Family Relationships in India in the Post Economic Reform Era: A Sociological Study (original) (raw)
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Changing Family Structure in India Impact and Implications
Family is traditionally considered in all societies as the primary social unit of human existence and hence, the basis for expressing and moulding the basic tenets of social behavior and relationship in society. It has been a subject of interest and of serious study at various levels down the centuries, and has always attracted the attention of the social scientists, for long. In India, for most part, the traditional system had survived for centuries without any major institutional alterations or dislocations. However, with the advent of the British, and later with the processes of industrialisation, modernisation, and the recent trends of globalisation, the structural features and the functional implications of family have started changing. The present paper attempts to understand and assess the dynamics of family, focusing mainly on the variations in the structural and functional aspects of family with multiple implications for the emerging social realities and their possible impact and implications for the future of the Indian Society.
International Journal of Social Sciences, 2021
The predominant type of living arrangement in pre-independence India was joint family system. It was based on the notion of collectivism and charity. It was a serving place for not only nurturing and preserving social values, but also passing them down through generations. After the advent of industrialization and subsequent emergence of urbanization and modernization, the joint families started disintegrating into nuclear families. The modern nuclear family is perpetually promoting the principle of individualism or independence in contrast to the value of collectivism deep-rooted in joint family. It is, therefore, a value shift in family from collectivism to individualism. It is followed by a loyalty shift in family from lineal ties to conjugal ties. Consequently, nuclear family has become an indispensible social unit in contemporary Indian society. However, its sustainability may perhaps be uncertain in a distant future because of the inclination of present younger generation to complete independence in life. Probably this may result in the emergent of a new type of living arrangement to satisfy the needs of generations of people in a remote future. Highlights m Views of Indian as well as foreign scholars on transition of Joint Family. m Nuclear family as an inevitable alternate social unit in contemporary Indian society. m Probability of uncertainties of nuclear family in distant future and the likelihood of emerging a new type of living arrangement suitable to future generations.
Family and Marriage are the two extremely important institutions of human existence. They have helped in the sustenance and maintenance of society on the one hand, and provided change and dynamism on the other. The adaptability or adjustment of these institutions to the social integration and social change has been a crucial issue to many social thinkers and sociological writings. Given the present state of rapid transformation due to processes of modernization and globalization, family and marriage institutions are witnessing significant changes leading to new trends and patterns. In India, particularly in the northwest region, such changes have several causes and consequences. The economic state of the region, new developments, spread of education, urbanization, expansion of cities, inflow of migrants, impact of media and communication technology, among others; have been important reasons for the recent changes. Impact of these on the structure of the family, intra and inter family relations, kinship networks and community ties, age and gender relations has been critical. The implications and consequences of such changes can be seen in both positive and negative effects on family and marriage. On the positive side there are improvements in education, job opportunities, choices in selecting mate and living of healthy and prosperous life; while on the other side one finds increasing cases of alienation, rising consumerism, declining joint family values, divorce or desertion, increase in suicide rate and violence in family and society. In short, family and marriage as social institutions are witnessing vast changes that need to be captured.
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It is said family is perhaps the most important thread of the social fabric of this country. The Hindu Society has existed from time immemorial and has even progressed in many aspects, but the basic social unit which holds this society together has not changed. Even today major business entrepreneurs live in a joint family and owe a major part of their success to this social unit. However, as the society has progressed the very existence of joint family has come under threat when there is no articulate demarcation with regards to ownership of a property. Joint family and disputes in the modern era have become an ordinary sight in the courts of law. In a developing country like India, where the law is no more at a nascent stage, but the public at large is unaware of alternate dispute resolutions, tend to enter into aggressive litigation which often witnesses exchange of accusations and words which shatter the peace and security of a family to a point of no return. It is in this backg...