Lines of Activity

Shannon Jackson

"Lines of Activity investigates the cultural life of the Hull-House Settlement of Chicago, one of the most significant reform institutions of the Progressive Era, from its founding in 1889 through its growth into a major social service institution. The book focuses specifically on the role of performance - not only theatrical representation, but also athletics, children's games, storytelling, festivals, living museums, and the practices of everyday life - to demonstrate how such cultural rituals could propel social activism at Hull-House and paradoxically serve as vehicles for both cultural expression and cultural assimilation.". "Developing a concept of "reformance" as a process that both restores and resists conventional behavior, Jackson demonstrates how performance analysis can contribute to the historical study of American reform as well as to critical inquiry on the arts and...

See on goodreads