Abstract

Despite significant advances in many areas of higher education, some professional domains remain reluctant or even resistant to incorporating education for sustainability into core curriculum. Social work and law are two areas where some progress is discernable, but where the pace of change appears glacial, particularly when considered in the context of the urgency suggested by the worsening environmental crisis. One explanation for this reluctance may be found in an understanding of the nature of academic and professional identity, and the ways in which such identities may act as conservative and restrictive barriers to change. In this paper, the authors describe the current state of education for sustainability in professional social work and legal education. The concepts of academic and professional identity are then explored and identified as possible sources of resistance to the integration of sustainability into core curriculum. Academic and professional identities are understood as strongly held yet often "invisible" belief systems which may have a significant impact on the nature of higher education. Suggestions are made for ways in which such identity-based resistance may be addressed and overcome.