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The nature of environmental systems and societies

ESS is an interdisciplinary group 3 and 4 course that is offered only at standard level (SL). As an interdisciplinary course, ESS is designed to combine the methodology, techniques and knowledge associated with group 4 (sciences) with those associated with group 3 (individuals and societies).

ESS is a complex course, requiring a diverse set of skills. It is firmly grounded in both a scientific exploration of environmental systems in their structure and function and in the exploration of cultural, economic, ethical, political, and social interactions of societies with the environment. As a result of studying this course, you will become equipped with the ability to recognize and evaluate the impact of our complex system of societies on the natural world. The interdisciplinary nature of the course requires a broad skill set and includes the ability to perform research and investigations and to participate in philosophical discussion. The course requires a systems approach to environmental understanding and problem-solving, and promotes holistic thinking about environmental issues. It is recognized that to understand the environmental issues of the 21st century and suggest suitable management solutions, both the human and environmental aspects must be understood. You should be able to develop solutions from a personal to a community and to a global scale.

Through the exploration of cause and effect, the course investigates how values interact with choices and actions, resulting in a range of environmental impacts. You will develop an understanding that the connections between environmental systems and societies are diverse, varied and dynamic. The complexity of these interactions challenges those working towards understanding the actions required for effective guardianship of the planet and sustainable and equitable use of shared resources.

The three strands of CAS are:

• creativity—exploring and extending ideas leading to an original or interpretive product or performance
• activity—physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle
• service—collaborative and reciprocal engagement with the community in response to an authentic need.

There are strong links between ESS and CAS that we will explore. In ESS you should be actively engaging with environmental issues and should create innovative solutions where possible. You could extend your classroom activities into CAS experiences using your learning in purposeful and meaningful ways. All three strands of CAS can be incorporated into experiences that relate to ESS within local, national and global communities.

Examples include:

• creating a campaign to support an initiative within the school that addresses an environmental issue such as reduction of food waste
• taking part in voluntary work that engages with an environmental initiative such as a project to preserve the environment of an endangered species
• working alongside a community organisation to tackle the problem of air pollution by promoting and supporting the use of bicycles and access to public transport.

Environmental systems and societies and theory of knowledge

The TOK course engages you in reflection on the nature of knowledge and on how we know what we claim to know. The course identifies eight ways of knowing: language, sense perception, emotion, reason, imagination, faith, intuition and memory. You will explore these means of producing knowledge within the context of various areas of knowledge: mathematics, natural sciences, human sciences, history, the arts, ethics, religious knowledge systems and indigenous knowledge systems. The course also requires you to make comparisons between the different areas of knowledge, reflecting on how knowledge is arrived at in the various disciplines, what the disciplines have in common, and the differences between them.

TOK lessons can support you in your study of ESS, just as the study of ESS can support you in their TOK studies. TOK provides a space for you to engage in stimulating, wider discussions about questions such as what it means for a discipline to be a natural science or a human science, or whether there should be ethical constraints on the pursuit of this knowledge. It also provides an opportunity for you to reflect on the methodologies of ESS as an interdisciplinary subject, and how these compare to the methodologies of other areas of knowledge. It is now widely accepted that researchers utilise not only scientific methods, but a variety of approaches, in order to enhance understanding of the interaction between environmental systems and societies. Scientific disciplines share a common focus on utilising inductive and deductive reasoning, on the importance of evidence, and so on; but in the ESS course you are also required to use other methods traditionally associated with the human sciences.

In this way there are rich opportunities for you to create links between your ESS and TOK courses. One way in which we can help each other to make these links to TOK is by drawing each others attention to knowledge questions that arise from your subject content. Knowledge questions are open-ended questions about knowledge, and can include the following.

• How do we distinguish science from pseudoscience?
• How does a systems approach enhance our understanding of environmental issues?
• How does knowledge of environmental systems progress?
• What is the role of imagination and intuition in a systems approach?
• What are the similarities and differences in the methods of gaining knowledge in the natural sciences and in the human sciences?
• How does emotion impact on our perception and understanding of environmental issues.

Environmental systems and societies and international-mindedness

Although the ESS course requires the study of environmental systems and societies at a range of scales, from local to global, the course should be firmly grounded in the local environment. The syllabus contains many references to “local examples”, and fieldwork may be based on local ecosystems.

On a broader scale, the course also leads you to an appreciation of the nature of the international dimension of ESS, since the resolution of the major environmental issues rests heavily upon international relationships and agreements. On an organizational level, many international bodies exist, such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). In addition, there are many international bodies representing every branch of environmental science. You are encouraged to access the extensive websites and databases of these international organizations and bodies to enhance your appreciation of the international dimension.

It is widely accepted that many environmental problems are international in nature and this has led to a global approach to research in many areas such as climate change, biodiversity and population dynamics. The data from such research is shared worldwide and much of this is freely available to you.

The power of scientific knowledge to transform societies is unparalleled. It has the potential to produce great universal benefits, or to reinforce inequalities and cause harm to people and the environment. In line with the IB mission statement, ESS students need to be aware of the moral responsibility to ensure that scientific knowledge and data are available to all countries on an equitable basis, and that countries have the capacity to use this for developing sustainable societies.

We can help each other by drawing attention to the sections of the syllabus with links to international-mindedness.

Engaging with sensitive topics

A cornerstone of the ESS course is the idea of environmental value systems (EVSs). Each individual, or group of individuals, will have his or her own EVS arising from his or her beliefs and circumstances. One’s perception of the importance and impact of environmental threats varies according to individual circumstances, cultures and traditions, and is subject to change over time.

Studying this course will lead you to critically examine and develop your own value systems. You should also become acquainted with the diverse range of EVSs of people from different cultures and backgrounds. These too can be critically examined, but this should be done in an atmosphere of tolerance and respect towards others.