SIP: Internationalization and Code-blending in the Japanese Language: A Study of Linguistic Landscapes and Ideologies in Shimokitazawa

Eva Czapski returned to Tokyo, Japan, to do additional anthropological field work that would greatly augment her SIP titled "Internationalization and Code-blending in the Japanese Language: A Study of Linguistic Landscapes and Ideologies in Shimokitazawa." Eva collaborated with her advisor, Petko Ivanov, to plan her research to be able to gather additional primary data in a specific neighborhood. She was able to interview two to four individuals each day from the Shimokitazawa neighborhood with the goal of determining the role of English and code-switching practices in Japanese society. The fact that she worked in a specific neighborhood allowed her to complete a deep ethnographic analysis. She transcribed the interviews and said, “The transcriptions served my research in several ways, as I was able to include them in my final paper as numerical data, quotations, and indicators of patterns or trends within the society of the neighborhood.”

SIP: The Transportation of Tomorrow: An Analysis of Intermodality in Smart Cities

Harris Krizmanich was awarded a grant to attend a conference at the World Bank in Washington, DC, in January titled "Transforming Transportation." This is an annual conference co-hosted by the World Institute Resources, the World Bank and EMBARQ. This conference gave him excellent additional background information for his SIP in the Environmental Studies Department on “The Transportation of Tomorrow: An Analysis of Intermodality in Smart Cities.” Harris says, “There I attended several panel discussions on various topics such as bicycle implementation in cities, integrated fleet management, shipping corridor data collection, road safety, and urban and region planning issues and challenges. I found the two-day conference to be enjoyable because most of the speakers came from a wide array of professions and backgrounds and had engaging presentations."

SIP: Comparison of the Independence Movements in Catalonia and País Vasco (Basque region)

Jill Ryan went to Bilbao, Spain during winter break to continue her research for her SIP titled “Comparison of the Independence Movements in Catalonia and País Vasco (Basque region)."  She had done her internship in Barcelona looking at the Catalan independence movement, but felt she did not have a good perspective on the Basque region, thus this travel grant gave her the opportunity to see and hear firsthand the Basque perspective. Jill says, “I plan to write an addendum to my SIP outlining how this new information and experiences have enriched (and altered or reinforced) my final conclusions of my project.”

SIP: Maternal and Newborn Healthcare in Complex Settings

Lena Mininberg returned to Geneva, Switzerland, where she was able to do further research and conduct interviews for her SIP, “Maternal and Newborn Healthcare in Complex Settings."  Lena says, “The trip was really valuable in helping me learn more about what kind of research is currently being done around maternal and infant mortality in low resource emergencies, and what issues are not being prioritized because of the lack of information (or funding) surrounding them.”

SIP: Ethnic Foods and French Politics

Natalie Wenigmann returned to Paris, France, during January break to continue her research and do some follow-up interviews for her SIP titled “Ethnic Foods and French Politics.”  She was able to go back to the place of her internship and continue some of the research she had started there.  She went to Le Musée de l’Histoire del’Immigration and met with a number of chefs who had written or helped write cookbooks looking at the ethnic aspects of cuisine in modern-day France.