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Unit 29: Family and Marriage in India: Forces of Change, Family in the Context of Care of the Child and the Aged

(iii) Changes in Economic Functions: A joint family was the production and consumer unit Notes
where labour division was prevalent. It fulfilled all the economic needs. but today it is
nothing more than a consumption unit, Now, economic security is being provided by the
government and other institutions.
(iv) Changes in Forms of Entertainment: Earlier, it was the joint family, who provided enter-
tainment to its members. But now cinema, radio, television, clubs and business recreation
institutions have taken up this job.
By the structural and functional viewpoint, the traditional families were joined, but now both
have changed. Gore and Desai are of the view that on the structural level, their number has
reduced but on the functional level, there, number has still not reduced.

29.3 Future of Joint Family

Because of the various changes in the joint families, the question that arises is will there be an
end to joint families in future or will they disintegrate totally. Optimists are of the view that it is
not the disintegration of joint families but their changed form. It is in the process of adjustment
to the new circumstances. Those supporting disintegration are of the opinion that reduction in
the size of the family, the diminished power of the head of family, increased power of women,
property rights granted to family members, feeble family control and reduction of roles, etc., are
indicators of disintegration only. They are of the view that as urbanization and industrialisation
grow; and the newer means of transport come up, joint families will face disintegration and
nuclear families will increase, as they did in Europe. On the other hand, optimists are of the view
that industrialisation and urbanisation in India may not create the same effect as in Europe. Here,
it is not disintegration of families but their form. Prof. Kapadia says even today, a joint family
provides total social support to its members. Because of the prevalence of child marriages, it is
the joint family which supports the newly-wedded couple. Because of the lack of health facilities
in villages, it is the joint family who takes care during illness and delivery. Apart from that, the
widowed and deserted sisters and daughters are also provided support by the family. Last few
years, social efforts like insurance, Provident fund, gratuity, health, support, bonus, etc., have
been made but these facilities are limited to people in industrial and government services only.
Almost 70% of the population who lives in villages and depends on agriculutre, still get social
security from joint families only. Thus, the future of joint familes is knotted with the villages.
There is a cordial relation between joint family and agricultural work. The disintegration
of a family means division of fertile agricultural land. It is the joint family which fulfills the
need for workforce which is required for agricultural work. Dr. Kapadia says the future
of joint families depends on two factors. He writes that families today face financial and
ideological crisis. The reason for financial fail to save money to send to the family back
home, thus turnings the relations sour. The ideological crisis is that the new generation
refuses to accept the dominance of family. Now, the right between the mother-in-law and
daughter-in law has depended. The mother-in-law can neither tolerate the new position of the
daughter-in-law nor can she accept the sympathetic attitude of the husband towards her. If
a family survives such crisis, there is no likelihood of family disintegration. Kapadia admits
that the Hindu attitude still supports joint families. Dr. R.N. Saxena too, has confirmed the
financial and social support provided by joint families. He says, “Today, the mutual relations
amongst the members of a joint family are its real form; not the joint residence property or
kitchen. It is definite that the number of disintegrated joint families has gone up and every
such family gives birth to many new joint families, in due course of time. Dr. Indra Dev is of
the opinion that the disintegrated families have not taken the form of simple and pure personal
families. The form they are taking could be termed as intermediary types. I.P. Isai and other
sociologists believe that nuclear family is a phase in the joint family structure. At the initial
stage, the parts which separates from the joint families are in the form of nuclear families. In due
course of time, they transform into joint families. Ram Krishna Mukherjee writes, “The central

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