Page 182 - DSOC402_SOCIOLOGY_OF_KINSHIP_ENGLISH

Sociology of Kinship

Notes ing to the changing circumstances. Presently the structure of joint family is undergoing some
important changes related to family responsibilities, important decisions, mutual relation of
its members, and socialisation of children. Now women are more aware of their rights due to
modern education. They are doing jobs after getting educated. There has been a change in their
conditions and role. Many factors have contributed in establishing nuclear families. All these
changes have given birth to new values and mentalities that support the tradition rule of behav-
iour. The main factors which changed the joint families are as follows:
1. Industrialisation: A joint family has been a center of both consumption and production.
All the members of a family not only worked collectively in the field they also used to work
collectively in cottage industry. At that time joint families were suitable as per the economic
conditions of the country but things have changed gradually. In every society economic
system is the basis of its structure and if economy changes the related social institutions also
change. The changes in Indian economy have resulted in a change in joint families and as
generally believed by people, joint family starts distintegrating. Large industries have been
established because of capitalist economy system and industrialisation and works have
been done by machineries. People started migrating from villages to towns because the
land could not sustain the rising population. Cottage industries were destroying and many
new business developed. They started living in the cities along with their wife and children.
Also it was not possible to bring all the members of a joint family in the city because there
was scarcity of houses in urban areas. Industrialisation has provided the job opportunities
to women in the economic sectors. Their situation and role has changed, they gained self-
confidence and became aware of their right. They started revolting and protesting against
the system as also they started contributing actively in the formation of nuclear family.
Cash wage system implemented by industrialisation has given an opportunity to measure
one’s labour in cash to the members of joint families. A member whose income was more
than other members in a joint family remained unsatisfied that his earning was being spent
on all the members equally whether they are earning or not, earning less or more. As a
result, an individualistic approach started developing in them and they wanted to spend
all their income on only on their wives and children. They considered it letter to accumu-
late wealth rather than spending it on their relative as money is considered to be the most
important in an industrial system. A man is respected on the basis of money and wealth he
has. All these thing have inspired and provided an opportunity to earn and stay in a nuclear
family separate from a joint family.
2. Urbanisation: Western scientific technology, industrialisation and development in the
mode of transports have speed up the process of urbanisation. On one hand, new cities have
developed and on the other small cities have grown up in metro cities. Trade, commerce
and industries have developed in cities and the opportunities of jobs have also increased.
Million of people migrated to cities from villages for job, where they started living in a nu-
clear family. Different thoughts, ideology and social values exist in a city. Young boys and
girls who have got modern education and brought up in a metro culture, usually have a
modern view point towards life. They are more individualistic and youthful. They like the
modernisation however, parents want to remain traditional. In cities, parents expect from
their sons and daughter-in-laws that they live as per the family customs, rituals and tradi-
tions but they (sons and daughter-in-laws) want to live according to their choice. In such a
condition, tension prevails among parents and young members for their thoughts, ideals
and social values. In a house mother-in-law want, her daughter-in-law to follow the rule
of ‘Parda’, however, daughter-in-law wants to move freely with her husband. In this situ-
ation, on one hand parents have some expectations from their sons, on the other hand, the
expectations of his wife and children tend to be different. There are contradiction in their
expectations and son find himself in a fix, that badly affect his mental health. All these fac-
tors have helped in changing the status of joint families and inspired to form nuclear family.
There is a special importance of personal achievement in cities. Here everyone wants to rise
and fulfills his ambition but one does not get a proper opportunity and encouragement for
the same in a joint family.

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