION: The use of creative writing to imagine an inclusive higher education for people with disabilities in Bolivia, Beatrice Chihak, Macalester College
EL IMPACTO DE LOS CENTROS DE INVESTIGACIÓN EN LA COMUNIDAD / THE IMPACT OF RESEARCH CENTERS IN THE COMMUNITY, Ciera Cockrell, Davidson College
How Environmental Lawyers Cope with Challenges in Nonprofit Legal Centers, Rachel R. Cohen, University of Delaware
Productivity, Competition, and Empowerment? The Experience of Pondicherry Fisherwomen in the Context of Neoliberal Development, Amelia Colliver, University of Puget Sound
Who and What is Amazigh? Self-Assertion, Erasure, and Standardization, Alexis Colon, Bucknell University
El Valor de Verde Neoliberalismo, Crisis Económica y Políticas Polarizadas: Cómo Afecta en la Vida Cotidiana de la Gente de Clase Media en Buenos Aires. / The Value of Green Neoliberalism, Economic Crisis and Polarized Politics: How They Affect the Everyday Life of the Citizens of the Middle Class in Buenos Aires., Sierra Conboy, Gettysburg College
Art in Tunisian LGBTQI++ NGOs, Emma Cooney, Boston University
An Exploratory Study on Mental Illness Perspectives in Hanoi, Margaret Cox, Vanderbilt University
Binding Ideologies: An Investigation of Language Attitudes and Ideologies in the Moroccan Publishing and Book Sector, Ashley Coyne, University of Puget Sound
MENTAL HEALTH CARE IN BALI: ON & OFF THE RECORD, Sara M. Crane, University of Rochester
“Gracias a Dios, Gracias al Comandante”: El uso de la religión como una herramienta política en Nicaragua desde 2006 / "Thank God, Thanks to the Commander": The use of religion as a political tool in Nicaragua since 2006, Azani Creeks, University of Southern California
The growing sustainable seaweed industry: A comparison of Australian state governance directing current and future seaweed cultivation, Meagan E. Currie, Swarthmore College
Preserving Identity Through Discourse in a Changing Ladakh, Emma Cyr, Brandeis University
PLANT POETICS AND POLITICS OF THE WEST USAMBARAS: Power and Memory of Narrative Botanical Science in Kizanda, Sagara, and the Mazumbai Forest Reserve, Cameron Daddis, Vassar College
The Influence of Habitat Preference on Longitudinal Population Composition and Distribution of Groupers (Serranidae) in Chumbe Island Coral Park, Zanzibar Tanzania, Caroline Daley, Middlebury College
Understanding the Mongolian Tourism Supply Chain: Advantages, Challenges and Improvements, Thomas D’Anieri, Claremont McKenna College
Consciente o Inconsciente: El Rol de la Educación en la Formación de una Conciencia Social y Colectiva en la Juventud Chilena / Conscious or unconscious: the role of Education in Forming a Social and Collective Awareness in Chilean Youth, Samsara Davalos Reyes, Trinity University
Women’s Divorce Rights in Jordan: Legal Rights and Cultural Challenges, Helen David, University of San Francisco
A World Beyond the Nation-State, Luca DeAngelis, Bowdoin College
Ontology of Personhood in Ayurveda from the Perspective of Patients and Physicians in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh: An Independent Study, Denise DeFelice, University of Pennsylvania
Sediment deposition within two Thalassia testudinum seagrass sites in Boca del Drago, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panamá, Alexander De Jesus, Yale University
La relación de prácticas religiosas e la identidad: Los campesinos migrantes q’eros / The relationship of religious practices and identity: The migrant peasants q'eros, Autumn DeLong, Macalester College
Exploring the Space Between Healers: A Narrative Approach to Understanding the Relationship Between Traditional Healers and Biomedical Practitioners in Kwazulu-natal, Marisa DelSignore, Washington University in St. Louis
The Personal as the Political: The Everyday Resistance of LGBTQ+ WOC in the Netherlands, Sofia Del Valle, Mount Holyoke College
Balance and Imbalance: The Necessity of Natural Disasters in Balinese Hinduism, Lorin Foster DeMuth, Whitman College
