essay on advantages of joint family

Nurturing Families

Here Are The Many Advantages And Disadvantages Of Joint Family

Growing up in a joint family can have a significant influence on a child. So, is a joint family setup the right choice? Examine the characteristics of a joint family and take an informed decision.

Here Are The Many Advantages And Disadvantages Of Joint Family

The joint family is a beautiful institution—most of us have grown up listening to this idea and believing in it as well. Our movies portray a joint family as one where everyone eats together, laughs together, and supports each other during both good and bad times.

Like every other social system, the joint family system also has its share of advantages and disadvantages. But, the importance of a joint family is still acknowledged by many. Even in this age of the nuclear family, the joint family system exists and remains relevant.

What is a joint family?

In India, a joint family is usually a large undivided family where members of more than one generation live together under one roof (grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, and their children).

As with every system, the family structure is also evolving. Some reasons for this change are scarcity of living space, an increase in the number of households where both partners work, a jump in the number of single parents, and so on. But, even with changing times, a sizable number of Indians still seem to be inclined towards the joint family system.

So, is the joint family a good or bad system? Let's delve deeper to understand what is keeping this old system alive, evolving, and relevant.

Characteristics of a joint family

The family is usually headed by the eldest member of the family.
The responsibility of making decisions rests with the head of the family, although family members can give suggestions.
The family members share a single kitchen
All the members are expected to contribute financially towards running the family.
All the members have to share the household chores.
They should cooperate with and support each other, making the system have its share of both merits and demerits.
After marriage, the children also live in the same house along with other family members.

Advantages of a joint family

Togetherness : Growing up with cousins, uncles, aunts, and grandparents gives children the opportunity to connect with everyone and forge close bonds. Especially, the bond with grandparents, which almost every child cherishes. This feature is among the key characteristics of a joint household.
Imbibing family values : Many values that parents want to teach children are taught well in the joint household. Growing up together, children learn to share, care for and respect everyone. They also learn how to empathize with those around them.
Shared support system : For working parents, who need someone trustworthy to be around their children, this family system is a boon. With uncles, aunts, or grandparents around, who care for children and have their best interest in mind, parents feel less worried. Thus, they have the freedom to make time to socialize, catch up with each other at a private dinner, or hang out with friends.
Division of labor : A big family works as a big team, especially when it comes to doing household chores like cooking or cleaning. Family members get together and ensure that tasks are done on time and, sometimes, even before time. As a result, no family member ever feels stressed about work.
Financial security : All the earning family members contribute to the common fund for household expenses. This system also acts as a security net. When a member suffers monetary loss or loss of job, others get together to ensure that his or her daily needs are taken care of.

Importance of the joint family

The joint family:

Teaches cooperation and optimum use of resources
Helps members understand and bond with each other
Teaches the concept of "one for all and all for one"
Makes elders feel wanted and supported

Disadvantages of a joint family

Lack of together time/privacy : With many family members around, the lack of privacy and/or together time, can become an issue. If a particular family member is called up frequently to shoulder responsibilities, it can lead to disharmony in married life. Also, in a joint household, a couple always has to be mindful about being watched and heard when they want to exchange a compliment or a gesture or engage in a discussion or an argument.
Decreased freedom to express : A couple, especially a woman, might struggle with finding her comfort zone outside her room. She might not have a say in many aspects like deciding on food choices, decorating the house or even, wearing something that is comfortable for her and stepping out of her room. At times, her ideas may also be dismissed by other family members.
Disagreement on finances : Contributions towards running the household and how the money should be spent is a major issue in joint households. While everyone is expected to contribute money towards running the house, it is the head of the family who controls the funds and decides on how the money will be spent. Sometimes, the decisions taken by the head of the family may not go down well with some family members, leading to disagreements and arguments.
Conflicts over parenting styles : Parenting becomes a challenge in a big family. Many adults with differing styles may bombard parents with advice on what to do and what not. There might be interference in almost everything related to childcare and upbringing, right from the use of diapers to food to disciplining. For a new mom, such intrusions can prove to be even more confusing and upsetting.
Discontent and distress : Over a period, all or some of the above factors might lead to discontent and unhappiness among members of the family. Along with these, even trivial issues like not being able to make a dish as per one's own recipe or inviting a friend over for a birthday bash can snowball into a confrontation. At times, a family member may try to take undue advantage of others, which can also cause immense frustration. Also, those who earn more than others may try to dominate, leading to friction among family members.

