IB ESS Topic 1.1 Exam Review | Perspectives (New 2026 Syllabus)

Main ideas / lessons conveyed (Topic 1.1: Perspectives)

• Perspectives = personal ways of seeing the world

  • A perspective is how someone sees the world or a particular situation.
  • It is shaped by:
    • values
    • assumptions
    • personal beliefs
  • Because perspectives are personal, they can lead to many different positions on environmental and social issues.

• Environmental and social issues are interconnected

  • Environmental issues and social issues are often intertwined and inseparable in real life.
  • A person’s perspective can influence their actions, including what decisions they make (e.g., an environmental perspective influencing dietary choices).

• What informs/justifies perspectives (inputs)

  • Perspectives are informed by and justified through:
    • social & cultural norms
    • scientific understanding
    • laws
    • religion
    • economic conditions
    • global events / lived experiences
  • These inputs affect how people behave based on what society expects, what they understand about nature, and what life conditions they experience.

• Worldview vs. argument

  • A worldview is the lens through which someone perceives and makes sense of the world.
  • An argument is the justification for that worldview (the reasons someone holds their perspective).

• Values drive communication and behavior

  • Values are what people believe has worth or importance.
  • People prioritize values differently, producing different behavior and potentially causing tensions (e.g., disagreements about the morality of eating meat; economic hardship may force actions that conflict with values).

• Values also shape organizational priorities

  • Organizations (corporations, NGOs, charities) have values expressed through:
    • advertisements
    • media
    • policies
    • actions
  • Tensions can exist between:
    • what individuals value vs. what they actually do due to constraints
    • what organizations claim vs. what they do

• Environmental value systems (EVS)

  • EVS is a key concept across the entire ESS syllabus.
  • An environmental value system is a model that shows:
    • inputs that influence worldviews
    • outputs that result (e.g., actions, decisions)
  • EVS can be classified into three broad categories—presented as a spectrum (not strict boxes):
    • Ecentric
    • Anthropocentric
    • Technocentric
  • People can show characteristics of more than one category.

---

Detailed EVS categories (spectrum)

1) Ecentric value system

• Core belief
  • Nature is central to human identity.
• Key emphasis
  • Living things and the natural environment have tremendous intrinsic value.
  • Intrinsic value = value because something is inherently worth it (not based on money).
• Term to know
  • biorights: the right of all living organisms on Earth to exist.
• Approach
  • Self-restraint: denying ourselves some things to protect the natural world.

2) Anthropocentric value system

• Core belief
  • Humans are at the center of the worldview.
  • This doesn’t mean people don’t care about the environment; rather, people view themselves as responsible for managing it sustainably.
• Management approach
  • Environmental management is part of a wider global system that includes social and economic systems.
• Policies/tools often supported
  • taxes, laws, regulations
• Decision-making style
  • Building consensus (not top-down; discussion and agreement).

3) Technocentric value system

• Core belief
  • Technology will solve environmental problems.
• Key emphasis
  • Strong faith that people will keep inventing new tools/solutions.
  • Positive about the impact humans can have.
• Role of science
  • Support for scientific research to understand natural systems, then manipulate/control/change them to benefit humanity and solve environmental issues.
• Economic priority
  • Often supports a pro-growth agenda (economic realm prioritized over the environmental realm).

---

How perspectives/worldviews change over time

• Perspectives can change across a person’s lifetime due to:
  • aging
  • new life experiences
  • different global events
  • learning new information
• Examples given:
  • Smoking rates decreased over decades as public campaigns informed people about health harms.
  • Increased wealth tends to increase meat consumption (used as an example of behavior shifting with inputs like income).

---

Environmental movement: historical development and shifts

• The environmental movement grew through milestones such as:
  • lobbying for regulations to protect water and air
  • creation of the Environmental Protection Agency
  • passing of the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act
• These actions reflected a shift in worldview large enough to prompt:
  • new laws
  • new government structures
• The movement continues to evolve as society learns more and as media influences attitudes (e.g., TV, internet, TikTok, books, news).

---

Methodology / exam task guidance (memorization + case study building)

The video suggests the following approach for ESS exam questions about the growth/development of the environmental movement:

• If asked to discuss the influence of an item (from a list) on growth/development of the environmental movement:

  • Memorize a case study including:
    • dates
    • location
    • what happened
    • people involved
    • how the case study changed the environmental movement

• Case study strategy for broad coverage:

  • Take one person or item from each column on the provided list.
  • Develop a separate case study for each.
  • Can be done as a class:
    • everyone shares their case studies
    • the class builds a “collection” of examples for use in writing on the exam.

---

Speakers / sources featured

• Speaker: “Mr creamer” (host; referenced as “Mrcreamersscience.com”)
• Referenced organizations / sources:
  • American Medical Association (public health campaigns mentioned)
  • United States government (regulatory changes mentioned)
  • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  • Clean Water Act
  • Clean Air Act
  • Environmental movement lobbying groups (general reference; no specific named group beyond the above)
• Referenced public figures (examples in campaign context):
  • Donald Trump