Morocco: The Intersection Between Intercultural Mediation and Migration, Arianna Diaz, University of Connecticut
The War Against Sex Trafficking: Who Is Fighting?, Elizabeth Dicus, Wake Forest University
The Path to Mainstream Finance: Exploring Complementary Currencies and Interest-Free Lending, Ema Di Fruscia, Whitman College
Stories from a Place Called Walung, Jenny Ding, Cornell University
“Estamos aquí con nuestra propia fuerza” Las mujeres de AMUPAKIN y su lucha para preservar el parto ancestral en Napo, Ecuador. / "We are here with our own strength" The women of AMUPAKIN and their struggle to preserve the ancestral birth in Napo, Ecuador., Lilian Domenick, Haverford College
HOW THE BALINESE SEE THE SEA: INTERPRETATIONS OF OCEANIC POWER, Margaret Dougherty, Rollins College
Hablo Por Mi Disidengia / I Speak For My Dissidence, Lars Eddie, Gettysburg College
Psychological Effects of Genocide Participation: The Perspective of Perpetrators, Sarah Etzel, Mount Holyoke College
In the Balance: Pathways to Economic Integration for Migrants in Morocco, Kyla Fanning, Bryn Mawr College
Tourism and Tensions: Shifting Dynamics of Tourism in Ubud and the Effects on Balinese Painting, Celia Feal-Staub
Macro implications of microplastics: a comparative study of microplastic distribution in Bahía Almirante, Bocas del Toro, Panama, Bonnie Feldberg
La tierra aquí es amable: Soil macrofauna density and producer perceptions of agricultural soil fertility in Cerro Punta, Chiriquí, Clara Fernandez Odell, Barnard College
Corruption Devolved: People’s Perceptions on Devolutions Impact on Transparency, Accountability and Service Delivery by the Government of Kisumu County, Kenya, Julia Fonshell, University of South Carolina
Large Mammals of the High Andes A Survey of Community Composition and Habitat Usage in the Highlands of Angochagua, Sage Fox, Oregon State University
Herpetofauna of Sumak Allpa: A Baseline Assessment of an Unstudied Island Herpetofaunal Community, Sara Freimuth, Claremont McKenna College
The Draw of Revolution: Returning to Tunisia, Stephen Garrett, Georgetown University
Correlations Between Reef Health and Vertical Zonation on Ushongo Village Reef and Fungu Zinga Reef, Daniel Gates, Brown University
Education: Developing Self Reliance for Female Syrian Refugees in Host Communities, Mathilde Geannopulos, University of Michigan
Participatory Development and Menstrual Health Management in South Africa: A Case Study of Project Dignity, Natalie Geismar, Washington University in St. Louis
“So What Are You?:” Nepali Third Gender Women’s Identities and Experiences Through the Lens of Human Rights Development Discourse, Amit Gerstein, George Washington University
El Negocio del Desarrollo Internacional: Las Dinámicas Asimétricas de Poder entre Voluntariados Internacionales y Comunidades Locales / The Business of International Development: The Asymmetric Power Dynamics between International Volunteers and Local Communities, Ivana Giang, University of Southern California
Woven Narratives from Tsum Valley: Reconfiguring Local, Erica Gibble, Williams College
The Plastic Problem: Plastic Pollution in Bali, Kate Giesler, University of Virginia
Violencia obstétrica: los derechos de autonomía reproductiva, tratamiento justo y accesibilidad en el ámbito de la salud maternal en San Carlos, Salta / Obstetric Violence: the Rights to Reproductive Autonomy, Fair Treatment, and Accessibility of Maternal Health Services in San Carlos, Salta, Emily Gleason, Argentina: Social Movements and Human Rights
Integrated Mental Health Care in Education for Syrian Refugees: An Exploratory Study, Emily Goldstein, Tufts University
"Les droits ne sont pas respectés": A Study of the Effectiveness of the Moroccan Law in Protecting the Human Rights of Sub-Saharan Female Migrants, Meghan Gragg, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Sueños del progreso: La migración juvenil desde Íntag / Dreams of progress: Youth migration from Íntag, Julia Gratton, Whitman College
