Prophet or fool? The professional position and role of historians of education

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the professional dilemmas of historians of education in the USA. Design/methodology/approach – This paper uses historiographical analysis. Findings – While some aspects of both “prophet” and “fool” cultural archetypes fit some historians of education, neither archetype is a useful model for discussing the possible professional positions and roles of new scholars. Instead, “border-crossing” is an appropriate metaphor for new scholars in the history of education. Originality/value – This manuscript addresses a topic of concern to many historians of education in multiple countries. It moves beyond material concerns of intellectuals to discuss the cultural archetypes that may be at play.