Family and its Types
Structure
6.0
Objectives
6.1
Introduction
6.2
The Institution of Family
6.3
The Types of Family
6.3.1 The Continuum of Nuclear and Joint Family Systems
6.3.2 The Hindu Joint Family
6.4
Nature of Joint Family in India
6.4.1 What Constitutes Jointness?
6.4.2 Who Constitute a Joint Family?
6.4.3 Variability in and Prevalence of Joint Family Living
6.5
Developmental Process of the Family
6.5.1 The Ideal of Joint Family Living
6.5.2 Inapplicability of the Ideal of Joint Family Living
6.6
Changes in the Family
6.6.1 Factors of Change and Process of Disintegration of the Joint Family
6.6.2 Factors of Change Leading to Reinforcement of the Joint Family
6.6.3 Emerging Patterns of Family Living
6.7
Let Us Sum Up
6.8
Keywords
6.9
Further Reading
6.10 Specimen Answers to Check Your Progress
6.0 OBJECTIVES
After going through this unit you should be able to define the nature of the institution of family give a description of the types of family discuss the nature of nuclear family in Indian society outline the criteria used for identifying jointness in a family discuss the family systems in terms of a cyclical approach identify the major forces responsible for change in the institution of family.
6.1 INTRODUCTION
In Block I we talked of rural and urban social structure. We said structure refers to a pattern of arrangement of social relationships, which get institutionalised over time. In this Block we will look at some of the basic institutions of Indian society, namely, the family, marriage and kinship.
5
Family, Marriage and Kinship
In the first unit of this Block we will look at the institution of family. We will describe the nuclear and joint family systems. We will also look into the question of changes in the Indian family.
6.2 THE INSTITUTION OF FAMILY
Let us first define the nature of the institution of family.