Page 185 - DSOC402_SOCIOLOGY_OF_KINSHIP_ENGLISH

Unit 24: Impact of Industrialisation, Urbanisation and Modernisation on Joint Family

Notes

Today, the family structure in India is affected by education facilities, job op-
portunities and social and economical changes.

According to Dr. A.R. Desai, “Qualitative changes has been taking place in traditional joint
families and family centric rural structure. The rule of customs are being replaced by the laws.
Families are turning from unit of production to unit of consumption. The family bond which
used to be blood-relation is changing into husband wife relation.” According to Mrs. Raas,
“Indian family have been going through a quiet social change because the educated women
have speared themselves from accepted “family customs” and “family traditions” and reached
outside their home for self expression.
Today because of industrialisation and urbanisation not only the business has gained momen-
tum but there is also a huge difference in income and business of the members of same caste and
family. Not only their view point is different because of the following reasons—
1. Modern Thought: Modern thoughts are accepted slowly by the people and it takes a long
time before they affect the pattern of social behaviour. When modern thoughts are accepted
by one generation, their behaviour pattern changes a little bit in the next generation it is
quite fast. Modern thoughts are accepted by people in a very small quantity. The main
modern thought, which has contributed in the changing pattern pertaining to families in
India, is that, every person should get complete independence and opportunity for his/her
development. Today, the traditional new point related to sex has changed and romantic
love is considered more important. Nowadays, religious traditions are losing their impor-
tance secularism is getting popularity. People have started following scientific, democratic
and socialist view point. As a result, the society is changing from a “secured family” to a
“secular family.” Changes are accepted easily by its member in a secular family. Nowadays
people is having beneficial view towards the western culture. They think, it is useful to ac-
cept the western values according to physical view point.
2. New Social Sanction: In last few years, the women have got various rights because of new
social customs and laws sanctioned in India. In principle, these have brought the men and
women at par. Four acts were implemented in 1955 and 1956 to decide the marriage, bases
of divorce, right to property, adaptation and maintenance. All these acts were important
from marriage point of view and to bring a change in family pattern.
3. Social Structure: The urbanisation is also increasing in the country with the industriali-
sation. Economic structures are stepping towards numismatism and political structures
are getting extended. Members of a family are doing different business in different places
because of increased business facilities. There is also a great disparity in their incomes.
As a result joint-families have lost their characteristics and differences cropped up among
members of a family on the basis of their interest, viewpoint and income. Differences have
also arised in viewpoint of parents and children as also one brother and another brother
because of our education system, caste structure has also undergone some changes. It is get-
ting weaker and intercaste marriage have become common. It becomes difficult for a newly
married couple, who belong to different caste, to adjust in a joint family. In such a case, with
a rise in intercaste marriage, it is normal if pattern of family and social relationship also
change. Presently an important role is being played by the state to bring the social changes.
State is active to provide social and economical security to its people. State is attempting to
uplift rural community through different programme and Panchayati Raj institutions. In
the same way, the scheme of family planning is also going on from viewpoint of limiting
the population. All these planned effort are actively contributing in changing the pattern of
family.

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