Changing Family Systems- A Reality for India
It is not an easy task to define family. This difficulty can be attributed to the mythology that environs the concept of this institution. If one were to define family, one would generally think of it as being an unwavering group of people, operating on the principles of harmony and love. One also tends to assume that every member in the family holds the view that the family is a secure place where every member’s physical and emotional needs will be fulfilled. However, this understanding is incomplete and does not tap the complexity of the concept of family.
For a better perspective, some definitions may be useful:
Steinmetz and Stein, 1988 suggested that “a family is a unit of intimate, transacting and interdependent persons who share some values, goals, resources and responsibility for decisions as well as have a commitment to one another overtime.” (Continuity is an important assumption)
Murdock, 1949 suggested that “every society is characterized by family units that are organized around economic corporation, sexual reproduction and common residence.” (Criticized due to its functionalist nature)
Conceptualization of the type, utility and importance of families change over time. This is as a result of the unique interaction between historical, political, economic and social forces. Different groups emphasize diverse definitions of families based on a wide range of factors.
In the most conciliatory manner, Bogenschneider and Corbett (2004) suggested that “no single definition of family may be possible.” However, the existing definitions can be characterized as:
- Structural definitions attempt to explain family membership in accordance to certain characteristics like residence, legal or blood ties etc.
Stacey, 1996 suggested that the “postmodern family has emerged which is characterized by a multitude of family structures — working mothers and two-earner households; divorced, single-parent, remarried and adoptive families; and domestic partners, both gay and straight.”
- Functional definitions specify behaviors that members of a family carry out. For example: sharing economic resources, caring for young, elderly, sick and disabled.
A Brief History:
Phenomenal growth of scientific knowledge and technological advances were noticed in the beginning decades of the twentieth century. These changes dramatically changed the political, economic and social life of western nations. Together with this, profound changes were noticed in the global balance of power among the highly developed nations. (Lina Kashyap, 2004)
Lina Kashyap (2004) suggested that “For India, the twentieth century and the Second World War brought cataclysmic changes in all aspects of her society including changes in the family structure, functions and roles of its members. With political independence from the British in 1947, India set about the task of nation building and achieving economic independence, by enthusiastically and somewhat uncritically welcoming the western ideals of modernization and development.”
Some of the developed nations were encouraged to assist and support this modernization process. This encouragement was as a result of the assumption of fulfilling strategic power interests and possible long-term economic gains. India slowly realized that the process of modernization would entail a rational structural change of not only the social, economic and political order of a society, but also simultaneous transformations in its belief system, values and way of life as a whole. (Jha, 1985)
After a decade and a half of using western models of modernization, India found herself in a midst of problems. Firstly, economic development had not been reached the expected levels. Secondly, in addition to issues associated with globalization and sustainable development, rapid population growth coupled with escalating number of people living below the poverty line was encountered. (Lina Kashyap, 2004)
Kashyap (2004) suggested that “the economic liberalization as well as technological advances that came in the wake of globalization has had a profound impact on socioeconomic, political and cultural life of the Indian society, which has in turn profoundly affected traditional family patterns.”
In the following section, changes in the family structure, functions, roles, relationships and status of its members and its relationship with the kinship system would be addressed.
Plight of the elderly:
It is generally understood as a rule in the Indian context that responsibility of the elderly has to be taken up by the members of the family. (Reeta Sonawat, 2001). However, certain factors have come to challenge this.
Firstly, migration has left elderly with a feeling of lack of support from their children. Also, if given a chance to migrate, they may not be willing to do so because of not wanting to change their lifestyles after so many years. (Reeta Sonawat, 2001) The changing roles of women in the family i.e. their participation in employment outside and therefore added responsibilities may also affect the elderly in urban area, wherein they may be left behind to fend for themselves. (Ramanujam, Gupta, & Mamgain, 1990).
Secondly, earlier a child had a support system in the form of elderly at home and it was taken for granted. Now, with the reduced frequency of grandparents visiting/ staying, this support is highly valued.
Thirdly, abuse has also been reported in many instances. It has been found that elderly females are abused more than males (Dudley, 1983).
Fourthly, the tradition of ‘obligatory dependence’ on male children is also undergoing changes. In the recent times, daughters are assuming equal responsibilities of caring and supporting their parents. (Reeta Sonawat, 2001)
Privacy:
In 1992, Larson and Medora compared the need for privacy between Americans and Indians. They found that this need was lower for Indians. But I think the changes in family patterns and coming in of technology has given way for privacy. The virtual world allows one a choice when it comes to self disclosure. A child may not share if he is upset with his parents but his Facebook status may show otherwise.
Marriage and Divorce:
Marriage in India is in many ways a compulsion. One may feel out of place if chooses to not marry. (TISS, 1993) Marriages do not take place between individuals, but between families. Earlier, there was not much say of the couple involved. Now, often youth have the autonomy to decide. If their parents arrange the marriage, their choice is usually considered. One can notice an increase in the trend of love marriages, inter caste marriages. (R. Sonawat, 2001) However, marriages are still endogamous to a great extent and 100% autonomy in choosing a partner is a far cry. Family approval is essential. (Lina Kashyap, 2004) After marriage, interference from the extended family has also reduced in case of nuclear families. (Bhatt and Surti, 1979; Ghadially and Kumar, 1988; Kashyap, 2000b).
