Should I take an interdisciplinary subject at IB?
The interdisciplinary subjects at IB are those which incorporate procedural and substantive knowledge belonging to multiple subject groups, or else focus on elements from other disciplines not formally assessed as part of the IB. These subjects often align primarily with one subject group, and thus count as a choice from it. The interdisciplinary courses at IB are Literature and Performance, Language and Culture, and Environmental Systems and Societies. Here we provide a breakdown of the key knowledge assessed as part of these courses, as well as our insights as to the pros and cons of taking them as part of your IB journey.
IB Literature and Performance
The IB course in Literature and Performance focuses on integrating the study of literature with practical performance skills. It counts as a subject from Group 1, Studies in Language and Literature. However, it can only be studied as a Standard Level IB. There is no option for studying at Higher Level.
What do I need to know?
The key procedural and substantive knowledge for the IB course in Literature and Performance can be split into five distinct sections, as follows:
Literary Analysis:
Understanding of literary works, including plays, novels, poetry, and non-fiction texts.
Analysis of themes, characters, plot structures, and literary devices.
Dramatic Techniques:
Knowledge of dramatic elements such as characterisation, dialogue, stage directions, and dramatic tension.
Theatrical Genres and Forms:
Understanding of various theatrical genres, including tragedy, comedy, absurdist, and post-modernist drama.
Performance Theory:
Study of performance theories, styles, and methodologies.
Understanding the relationship between text, performance, and audience interpretation.
Cultural and Historical Contexts:
Appreciation of the cultural, historical, and social contexts of literary works and performances.
What skills will I develop?
The IB course in Literature and Performance is a good option for those wishing to develop a wide range of skills without wishing to specialise in English Literature. Through the course, students will be introduced to critical analysis and interpretation of literary texts, requiring the identification of themes, symbolism, and character motivations. This is particularly important for Paper 1. Students also situate their literary criticism within the context of a staged work, requiring a more technical understanding of dramatic techniques, as part of the Written Assignment. Finally, communication and presentation skills are developed for the internal Performance module.
How is the course assessed?
The IB course in Literature and Performance is assessed through a combination of internal and external assessments. Paper 1 consists of an exam in which students choose to answer one question, from a choice of four, comparing two literary texts studied as part of the course. The Written Assignment consists of a 2000-word essay which analyses an extract from a dramatic work that the student themselves has performed. These first two, externally assessed, make up 60% of the exam. The final component, worth 40% and assessed internally, is the Performance element, which involves a 10-minute performance of an extract from a non-dramatic work of literature, transforming it into a dramatic piece. This is followed by a 15-minute ‘individual oral’ in which the student explains their process for transforming the extract into a performative piece.
Language and Culture
The IB in Language and Culture is an interdisciplinary subject which focuses on the interrelation between aspects of social and cultural anthropology and linguistics. The focus is on identifying the actors within linguistic and social change, as well as non-human factors that can drive this change. The course, despite its name, is not assessed as part of Subject Group 2, Language Acquisition, but as part of Group 3, Individuals and Societies. It is only available as a Standard Level course. The key content focuses around the following key themes:
Cultural Contexts:
Exploration of cultural aspects linked to the language studied, including traditions, customs, beliefs, and societal norms.
Understanding cultural practices, rituals, literature, arts, and their significance within the community.
Global Perspectives:
Consideration of global issues, intercultural interactions, and the impact of globalisation on language and culture.
Media and Communication:
Examination of how language and culture are represented in media, literature, film, and digital platforms.
Critical analysis of media texts to understand cultural perspectives and biases.
Identity and Belonging:
Exploration of personal and collective identities shaped by language, culture, and heritage.
Understanding multiculturalism, identity formation, and the concept of belonging within diverse communities.
What skills will I develop?
The IB course in Language and Culture is focused on the development of qualitative research skills which will form a good base for those wishing to go on to study a course in Social Sciences, such as Anthropology or Sociology. There is a strong comparative element to the course, explored in particular through Paper 2 in which students write an essay comparing two bodies of work produced in varying cultural contexts. More generally, the course develops both communication and critical thinking skills, since the course requires students to express nuanced ideas about the nature of language and linguistic change.