The HUF Act

The relevance of the joint family is supported by the HUF (Hindu Undivided Family) Act in India. This law states that a Hindu family can come together and create a HUF. However, all the members of a HUF should descend from a common ancestor. Along with other advantages, a HUF also enjoys tax benefits. Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs can also form a HUF.

Preferred family structure

No family system in the world is perfect, and the same is true for a joint family. However, there are families that make the system work by demarcating responsibilities and duties, respecting each other, and being generous and helpful. In the end, it boils down to what we want for ourselves and our children, and what is feasible.

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13 Advantages and Disadvantages of Living in a Joint Family

5 Disadvantages of Living in a Joint Family

8 advantages of living in a joint family.

In India, the system of a joint family hails from the Vedic times and was popular even when the kings ruled this land. Living in a joint family means adjusting with all the uncles, aunts, and cousins. But, growing up with a set of different individuals, sacrificing your needs for the happiness of a loved one, and fighting over little things, pretty much makes you ready for the world. Joint families still prevail in India, but the number has depleted. Let’s find out what are the pros and cons of living in a joint family.

A family is that ‘umbrella’ whose value is not realised until the stormy clouds loom over you. But, when you look up with a hope that someone will come to your rescue, the first silent approaching steps will be of your family members. This is ‘FAMILY’. You grow up together, learn together; agree-disagree; fight and make-up, move on in your lives, but in the end, when you need someone, you know your siblings and your family will be right there.

India has always been known for its rich culture, various languages, and for the system of living in a joint family. A joint family does not only mean a group of people living together, it means that these people are tied with a blood relation and choose to live in a single household for many reasons – sometimes out of will and sometimes because of compulsion. Although the tradition of living in a joint family is shrinking with time, if you go in small cities and village of the country, where the roots of westernisation have still not touched, you will find many families living together as ‘one’ with a Basil/Tulsi plant in their yard. It might seem that you are watching a ’90s movie but it will be there.

With time the culture of living in a joint family is certainly plummeting in huge numbers, but why is that? Have you ever wondered why people now prefer living in nuclear families over a joint family? It is not just about privacy…there are many factors responsible, but are these reasons really justified? Does living alone or with just 2 people make you any happier?

Nuclear families are the deal of the day, there are many reasons for that. Let’s get you acquainted with the cons of living in joint family. It will present a better picture to let you decide if you want to settle for it or not:

1. Privacy is Compromised

Lack of privacy is a common complaint among people who live in a joint family. You are never alone. If you are distressed and want to be alone and cry to let it out, you’d prefer crying in your bed and telling your sad stories to your pillow. But that’s not possible if you are living in a joint family. Everyone knows everything about all the members of the family and this leads to interference in daily matters. More often than not, this interference is not appreciated and people end up hiding things so that others mind their own business. You will always be surrounded by people and they will try to help you for your sake, but sometimes it gets too much.

2. A small Decision Runs by Everyone

The problem of living in a joint family is even a small decision has to go through and get a green signal by every member of the family, particularly the head of the family. Whether it is about going out after 7 at night or a sleepover at a friend’s place. Sometimes, even trivial matters are given so much attention that it annoys you.

3. Financial Responsibility

In a joint family, it is about ‘us’. When it comes to financial responsibility, usually, the ‘Karta’ (the head of the family) handles financial matters while other male members of the family contribute. However, many times it happens that the burden of 2 or more families is on the ‘Karta’ of the family, and other members become idle and the burden on one person only increases.

4. Interference in Parenting

Living in a joint family sometimes deprives you of taking right decisions for your child. As a mother, you might not get to parent your child the way you want to, because there will be others in the house who will keep teaching you about what to do and what not to do. This may create hindrance in your style of parenting and ultimately it fuels your anger.

5. Woes of a Common Kitchen

Generally, in a joint family, all female members cook together and for all. When it comes to food, everyone has different choices and catering to the demands of all often makes them tired. Also, people cannot cook what they want and they have to strictly adhere to the rules of the family. If the family is a vegetarian one, then it will be very difficult to cook an egg or non-vegetarian food in the same kitchen.

