Advantages And Disadvantages Of Joint Family System
Advantages And Disadvantages Of The Joint Family System: The joint family is the Pillar. On which Hindu values and attitudes are built. It is an S universal system and we find such a system was prevalent in Greek and Roman times. When their civilization was at its peak.
Definition of Joint Family System
According to Iravati Karve
“A group of people who generally live under one roof. Who eats food cooked at one hearth. Who hold property in common. And who participate in common family worship and are related to each other as some particular type of kindred.”
According to I.P. Desai
“We call that household a joint family which has greater generation depth than under family and the members. Which are related to one another by the property. Income and mutual rights and obligations.”
According to K. Davis
“According to K. Davis, The joint family consists of males having a common male ancestor, female offspring not yet married and women brought into the group by marriage. All of these persons might live in a common household or in several households near one another. In any case, so long as the joint family holds together, its members are expected to contribute to the support of the whole and to receive from it a share of the total product.
According to Henry
“The Hindu joint family is a group constituted of known ancestors and adopted sons and relatives related to these sons through marriage.
According to Jolly
“In a joint family not only parents and children, brothers and step brothers live on the common property, but it may sometime include ascendants and collaterals up to many generations.”
The joint family may be of two forms.
- Patriarchal joint family
- Matriarchal joint family
The patriarchal joint family is male-dominated and is found among the Nambudari of Malabar.
Matriarchal joint family is female dominated and is found among Khasis and Garos of Assam.
Characteristics of the Joint Family
Common Roof: Members of the joint family reside under the same roof and if for some reason they have to get separated they occasionally visit them.
Common Worship: Hindu joint family is associated with various religious rituals and practices Members of the family participate in common worship.
Authority among the eldest: In a patriarchal joint family the eldest male member presides over the whole family.
Marriages are arranged: Parents select life partners for their children the younger member cannot challenge their decisions.
Common kitchen: Food is cooked under one hearth and people eat their food sitting together and enjoying food.
Self-sufficiency: Joint family was self-sufficient economically all the members used to pour their wealth into the same tank so whenever the need arose they never had to borrow.
Advantages of Joint Family
- Division of Labour: Each member is allotted his part of the work since the property is common and undivided.
- Useful for Agricultural Economy
According to K.M. Kapadia, “The Indian farmer used to be a producer. seller, labourer and investor combined each of these functions can be performed efficiently to the advantage of the family if it is a joint one.’ In an agricultural economy, much manpower is needed all this is possible in a joint family.
- It stands in difficult times: A joint family is like insurance against difficult times. It gives protection to instances, physically handicapped and old members of the family.
- Provides psychological security: By creating a Harmonious environment it provides psychological security to its members.
- It acts as an Agent of social control: It has control over the behaviour of its members. Individual interest is always lower than the group interest of the family.
Disadvantages
- It encourages Idleness: Some members of the family enjoy the fruits of other’s labour and this encourages idleness in the family.
- Lead to quarrels: As some members are actively working and earning and others sitting idle this encourages quarrels among both members and could also lead to the disintegration of the family.
- Lower status of women: The condition of women is sometimes miserable. All day they have to look out for the requirements of the family members and are unable to lead their personal life.
- Lack of Privacy: There is a lack of privacy for young married couples with the result that they cannot enjoy their married life.
- Effects on the socialization of children: Due to decisions of older members parents are unable to scold their children and children are unable to get correct social control. They even if do wrong get love from their grandparent instead of socio-dings.
