Lorne Dwight Conquergood (October 19, 1949 – November 13, 2004) was an

ethnographer Ethnography is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. It explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject of the study. Ethnography is also a type of social research that involves examining ...

who is best known for his work with the

Hmong Hmong may refer to: * Hmong people, an ethnic group living mainly in Southwest China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand * Hmong cuisine * Hmong customs and culture ** Hmong music ** Hmong textile art * Hmong language, a continuum of closely related ...

of southeast Asia, street gangs of Chicago, and refugees in Thailand and Gaza.

Background

Conquergood was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario to Daniel and Dorothea Conquergood. At age three he moved to Terre Haute, Indiana. He graduated from

Indiana State University Indiana State University (ISU) is a public university in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States. It was founded in 1865 and offers over 100 undergraduate majors and more than 75 graduate and professional programs. Indiana State is classified ...

in 1972 with a bachelor of arts in speech communication and English. In 1974 he received his master's in communication from the

University of Utah The University of Utah (the U, U of U, or simply Utah) is a public university, public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. It was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret (Book of Mormon), Deseret by the General A ...

. In 1977 Conquergood received his Ph.D. in performance studies from

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

. Conquergood then became an assistant professor of rhetoric and communication at the

State University of New York The State University of New York (SUNY ) is a system of Public education, public colleges and universities in the New York (state), State of New York. It is one of the List of largest universities and university networks by enrollment, larges ...

in Binghamton. In 1978 he returned to Northwestern University to teach.Series 20/74, Boxes 1-48 Dwight Conquergood Papers, 1974-200
Northwestern University Archives
Northwestern University

Career

Throughout his career, Conquergood's work focused on those marginalized by society. In 1981 he began his work with

refugees at Ban Vinai Refugee Camp in northeastern Thailand. Of special interest was the performative aspects of Hmong culture. His conversations with Hmong healer Paja Thao led to Conquergood’s widely circulated 1986 essay ''I Am a Shaman: A Hmong Life Story with Ethnographic Commentary.'' Conquergood also became involved with the International Rescue Committee in Thailand, using his knowledge of Hmong culture and folklore to help design a form of “health theater” to educate refugees about necessary sanitation in the camp. Back in Chicago, he helped new Hmong immigrants find housing and employment, and he served as their advocate in court cases and other dealings. In the mid nineteen eighties Conquergood worked with Palestinian refugees at the Jabaliya camp on the Gaza Strip. Later Conquergood relocated to the North Side Chicago neighborhood of Albany Park to conduct research in the community. "The 'Big Red' tenement Conquergood selected was located in an area known as 'Little Beirut,' rampant with gangs, graffiti, and civil disorder. He became an active member of the community, befriending and tutoring gang members while he studied their culture and daily life." This research led to his work ''Life in Big Red: Struggles and Accommodations in a Chicago Polyethnic Tenement.'' While living and working in Albany Park, Conquergood began to develop a relationship with the

Latin Kings The Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (ALKQN, ALKN, or LKN, also known as simply Latin Kings) is a gang active primarily in the United States. The gang was founded by Puerto Ricans in Chicago, Illinois, in 1954. The Latin Kings are one of t ...

street gang. This relationship allowed him to study gang life in Chicago that led to a complex understanding of street life. Later in life, Conquergood began researching the purpose, rituals and societal implications of the death penalty in America. His 2002 paper, "Lethal Theatre: Performance, Punishment, and the Death Penalty", was published in '' Theatre Journal'', a publication of the Johns Hopkins University Press. It argued that the criminological function of capital punishment could not be assessed without the inclusion of its performance aspects as a “theater of death.” Conquergood died on November 13, 2004, of

colon cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel ...

Books

* ''I Am a Shaman: A Hmong Life Story with Ethnographic Commentary'' (1989), Center for Urban and Regional Affairs 1989 paperback ASIN: B001R2G65S

Films

*
The Heart Broken in Half
' (1991)
Collective Eye, Inc.
2008 DVD *
Between Two Worlds: The Hmong Shaman in America
' (1985), directed by Taggart Siegel, produced by

Taggart Siegel Taggart Siegel is an American documentary filmmaker. For 30 years, he has produced and directed Emmy-nominated, award-winning documentaries and dramas that reflect cultural diversity. He is co-founder of Collective Eye Films, a nonprofit media p ...

and Dwight Conquergood.
Dwight Conquergood speaking at Globalizing the Streets Conference (2001)

Achievements

- Distinguished Alumni Award (1997) * Council for the Advancement and Support of Education - Illinois Professor of the Year (1993) * Speech Communication Association - Lilla Heston Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Performance Studies *

Chicago International Film Festival The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964 by Michael Kutza, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. Its logo is a stark, black and white close up of the comp ...

- Certificate of Merit *

- Silver Plaque Award (1985) Between Two Worlds
Filmakers Library.

References

External links

Dwight Conquergood Appreciation Society on Facebook

PERFORMANCE STUDIES INTERNATIONAL - Dwight Conquergood Award
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conquergood, Daniel American ethnographers Indiana State University alumni 2004 deaths 1949 births