These were certain cons of living in a joint family. Of course, living together is difficult because in a joint family you have to put someone else’s needs before yours, you have to compromise but all these situations make you a better person.

Your privacy will be compromised but there is a lot more than it that you will receive living in a joint family that you will always want to live in one. Here are some pros of growing up in a joint family that you would always cherish them:

1. A child is Never Lonely

If you are a working mom living in a joint family, you can rest assured of your child’s daily needs. If you are worried about who will serve him food or take care of him when he is sick, you need not. As you know in a joint family, there will always be people to take good care of him.

2. Happiness Doubles

If you have ever lived in a joint family, you must have experienced that sharing little joys and achievements with your family members makes them so happy. Even small achievements are rejoiced by one and all. And in the moments of sorrow, your family is always there to support you.

3. You Learn The Art of Sharing

If you notice a child raised in a nuclear family and the one raised in a joint family, you will observe difference in their behaviour. A kid brought up with many people is obviously more social but he also has a habit of sharing. Living in a joint family inculcates the habit of sharing from childhood. If your child has a chocolate, he will know that he has to distribute it among his siblings and cousins. As a kid, he might not like to share it, but it only prepares him for the future. The habit of giving and sharing makes you a person who is liked by all. Living in a joint family makes you focus on ‘we’ than on ‘me’.

4. You Learn to Respect

Growing up in a family with so many elders develops a sense of respect for others. Keeping your tongue in check around elders, respecting them, and obeying their commands…somehow shapes your personality. And a person who shows respects and treats others with respect is always appreciated.

5. Education Beyond Books

The education of a child living with aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents is not only restricted to academics and school but the horizon of his education is much wider. Living with grandparents, a child gets acquainted with the world of their times. With aunts and uncles, he gets familiar with their struggles. All in all, living in a joint family makes one understand that there is more to education than just school books.

6. Love and Care

The amount of love and care that one receives in a joint family cannot be uttered in words. If you are sick or sad, you will never find yourself alone. There will always be people to take care of you. It is the major benefit of living in a joint family; the love you receive is immeasurable and something you can never pay off.

7. The Feeling of Togetherness

If you live in a joint family, you can be sure that your child will never be bored or feel alone. He will always have cousins as his partners in crime. He will never be deprived of friends as he will always have his cousins to play with. As he grows, his bond with his cousins will only get better. In the lonely crowded world, your child will always have someone to share his problems.

8. One Becomes Socially Adept

A person coming from a joint family knows how to communicate with people of different age groups. Living with elders, siblings/cousins, nephews and nieces moulds his personality. All these basic elements of communication which are necessary for living happily in a society are inculcated in him right from the start when he lives in a joint family.

So, there were some benefits of growing up in a family with different individuals. If you have lived in a nuclear family adjusting with many people will be hard. But, choose wisely. It’s not as bad as you think it to be.

In this modern world, where a family is restricted to just 4 members, living in a joint family will obviously pose a challenge. But, if you want to make your life fun and experience the joy of togetherness, consider living in a joint family. There will be feuds, compromises, sacrifices, but at the end of the day, you will have a lot more people to depend on.

So, make a wise decision and remember that you can always overcome pitfalls with patience and love. After all, a joint family also has some wonderful benefits, especially for your kids whose grandparents adore them!

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Essay on Joint Family

Students are often asked to write an essay on Joint Family in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Joint Family

Introduction.

A Joint Family is a large family where multiple generations live together. It is a system where relatives of all types share a common household.

In a Joint Family, everyone shares responsibilities. The elders guide the young, while the young respect and learn from the elders.

Joint families foster love, cooperation, and sharing. They provide a sense of belonging and security to all members.

However, joint families can face issues like conflicts, lack of privacy, and unequal distribution of work.

Despite challenges, joint families can be a source of strength, support, and unity.

Also check:

10 Lines on Joint Family
Paragraph on Joint Family

250 Words Essay on Joint Family

Joint family, a fundamental unit of the social structure, has been an integral part of many cultures worldwide. It is a system where extended members of a family live under one roof, sharing a common kitchen, resources, and responsibilities. The joint family structure has been the backbone of many societies, particularly in countries like India, where it is deeply rooted in the cultural fabric.

