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Sociology of Kinship

Notes (iii) To provide home to the family members. These members not only stay together under one
roof, but also create an atmosphere of cordiality, togetherness and the warmth of relations,
which is not possible for any other arena.

29.1 Factors Responsible for Changing or Disintegrating Joint Family
Many changes have taken place in the traditional Indian joint family. It is going through an in-
fectious phase. Some scholars are of the opinion that the changes occurring in joint families due
to new circumstances are the result of disintegration of the joint family system. Others say it is
only the form which has changed. Dr. R.N. Saxena has categoried into three parts, the powers
responsible for the change.
1. Economic Powers: Which mainly include industrialization and investment system.
2. Emotional Powers: which mainly include liberalism, individualism and western ideology.
3. New Social Laws: Which include new laws related to marriage and property.
Dev Anand and Thomas have categorized, the factors of change into three.
1. Innovative Ideas like utilitarianism, individualism, romance, sexual Freedom and the De-
creasing Effect of religion.
2. New Sanctions like family, marriage, property and laws related to social security.
3. New Social Structure, in which the gained merits are more important than the given func-
tion. Battomore writes, “The disintegration of joint families is not the result of industrialisa-
tion or its effects in various directions. The main reason is that the joint family has failed to
develop economically.” Dr. Kapadia has held the new judicial system, the easy availability
of new means of transport, industrialisation, expansion of education and changed attitude
as factors responsible for disintegration. Paniakkar says the cause of disintegration is more
than required control or dominance on family members and the resultant limited scope for
relations.
The factors changing or disintegrating the joint family are as fallows—
1. Industrialisation: The Industrial revolution came in the 18th century. The credit to
introduce it to India, goes to the British. To fulfill the industrial needs of the country, there
was a rapid growth of rail, roads and means of transport and communication. New business
ventures came up. Alongside, the rural industries were destroyed. Families were no more
units of production. People started moving to cities from villages in search of work. This
harmpered the unity of the families. The agricultural economy was replaced by industrial
and investment system. The members of the joint family spread far and wide in search of
jobs and business opportunities. In cities people started living above or with their wives and
children, in the form of small families. In the cities too, lack of housing compelled people
to stay in the form of small families, instead of staying in the joint setup. The joint family
was based on agriculture and the increased importance of industries disintegrated the joint
families. In the rural industries, people worked together. But after the depletion of the rural
industries and the springing up of factories, people working in the rural industries, started
moving towards the industrial centres in search of work. Thus, it was not possible for the
rural joint families to exist. Industrialisation increased the employment opportunities,
people started venturing out in search of new job opportunities. Industrialization brought
along, a new form of economy, which provided employment to women too. Employment
made women self sufficient and aware. They started agitating against the suffocating and
dominating environment of joint families and stressed upon the establishment of nuclear
families. Industrialisation enforced the cash system, which facilitated the members to
identify work with money. Feelings of superiority and inferiority started cropping up
between members who earned more, and those, who earned less. That led to the sense of

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