Extended Family

An extended family can be termed as a social unit which not only comprises parents and their children but also consists of grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, niece, nephews, in-laws etc. The paper is concentrated on the discussion and analysis of the features of an extended family and will impose correlated importance on the meaning of extended family. 

Key features of an extended family

• There are multiple adults in the family who are specifically not the parents of the children but are uncles and aunts who might assume parent-like roles

• Different generations with diverse sets of values live together under the same roof

• Multiple adults in the household contribute to the financial security of the family

• Much like the financial responsibility, the workload is also clearly defined and shared amongst the members

• Another significant feature of an extended family is that they belong from an unlineal descent group

• In some cases, even if all the members might not live in the same house, nevertheless they live in proximity with each other

• The senior member of the household usually assumes the power-position

• Since the extended family is a multi-generational one, the strong bonds and the availability of resources strengthens the resiliency of the group

• In Hindi, Extended Family termed as “Vistrit Parivar”

Members of an extended family

The members of an extended family comprise not only of immediate family but stretches beyond that. These extended families, although different in their own way, mostly comprises multiple adults and children. 

Roles of extended family

In an extended family, there are often assigned and categorized roles that each member has to perform. Generally, in such a family, there is always a chosen head of the household who assumes the power position. That member is mostly chosen with respect to age and financial capability. Each member of the family abides by certain duties. For example, the head of the family is often assigned the financial responsibilities and is also required to ensure that the group unity and solidarity is maintained. 

Difference between extended family & nuclear family

In the present society mostly characterized by nuclear families, the importance of an extended family becomes a highly debatable issue. Although there are significant differences which differentiate the two, each of them has their own important features. Also known as a conjugal family, elementary family or an immediate family, the nuclear family comprises the father, mother and their children.  Whereas in an extended family, the social unit stretches further to grandparents, great-grandparents, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws and so on. Nuclear family is focused on self-reliance, economic stability and highly enthusiastic about career goal whereas in an extended family there is less financial mobility, comparatively lower goal-attainment and conventional norms. In terms of role divisions, an extended family has clearly defined roles that each member is expected to follow. While in a nuclear family, though there exists defined roles, these roles are often relative in nature. 

Risk factors associated with an extended family

Although the extended family increases the unity of the family, this is not always the case. This kind of family can become a source of a complex web of relationships giving rise to conflicts and other unhealthy environments. As in multi-generational families where different generations live together with their own ideas and values, it sometimes gives rise to conflicting interests, domestic violence, traumatic environments for a child and stressful household situations.

Significance of an extended family

In the economic and social realm, extended families bear a lot of significance. 

Social Significance 

Extended family aids in socialization which, in turn, shapes an individual. From the moment of birth, a child is subjected to the process of socialization which is guided by his/her immediate as well as extended family. It helps us in determining our social roles, behaviours, linguistics, norms and values. 

Economic Significance 

Since the financial responsibilities are shared by multiple members of the family, it becomes significantly easier to run the household. As different individuals are employed in different work sectors, there are fewer chances of financial instability due to sudden recession or unemployment of a particular individual.

Conclusion

Taking everything into account, it can be stated that the extended family has a significant importance in society. There are a lot of examples in the past that imposed crucial responsibility on societal development. However, in the present time, there are no instances of extended and joint family aspects. In this context, it can be stated that the family in the formation of a good education is very important and thus, the recent population needs to convey the roles and responsibility of an extended family. There should be love and care amongst the extended family members beyond the boundary of nuclear family aspects. Though, due to certain economical and societal changes, there is no possibility of staying under one roof for an extended family, however, courtesy and responsibility need to be maintained beyond the small family contexts.