The Dynamics of Joint Family

A joint family is a blend of grandparents, parents, children, and often uncles and aunts living together. The family is led by the eldest member, often the grandfather, whose decisions are considered final. The joint family system fosters a sense of unity, cooperation, and mutual understanding among members. It is a social system that guarantees emotional, financial, and social support.

Advantages of Joint Family

Living in a joint family cultivates virtues like patience, tolerance, and generosity. Children grow up in a nurturing environment surrounded by love and care from their grandparents, uncles, and aunts. The joint family system also provides financial stability as resources are pooled and expenses are shared, reducing the economic burden on individuals.

Disadvantages of Joint Family

Despite its advantages, the joint family system has its downsides. There can be conflicts due to differing opinions, and the lack of privacy can be constraining. Moreover, decision-making power is often centralized, which may lead to feelings of suppression among younger members.

While the joint family system has its pros and cons, its essence lies in the sense of belonging and security it offers. In the age of nuclear families, the importance of joint families should not be overlooked. They serve as a reminder of the strength of unity and the warmth of shared relationships.

500 Words Essay on Joint Family

The joint family system, a traditional and integral part of many cultures, is a large extended family arrangement prevalent in several societies. It is a system under which extended members of a family – parents, children, the children’s spouses, and their offspring, etc., live together. This essay discusses the concept of the joint family, its significance, benefits, and challenges.

Historical Overview and Cultural Significance

The joint family system has its roots deeply embedded in many societies, particularly in Asian cultures. Its existence can be traced back to ancient times when communal living was a necessity for survival. The joint family system is not merely a manifestation of living arrangements; it is a system that promotes values such as cooperation, sacrifice, and respect for elders. It emphasizes the principles of unity, togetherness, and familial harmony, which are fundamental to the fabric of many societies.

Advantages of Joint Family System

The joint family system offers numerous benefits. First, it provides a strong support system. In times of crisis, family members can rely on each other for emotional and financial support. This system also promotes sharing and caring, teaching younger generations the importance of these values.

Second, the joint family system is a great learning platform for children. They grow up in an environment where they learn to respect elders, understand the value of relationships, and develop a sense of responsibility and discipline.

Third, it can be economically beneficial. Expenses are shared, and resources are utilized effectively. It also allows for the pooling of resources to achieve common family goals, such as buying property or investing in business ventures.

Challenges Associated with Joint Family System

Despite its numerous advantages, the joint family system also has its share of challenges. The most common issue is the lack of privacy. With so many individuals living under one roof, it can be difficult to maintain personal space.

Another challenge is the potential for conflicts and power struggles. Differences in opinions, lifestyle choices, and financial matters often lead to disputes.

Lastly, the joint family system can sometimes hinder individual growth. The pressure to conform to family norms and traditions can limit personal freedom and discourage individualism.

The joint family system, with its unique blend of benefits and challenges, is a fascinating social structure. It fosters a sense of unity and cooperation, providing a solid support system and instilling important values in younger generations. However, it also presents challenges, such as the potential for conflict and a lack of privacy. As societies continue to evolve, it is crucial to find a balance between preserving the positive aspects of the joint family system and addressing its challenges. This balance will ensure that future generations can enjoy the benefits of this system while also fostering individual growth and personal freedom.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Essay on Importance of Family
Essay on Ideal Family
Essay on Happy Family

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

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Joint Family Essay

In a Joint family, 'we' is more important than 'I' . We are familiar with the adage "Separated we fall, united we stand," which is evident in blended families. The key to solving all the issues is unity. The joint family is therefore seen as the family structure that is the most stable. Here are a few sample essays on ‘Joint Family' .

100 Words Essay On Joint Family

A joint family is a family structure where multiple generations live together under one roof. In a joint family, grandparents, parents, and children all share a home and often share responsibilities and resources. This type of family structure can offer many benefits, such as a strong sense of community, support, and shared responsibility.

For example, grandparents may help with childcare and often share their wisdom and experience with the younger generations. Additionally, the joint family system promotes a strong bond among family members and helps to preserve cultural values and traditions. It is important for the family to have open communication and a clear understanding of responsibilities and boundaries to ensure a harmonious living.