How is the course assessed?
70% of the IB in Language and Culture is assessed externally through two exams. Paper 1 is a paper on core theory in which students answer three questions based on one seen and one unseen ethnography, or cultural study. Paper 2 consists of answering a long-form essay question from a choice of four, which compares either two bodies of work, two works, or one of each studied as part of the course. The remaining 30% is internally assessed, and is an autoethnography in which the student compiles a diary and is critically reflective upon their experience of language in relation to a chosen inquiry question.
Environmental Systems and Societies
The IB course in Environmental Systems and Societies is an interdisciplinary subject focusing on the interrelation between physical and social sciences. The focus is not just on the real science behind environmental change, but the analysis of the role of human cultures within it, exploring concepts such as the anthropocene. As with the other interdisciplinary subjects, it can only be studied as a standard level, and counts as an option course for Subject Group 4, Sciences. However, from 2024 there will be a revised course that offers both Standard and Higher Level. The key content falls into five themes:
Environmental Systems:
Understanding natural systems, including ecosystems, biodiversity, biomes, and their interconnections.
Knowledge of Earth's systems: atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere.
Human Systems and Resource Use:
Study of human population dynamics, resource utilization, land use, and agriculture.
Understanding the impact of human activities on the environment, including pollution, deforestation, and climate change.
Sustainability and Conservation:
Concepts of sustainability, conservation strategies, environmental management, and restoration.
Examination of ethical considerations, environmental policies, and international agreements related to conservation efforts.
Global Issues and Interconnectedness:
Exploration of global environmental challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, and food security.
Understanding the interconnectedness of environmental issues at local, regional, and global scales.
Human Health and Environmental Impact:
Understanding the impact of environmental factors on human health, including pollution-related illnesses, access to clean water, and sanitation.
What skills will I develop?
Through the IB course in Environmental Systems and Societies, you will have the opportunity to develop a range of skills and apply them to real-world problems. Perhaps the most immediate advantage is that it is integrative, in that it involves knowledge from multiple disciplines such as biology, chemistry, geography and economics to effectively analyse environmental issues. There is also an element of problem-solving involved in assessing environmental challenges and proposing solutions. Finally, the course serves as an introduction to the interpretation and evaluation of data. It is necessary to consider graphs and studies to evaluate environmental problems as part of this course.
How is the course assessed?
The course is split up, as with the other IB interdisciplinary courses, into externally and internally assessed components. The externally assessed component consists of two exam papers. The first, worth 25%, involves essay questions on specific case-studies, such as the conservation of the Snow Leopard population. The second, worth 50%, takes the form of short-form answers and essays in response to macro-environmental issues, such as population growth rate. The internally assessed component, worth 25%, consists of a written report in response to a research question designed by the student.
Should I take an interdisciplinary subject for IB? Chapkin Edwards’ Insights
Taking interdisciplinary subjects at IB is a great opportunity to increase the breadth of your knowledge and to acquire new skills. It is also valuable to make connections between different disciplines early, as this can be a very useful skill at university level. However, consider in particular the level of detail into which the interdisciplinary subjects go. All subjects are all currently available only at Standard Level, and this has implications for your IB subject choices in advance of university. For example, it is unlikely that you will acquire the necessary background doing the IB in Languages and Culture to study a course like Social Anthropology at university. It would be a far better idea to study the IB in Social and Cultural Anthropology. Here you get more subject specificity, as well as the option to study it at Higher Level.
So for whom are the interdisciplinary courses designed? Our take is that interdisciplinary courses are best chosen outside your area of academic strength. A scientist should put their best foot forward by studying Chemistry, Physics or Biology, not by studying Environmental Systems and Societies. However, a student interested in studying History at university may be more interested in this course, since it provides an amalgam of sciences and humanities that may enrich the understanding of their own subject. In this way, interdisciplinary subject may help to weave more of a consistent pattern across your subjects or, at the very least, explore a new subject area that you knew little about previously that might present a welcome intellectual challenge.