La intersección del afecto y el empleo: Los impactos del género y migración en las relaciones laborales de empleadas domésticas paraguayas en Argentina / The intersection of affect and employment: A gender and migration perspective on the complexities of the labor relationships of Paraguayan domestic workers in Argentina, Emily Gray, George Washington University
Desde la Teoría a lo Cotidiano: Tensiones en Escuelas en Contextos de Encierro / From the Theory to the Daily: Tensions in Schools in Contexts of Encierro, Ethan Greenberg, Colorado College
Sufis in a 'Foreign' Zawiya: Moroccan Perceptions of the Tijani Pilgrimage to Fes, Joel Green, Elon University
A Disappearing Island: An Impact Assessment of Coastal Erosion on the Mnemba Island House Reef, Zanzibar, Kat Grellman
Getting Sick Where Karma is Gravity: Disease in the Tibetan Perspective, Moreau Hadley
Interacting with the Trail: A Comprehensive Approach to Developing an Environmental Education Program for Agnolakely Private Nature Reserve, Claire Hamilton, Luther College
FROM ORGAN TO GAMELAN: JAVANESE CATHOLIC MUSICAL TRADITIONS IN YOGYAKARTA, CENTRAL JAVA, Elizabeth Hamilton, University of Denver
The UN’s Political Engagement in the Occupied Palestinian Territories: Reconceptualized Strategies in Humanitarianism and Diplomacy in the Middle East Peace Process, Alara Hanci, Tufts University
El caso de Relmu Ñamku como observatorio para valorar potencialidades, riesgos y desafíos de juicios por jurados interculturales / The Case of Relmu Ñamku as an observatory to assess the potentials, risks, and challenges of intercultural jury trials, Carol Harding, Bates College
Poem as Space for Artistic Contestation: Finding Multiple Voices of Female Writers through Artistic Vocabularies, Edil Hassan, University of Vermont
Church and State in Rwanda: Catholic Missiology and the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi, Marcus Timothy Haworth, University of Notre Dame
Religion and Identity in a Globalized Morocco, Jennifer Morgan Hekking, Hobart & William Smith Colleges
“If you seek, you know you will find and if you find you have cancer, why do you seek?” KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES REGARDING CANCER SCREENING AND PREVENTION IN CATO MANOR, Lilly Hennessey, Davidson College
Three Land Use Proposals for Geldinganes Framed by the City of Reykjavik’s Municipal Plan and Climate Neutrality Goals, Emma Hokoda, Santa Clara University
Pemban Farmer Agency in Adapting to Climate Change, Rachael Hood, Oberlin College
“Archival of the Fittest: The Role of Archives in Constructing Public Memory of Queer History”, Brooks Hosfeld, Butler University
The Art of Peer Pressure: Social Desires as Incentives to Join Students Protests in Jordan, Jordan Hughes, Washington University in St. Louis
A Tale of Two Ṭuruq: An Exploration of Sufism in Morocco through the Qādiriyya Budshishiyya and Tijāniyya, May Hu, University of Virginia
Still Hungry: Modern Metal Arts in Kathmandu, Rebecca Humphreys, Yale University
Reaching Out: Navigating the Ethical, Legislative, and Physical Obstacles to Providing Assistance to Migrants in Morocco, Margaret Jackman, Colgate University
From Lahure Legacies to Moving Peoples: A Study of Opportunity and Mobility in the Annapurna Hills, Peter Jacobson, Bowdoin College
Remembering Forgotten Foods: A Collaborative Project, Azher Jaweed, Sophia Alhadeff, Claire Roberts, and Avery Perkins
The Lives of Smart Phones: People’s Relationships with Technology along the Tamor Valley, Candice Jiang, Brandeis University
Forest conservation and timber management A case study of Kyangwali Refugee Settlement, Hoima District, Uganda, Nick Jickling, Hamilton College
Takataka Talk: Waste Presence and Management in Ushongo, Kristen Jones, Brown University
he Effects of Climate Change on Native Icelandic Plants: A Morphometric Analysis, Maia Jones, Scripps College
“Yo Agradezco Por No Sentirme Solo”: La Iglesia Evangélica En El Espacio Transnacional / "I Thank You for Not Feeling Alone": The Evangelical Church in the Transnational Space, L. Elizabeth Jowers, Rice University