200 Words Essay On Joint Family

A joint family, also known as an extended family, is a family unit where multiple generations live together under one roof. This type of family structure is common in many cultures, particularly in India and other parts of Asia. In a joint family, grandparents, parents, and children all share a home and often share responsibilities and resources.

One of the major benefits of a joint family is the strong sense of community it offers. Family members are able to rely on one another for support and assistance, whether it be emotional or practical. For example, grandparents may help with childcare and often share their wisdom and experience with the younger generations. This intergenerational support can be especially valuable for children, who may benefit from the guidance and mentorship of older family members.

Another benefit of the joint family system is the preservation of cultural values and traditions. As multiple generations live together, they are able to share their customs and beliefs, passing them down to the next generations. This can be especially important for immigrant families, who may wish to maintain their cultural heritage despite living in a foreign country.

However, there are also some negative aspects to a joint family system. For example, privacy may be limited and disputes over property and decision making can arise.

500 Words On Joint Family

The joint family system is a unique and valuable aspect of many cultures that can offer numerous benefits to its members. It offers a strong sense of community, support, and shared responsibility, as well as preserving cultural values and traditions. However, it is important for the family to have proper management and communication to function effectively. The key is to find a balance between preserving the benefits of a joint family system and addressing the challenges it presents.

One of the major advantages of a joint family is the strong sense of community it offers. Family members are able to rely on one another for support and assistance, whether it be emotional or practical. For example, grandparents may help with childcare and often share their wisdom and experience with the younger generations. This intergenerational support can be especially valuable for children, who may benefit from the guidance and mentorship of older family members.

Another advantage of the joint family system is the preservation of cultural values and traditions. As multiple generations live together, they are able to share their customs and beliefs, passing them down to the next generations. This can be especially important for immigrant families, who may wish to maintain their cultural heritage despite living in a foreign country.

Disadvantages

There are also some disadvantages to a joint family system. For example, privacy may be limited and disputes over property and decision making can arise. Moreover, living in a joint family can also lead to lack of individuality and personal growth.

In conclusion, while there are certainly advantages to living in a joint family , it's important to be aware of the challenges it presents and to find a balance that works for you and your family. The key is to make the most of the benefits, while addressing the challenges, in order to make the joint family system work for everyone.

I grew up in a joint family, where my grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts and cousins all lived under one roof. It was a big old house in a small town, where everyone had their own room but shared common spaces such as the living room, kitchen, and dining room. I always had someone to talk to or play with, and I never felt alone. My grandparents were like second parents to me, and I always felt their love and guidance. They used to tell me stories of their youth and share their wisdom with me, which I still treasure to this day.

I always knew that I had a whole family looking out for me, and I never had to worry about anything. My uncles and aunts were always there to help me with my homework or to give me advice when I needed it.

However, living in a joint family also had its own set of challenges. For one, privacy was limited, and it was sometimes hard to have a moment to myself. Additionally, decision making was often a collective process, which could lead to disagreements and conflicts.

Despite the challenges, I would not trade my childhood in a joint family for anything. It taught me the importance of family, community, and tradition. It also taught me the value of compromise and communication, which I believe are essential for any relationship. Now, as an adult, I miss the sense of community and belonging that I felt growing up in a joint family. I hope that in the future, I'll be able to create a similar environment for my own family.

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Essay On Joint Family

Table of Contents

Short Essay On Joint Family

A joint family, also known as an extended family, is a type of family structure in which multiple generations of a family live together under one roof. In a joint family, grandparents, parents, and children all share a common living space, resources, and responsibilities. This type of family structure has been a part of many cultures and societies for centuries and continues to be a common way of life in many parts of the world.

One of the key benefits of a joint family is the sense of security and support that it provides. In a joint family, individuals are surrounded by loved ones and are able to rely on each other for help and support in times of need. This can be especially important for the elderly and for children, who can benefit from the guidance and care provided by multiple generations.

Another benefit of a joint family is the sharing of resources. In a joint family, individuals pool their resources, such as money and time, to help support each other. This can reduce the financial burden on individual family members and provide greater financial stability for the entire family.

Joint families also promote a sense of community and belonging. In a joint family, individuals are able to build strong relationships with multiple generations of family members and develop a strong sense of connection and loyalty to their family. This can help to foster a sense of unity and support within the family and can provide a strong foundation for future generations.

