Family is an important part of society as a whole, it can be described as the unit which helps in the formation of society. Since childhood, we grow up learning about types of families such as nuclear family, joint family and extended family. Here, we will be focusing on the disintegration of joint families in India.
The Disintegration of Joint Family
As one can observe around oneself, over the years a lot has changed within the family system in India. From the past decades, several old joint families have decided to disintegrate into smaller nuclear families. Now, as we discuss joint family and nuclear family it is essential to understand the difference between the two. A joint family can have a larger number of family members living together under the same roof whereas in a nuclear family generally three or four members can be found to be living together. Thus, a joint family has a larger number of family members in comparison to a nuclear family. Further, as we discuss the disintegration of joint families it is also important to understand the meaning of the word disintegration properly to use the information acquired efficiently.
The disintegration of joint families can be described as the process of parting ways as a joint family to live as a nuclear family. For example, if in a family 3 brothers live together with their wives and kids then it can be called a joint family. However, if the members of the family decide to part ways and each couple along with their kids begin living separately then they can now be called a nuclear family. Thus, as observed from the example a joint family disintegrated into separate nuclear families.
Causes of Disintegration
There can be several causes for the disintegration of a joint family into nuclear families. These causes can include-
- Often the family business can become a cause of concern leading to the disintegration of the family as a whole. For example, imagine a family in which all the siblings are involved in the common family business, if a conflict is arising and they are unable to resolve it then this might lead to bitterness amongst the relationships thereby the family members parting ways to live alone rather than together.
- Another cause can be the difference in opinion. If the family members find themselves constantly having diverse opinions from one another and if this is leading to arguments then the members may suggest disintegrating instead of continuously engaging in quarrels.
Result of Disintegration of a Family
As the family begins to disintegrate, different family members may have different experiences. While some can feel a sense of freedom others might miss a sense of belongingness. One can imagine the older members of the family, as well as the unemployed members of the family, can be the ones who suffer the most as a result of disintegration. Further, in times of emergencies, nuclear families can also face difficulties due to the lesser number of helping hands. Thus, it can be concluded that the disintegration of joint families has become prevalent nowadays and the causes for the same can be multiple. A family business can be one of the many reasons for parting ways. The result of this disintegration can further have varying impacts on different members of the family.
Joint Hindu Family Business in India
As earlier we discussed family business, here we will shed light on some of the joint Hindu family businesses in India which are running successfully and growing day after day. These examples include Reliance Industries Limited, Tata Sons Private Limited and Haldiram’s Private Limited. These are a few of the popular examples that can help us understand how various joint Hindu family businesses in India have become a great success.
Conclusion
It can be concluded that families play an important role in society. Every family, be it a nuclear or a joint family can have both advantages as well as disadvantages. Nowadays, the disintegration of joint families has led to a lot of nuclear families in comparison to the previous years. There can be several causes of the disintegration of a joint family.