Caitlin Sisk

  

Psychology, English

  

Eden Prairie, MN

 

I have always had a passion for both travel and research. I have been lucky enough to earn the opportunity from ISLA to combine those two interests this past summer. My two majors––English and psychology––meld perfectly into the emerging disability studies discipline. So after taking a college seminar on disability studies, my interest in the subject flourished. I wanted to learn more about historical presentations of people with disabilities. I decided to study first-hand accounts of people with disabilities who were put on display at Bartholomew Fair in London. The sort of analysis this research requires is similar to literary analysis in its interpretation of language, and the topic of my research allowed me to engage in analysis on a historical, real-world matter. My psychological interests came into play as well because many of the individuals mentioned experienced intellectual disabilities, and part of my analysis involved an evaluation of the psychological effects of being placed on display. Overall, it was an opportunity that will permanently impact my career. The research skills I gained are invaluable. By designing and conducting my own project and communicating with various organizations and individuals on-site, I learned a great deal about how research functions in different cultures.