In conclusion, a joint family is a type of family structure that provides a sense of security, support, and belonging. By sharing resources, responsibilities, and lives, joint families can promote a sense of community and foster strong relationships between generations. While this type of family structure may not be for everyone, it can provide many benefits and can be a fulfilling way of life for those who choose it.

Long Essay On Joint Family

Over the years, family structures have changed drastically and the concept of a joint family is becoming rarer. But what really is a joint family, and what are its advantages and disadvantages? In this essay, we will explore the concept of a joint family and discuss why it might be beneficial for some households. Read on to find out more!

Introduction

A joint family is a family where more than one generation lives together under the same roof. In India, it is very common to have joint families. This system has many advantages.

The most important advantage of a joint family is that all the members are cared for and loved equally. There is a sense of security in being part of a large family. All the members of the family share everything with each other and help each other in times of need.

Another advantage of living in a joint family is that the children get to learn good values from their elders. They learn to respect their elders and take care of them when they are old. They also learn to share and be generous from a young age.

living in a joint family can sometimes be challenging, but it is definitely worth it because of all the love and support that comes with it.

Definition of a Joint Family

A joint family is a family where two or more married couples live together with their children. In a joint family, all the members are related to each other and share a common ancestor. The head of the family is the oldest member, and all the other members are his or her descendants.

A joint family is different from a nuclear family, which consists of only one married couple and their children. In a nuclear family, each couple has their own separate household, and they do not share any relatives with each other.

The concept of a joint family is found in many cultures around the world, including in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and parts of Africa. Joint families have been declining in recent years as more people move to urban areas and adopt nuclear families.

Advantages of Joint Families

There are many advantages of living in a joint family. The most important advantage is that all the members of the family support and care for each other. There is a sense of security and belonging in a joint family. All the members of the family share everything with each other and there is no feeling of loneliness or isolation.

Another important advantage of living in a joint family is that the children are brought up in a healthy environment. They learn to share, care and respect elders from a very young age. They also learn to adjust and live with people from different age groups.

Joint families instill good values and traditions in children. They learn to value relationships and understand the importance of family ties. Joint families help to inculcate a sense of responsibility and duty towards others in children.

Last but not the least, living in a joint family is economical as well. All the members of the family pool their resources and share expenses. This helps to reduce the financial burden on any one member of the family.

Disadvantages of Joint Families

There are a few disadvantages of living in a joint family. Firstly, there can be a lot of people living under one roof, which can lead to cramped living conditions. Secondly, with so many people in the family, it can be hard to keep track of everyone and their whereabouts. Thirdly, because there is usually only one source of income for the whole family, if someone falls on hard times, the whole family may suffer financially. Finally, joint families can be very demanding and require a lot of time and energy from all members.

How to Create a Strong Joint Family

In a joint family system, relatives live together in the same household. The head of the household is usually the oldest male, who makes decisions on behalf of the entire family. Joint families are large and extended, with multiple generations living under one roof.

The advantages of living in a joint family are many. There is a sense of security in knowing that you always have someone to rely on. Family members can help with childcare, cooking, and cleaning. In addition, joint families provide emotional support during difficult times.

However, there are also some challenges associated with living in a joint family. For example, there may be disagreements about finances or child-rearing practices. It is important to learn to compromise and communicate effectively in order to resolve conflicts.

If you are part of a joint family or considering creating one, here are some tips for making it work:

1. Define roles and responsibilities: In a successful joint family, each member has clearly defined roles and responsibilities. This helps to avoid conflict and ensures that everyone knows what is expected of them.

2. Establish rules and guidelines: It is important to establish rules and guidelines for living together harmoniously. Family members should agree on things like noise levels, mealtimes, and visitors. These rules should be communicated clearly to everyone involved.

3.Encourage open communication: Open communication is essential for resolving conflicts and maintaining a strong relationship between family members. Everyone should feel comfortable expressing their opinions and feelings.

4. Respect each other’s privacy: Living in a joint family can take some getting used to. Everyone should be respectful of each other’s privacy and not intrude on one another’s personal space.

5. Appreciate each other’s contributions: It is important to acknowledge and appreciate the contributions of all family members. This helps to create an atmosphere of mutual respect and support.