An increase in the desires for material wealth has led to greater demands in the form of dowry, failure of which result in dowry deaths. (Mullati, 1995)
Marriage was not a matter of choice but in many cases, a matter of convenience. (Gupta, 1978) Now, the ideas of love, companionship and individual happiness is also given importance. (Kashyap, 2004) Changing roles of women have also changed their priorities, motivation together with expectations from the marriage. While earlier, girls were married at a very early age, now a change can be seen here. (R. Sonawat, 2001)
It is funny how with the changing times, the taboo and social stigma attached to divorce is more or less the same wherein the disapproval from one’s family and community is experienced more by women than men. (Lessinger, 2002)
Relationship with kinship system:
With the coming in of labor intensive industries and the consequent motivation to earn, large scale movement from rural to urban areas has been noticed. This has led to individuals not being in touch with their roots and thereby getting alienated from support from kin and community. (Lina Kashyap, 2004)
Kinship groups have been facilitating and providing the required support to its members i.e. affinal, collateral and lineal kin. (Georgas, 2003) However, allegations of it being exploitative and an inhibitor of individual growth, space and mobility need to be considered as well. (Lina Kashyap, 2004)
Religious Freedom:
Religion and its associated rituals are considered extremely important in our country. (Medora, 2003) In my opinion, the expression of religiosity has decreased since personal choice plays a crucial role. For e.g. it is a ritual at my home to visit the Gurudwara on Sundays, however, here I have complete freedom of choice to follow this or not. Also, a lot of Sikhs settled abroad take the decision of cutting their hair: a matter of personal choice again which would not have been possible otherwise.
Researchers have indicated a slightly higher incidence of nuclear families in Non-Hindu households as compared to Hindu households and in Schedule caste and Schedule tribes as compared to other castes have also been noted. (Niranjan and Nair, ) This could be attributed to differences in age at marriage, illiteracy and standard of living. (Gough, 1956)
Migration and Associated Concerns:
The study of migration and family in India is quite complex. (Shah, 1998) The numbers of nuclear households have increased. Due to economic demands in urban areas, migrants are not able to support their families well enough. Also, due to weakening of kinship networks’, coping with pressures of urban life becomes a major issue. (Kashyap, 2004)
Furthermore, long durations of conjugal separation sometimes lead to break up of marriage. (Nair, 1986; United Nation, 1991)
For e.g. A number of NRIs’ get married to girls from Punjab but their inability or unwillingness to take them along leads to breaking up of marriage or suffering by brides.
Roles:
Gary Becker (1976, 1985) first studied the social aspects contributing to the increase in the number of women working outside home. It was suggested that the traditional roles attributed to women were a major motivation for them. (Drago and Golden 2005) In the 1950s, mothers of 16% children were working outside. Now, this has increased to 59%. This can be attributed to increase in educational opportunities, higher divorce rates, pursuit of personal happiness and economic independence. (Parasuraman and Greenhaus, 2002)
‘Gender role convergence’ can be noticed wherein men and women are working towards a more egalitarian relationship contributing towards paid labor force, housework and childcare. (Moen, 1989)
Children:
In a nuclear family, due to the limited number of adults to model; personal bond with parents is greater. (Sinha, 1984) When there is a decrease in emotional interdependence and material interdependence, there is a room for self-sufficiency and independence for the child. This contributes to autonomy.
In the joint family system, a child has the opportunity to get socialised with cultural norms, traditions and rituals. It acts as a support group helping the child in stress and crises. (Shukla, 1994) However flexibility can be observed in these norms due to increased levels of education and economic contribution by young members. (Kashyap, 2004)
Conclusion:
So from the above pointers, it is quite evident that industrialisation and urbanisation did not only bring about changes in the economic sphere but also brought about transitions in the nature of family & family dynamics.
In a collectivist country like India where family needs and goals have always been considered of more value than individual needs, a change can be noticed. An alternate model of family is now emerging which includes emotional and psychological interdependence. Here, the individual experiences interdependence in the emotional realm and independence in the material realm. Therefore, one is able to achieve a fantastic blend of autonomy and relatedness. (Kagitcibasi, 2002)
Popular understanding is that change in residence or personal autonomy would bring about adverse changes in the value and belief systems of individuals. I propose that the so called undermining of the value system cannot be blamed on the notions of autonomy alone. It is a matter of individual differences. A person may not be respectful towards his/ her parents when placed under the compulsion to stay under one roof. Similarly, in the case of elderly. I do not think that love, respect and care for elders is conditional and based on circumstances. Definitely, in the midst of external pressure one may find oneself torn between a number of responsibilities. But individual differences and personal choice makes a difference when it comes to staying in touch.
In my opinion, nuclear families may not be absolutely nuclear in reality. Families are undergoing a transition, wherein a ‘modified’ family is emerging. It is a social unit wherein all the family members do not stay together in one house but keep in contact with them. (Rao, 2002) Thus, inspite of no physical proximity, an emotional bond continues to exist. Again the degree and intensity of this depends upon personal choice, convenience and differs according to individual differences.
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