The socio-ecological system approach describes the interaction between humanity and the natural system that surrounds it, based on the understanding that this system is important to humanity’s ability to survive. To best preserve both systems we must understand their components – social and ecological – and their mutual interactions (Berkes & Folke, 1998). Socio-ecological systems in Israel are characterized by rich biodiversity, high population density and multicultural pressure, most prominently the ongoing regional conflict between Muslims and Jews. This combination produces environmental injustice: a subset of social injustice that targets disadvantaged populations, usually from lower socio-economic strata, which are disproportionately affected by environmental issues (Mohai, Pellow & Roberts, 2009).

            Social and environmental injustice is known to be harmful to socio-ecological systems, so preserving such systems must include working to minimize it. With these goals in mind, we created an environmental-education course for the Masters track in a teacher training college. The course, based on a series of field trips, addresses the socio-ecological systems in which the multicultural conflict is intertwined. It is designed to acquaint students with the voices of individuals who often go unheard, and promote better understanding by encouraging different groups to learn more about one another.

            This study sought to examine students’ post-course perceptions of socio-ecological systems' complexity. It asked:

a)      How did this varied pedagogy course influence how students from different cultures perceive socio-ecological systems in the context of social and environmental justice?

b)      How did pedagogical processes based on integration between students from different cultures influence each culture's perception of the other?

This action research is based on an interpretive qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews (4 Muslim and 4 Jewish students), participants’ written reflections (16 Jewish and 4 Muslim students), and the reflections of the course instructors. The study arose from two issues that troubled the course instructors. The first was the fact that their students (who are themselves teachers) had difficulty understanding the interactions in socio-ecological systems. Secondly, the instructors were troubled because the Jewish and Muslim students in the culturally heterogeneous group they were teaching had not, in the previous academic year, had any interactions conducive to meaningful learning. The basic assumption underlying the course was therefore that creating a good, supportive group environment would promote meaningful learning, which would make the students more open to understanding socio-ecological systems. Our study showed that the students from each cultural group tended to focus on different aspects of the socio-ecological system, with Muslim students focusing on the social aspect and Jewish ones on the ecological. As one Muslim student said, “Arabs must contend with meeting the needs of day-to-day due to their low socio-economic status, which influences the attention they can spare to think about ecological issues.” Most of the Jewish students, in contrast, spent their childhoods in rural environments, which fostered their attachment to ecological issues. As one said, “…we would go hiking in nature every Sunday.” Students from both groups were equally concerned with dilemmas associated with security. For instance, everyone was concerned about going on a field trip on the day after a riot, or walking through Arab village viewed by many as dangerous. Another example is that of a Jewish student who was worried about spending the night in an Arab town. She told us, “...Were you out of your minds to sleep in Arab village?” The group work, which was designed to generate shared learning and multicultural familiarity, was cited by all of the students as a central point of difficulty. Difficulties arose from two primary issues: technical difficulties and cultural difference. While the technical difficulties of meeting for group work did not generate cultural tensions, those arising from cultural differences did, primarily because the final paper for the course needed to be submitted in Hebrew, and was marked in part for the quality of the academic writing. This generated a lot of tension, and some unpleasant encounters between Jewish and Muslim students.

The course we examined successfully helped all of its students understand that social and ecological systems are inextricably interconnected. It also succeeded in bringing some of the Muslim and Jewish students closer on a personal level, but not on a national one, since the ideological gaps between Arabs and Jews were not diminished. The insights from this action research will be applied to next year’s course, inspiring changes to its tasks and emphases.