Shaping the self to sustain the other: mapping impacts of academic identity in education for sustainability

Abstract

Academic and disciplinary modes of identity are arguably the constituent elements of scholarly cultures (Hall 2002; Shulman 2004). Such elements are a crucial ‘point of entry’ for change projects. Many change projects inherently involve the imposition of constraints and demands for change on academics. This paper seeks to explore the implications of constructed academic identity for change projects with a focus on education for sustainability. How does the personal sense of the role of academic contribute to the cultural challenge we face in seeking to implement change projects (for sustainability) in higher education?