Well before the creation of the United States, the Cherokee people
administered their own social policy - a form of what today might
be called social welfare - based on matrilineal descent,
egalitarian relations, kinship obligations, and communal
landholding. The ethic of gadugi, or work coordinated for the
social good, was at the heart of this system. Serving the Nation
explores the role of such traditions in shaping the alternative
social welfare system of the Cherokee Nation, as well as their
influence on the U.S. government's social policies. Faced with
removal and civil war in the early and mid-nineteenth century, the
Cherokee Nation asserted its right to build institutions
administered by Cherokee people, both as an affirmation of their
national sovereignty and as a community imperative. The Cherokee
Nation protected and defended key features of its traditional
social service policy, extended social welfare protections to those
deemed Cherokee according to citizenship laws, and modified its
policies over time to continue fulfilling its people's
expectations. Julie L. Reed examines these policies alongside
public health concerns, medical practices, and legislation defining
care and education for orphans, the mentally ill, the differently
abled, the incarcerated, the sick, and the poor. Changing federal
and state policies and practices exacerbated divisions based on
class, language, and education, and challenged the ability of
Cherokees individually and collectively to meet the social welfare
needs of their kin and communities. The Cherokee response led to
more centralized national government solutions for upholding social
welfare and justice, as well as to the continuation of older
cultural norms. Offering insights gleaned from reconsidered and
overlooked historical sources, this book enhances our understanding
of the history and workings of social welfare policy and services,
not only in the Cherokee Nation but also in the United States.
Serving the Nation is published in cooperation with the William P.
Clements Center for Southwest Studies, Southern Methodist
University.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
