Dwight Conquergood
Encyclopedia
Lorne Dwight Conquergood (October 19, 1949 - November 13, 2004) was an ethnographer who is best known for his work with the Hmong
of southeast Asia, street gangs of Chicago, and refugees in Thailand and Gaza.
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
. In 1977 Conquergood received his Ph.D. in Performance Studies from Northwestern University
. Conquergood then became an Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Communication at the State University of New York
in Binghamton. In 1978 he returned to Northwestern University to teach.
refugees at Camp Ban Vinai in Northern 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 proper sanitation. 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
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 the Johns Hopkins Press Theatre Journal. 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.
Hmong people
The Hmong , are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China...
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 UniversityIndiana State University
Indiana State University is a public university located in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States.The Princeton Review has named Indiana State as one of the "Best in the Midwest" seven years running, and the College of Education's Graduate Program was recently named as a 'Top 100' by U.S...
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
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
. In 1977 Conquergood received his Ph.D. in Performance Studies from Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
. Conquergood then became an Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Communication at the State University of New York
State University of New York
The State University of New York, abbreviated SUNY , is a system of public institutions of higher education in New York, United States. It is the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States, with a total enrollment of 465,000 students, plus...
in Binghamton. In 1978 he returned to Northwestern University to teach.
Career
Throughout his career, Conquergood's work focused on those marginalized by society. In 1981 he began his work with HmongHmong people
The Hmong , are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China...
refugees at Camp Ban Vinai in Northern 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 proper sanitation. 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
Latin Kings
The Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation is said to be the largest and most organized Hispanic street gang in the United States of America, which has its roots dating back to the 1940s in Chicago, Illinois.-History:...
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 the Johns Hopkins Press Theatre Journal. 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.
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 and Dwight Conquergood.
Achievements
- Indiana State UniversityIndiana State UniversityIndiana State University is a public university located in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States.The Princeton Review has named Indiana State as one of the "Best in the Midwest" seven years running, and the College of Education's Graduate Program was recently named as a 'Top 100' by U.S...
- 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 FestivalChicago International Film FestivalThe Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America....
- Certificate of Merit - Chicago International Film FestivalChicago International Film FestivalThe Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America....
- Silver Plaque Award (1985)