Indian Family Structure

An Indian Family The word 'family' is derived from the Latin word 'familia' which means household. In India, there are joint family structures as well as the concept of nuclear family. The concept of joint family has been in our society for quite a few generations now. This is quite common, especially, in villages and also in cities. In India, people learn the essential themes of cultural life within the bosom of the family.The most widely desired residential family unit is the joint family, ideally consisting of three or four patrilineally related generations, all living under one roof, working, eating, worshipping and co-operating together in mutually beneficial social and economic activities. Despite the continuous and growing impact of urbanization, secularization and Westernization, the traditional joint household, both in ideal and in practice, remains the primary social force in the lives of most Indians. Loyalty to the family is one deeply held ideal for almost everyone. Numerous prominent Indian families like the Tatas, Birlas and Sarabhais retain joint family arrangements as they work together to control some of the country's largest financial empires. Mutual flexibility and convenience are the two major advantages/pros of a joint family household. But nowadays, many people opt for having a nuclear family as they don't have to rely on any member of the family and can carry out their activities with ease. Such families are also financially independent. A nuclear family basically consists of parents and one or two children. In this type of family, people choose to raise limited number of children as there is no financial burden/ pressure on them. Also, the growing cost of almost everything, growing inflation and the ever increasing population are some the main factors behind the increasing number of people opting for a nuclear family. According to some experts, this is highly beneficial for the complete development of a varied and diverse