Creating a strong joint family takes time and effort, but it is well worth it in the end. With good communication, respect, and appreciation, you can build strong relationships with your extended family members that will last for generations.

To conclude, the joint family system still holds a lot of value in many parts of the world. It offers unconditional love and support to its members and helps them stay connected with their culture and traditions. Even if it has some drawbacks, the benefits that come from being part of a joint family far outweighs these negatives. So if you are thinking of joining or forming one, there is no harm in giving it a try!

Manisha Dubey Jha is a skilled educational content writer with 5 years of experience. Specializing in essays and paragraphs, she’s dedicated to crafting engaging and informative content that enriches learning experiences.

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Living in a Joint Family

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Joint families are like music with high and low notes. If you want to know the advantages and disadvantages of a joint family, this post will help. One of the plus points for children who grow up in joint families is to make close bonds with their family members besides their siblings and parents.

Despite the recent trend of nuclear families and growing urbanization, many still prefer joint families for various reasons . In this post, we talk about some advantages and disadvantages of a joint family.

10 Advantages Of Being In A Joint Family

A joint family has more people than a nuclear family, and hence, the perks and benefits are multiplied. Listed here are a few benefits you can reap by being part of a joint family.

1. Shared chores

A family is like a big team, a collaboration where everyone plays their part. You don’t have to do everything on your own. Household chores, such as cooking, cleaning, washing, or buying groceries, will be shared by family members, thereby lessening the burden on one individual.

Growing up together in a joint family , children learn the division of labor and work together to achieve a common goal . In the long run, working together as a team is an upside as it will help children hone social skills and learn teamwork, a crucial aspect of their overall personality development.

2. Sharing becomes a habit

In a joint family, one learns to accommodate others and share what they have. In a joint family, people do things together. They share the expenses, groceries, household appliances, and furnishings with the rest of the family. Kids are encouraged to share whatever they get with their siblings as well as cousins . The concept of ’sharing is caring’ becomes the norm in a joint family, it leads to one’s betterment, making every individual less self-centered and more generous.

3. Less financial stress as everyone contributes

One of the ground rules in a joint family system is that members should share the financial expenses equally . This is one of the bonus points of living in a joint family. Every earning member contributes to the family’s larger goals, including house maintenance, grocery spending, rents, monthly power, and water bills so that a single individual does not feel the burden. Each member tries their best to provide all they can for the people in their family financially.

4. Stronger emotional bond

In a nuclear family, you may rarely meet your cousins, grandparents, or even parents and siblings with whom you share a strong bond. One of the positives of living in a joint family is that you get to spend a lot of time together, strengthening the relationships among all members. A joint family system creates a strong bond of unity at an early age.

5. Family values

Image: IStock

In a joint family, the value system becomes the core. Elders follow certain principles, and children may naturally inherit the value system. Children learn the lessons of ethics and morality under the guidance of the elders. Another merit of a joint family is if something goes against the family values, the elders correct it immediately, ensuring that the family’s values are not compromised.

6. Good support system

For many, home is not just a place; it’s an emotion. It’s their comfort zone, their go-to destination at the end of a day. A joint family home is filled with people who love and support you, giving you the strength for all your endeavors. All individuals are committed to safeguarding each other’s welfare. A home with compassionate aunts, uncles, and grandparents can be comforting and helpful when dealing with a financial or emotional crisis. An added feature of a joint-family home is the sense of community and belonging it provides.

7. Improved social skills

No two people are the same, even though they belong to the same family. You will find members with different personalities, likes, dislikes, and temperaments in a joint family. You cannot deal with every member of the family in the same manner. You adapt yourself to communicate or work together with each individual according to their style. This also gives you a unique perspective towards life and people, thus improving your social skills and acumen, which are essential when you have to deal with others outside your home.

An important social skill is teamwork. Ankur Kashyap, in his blog ’My experience of growing up in a joint family’, says “I have apple orchards at my hometown in Shimla. I remember we all family members together used to do all apple related work by ourselves. Your work gets divided when you work together. No matter how tough or complicated the work is, if you work as a team, you can easily complete that work ( i ).”

8. Practical lessons

Elders of the family can be the repository of knowledge and wisdom, and their usefulness cannot be overstated. When you live in a joint family, the insight you gain from the elders is something that you may not even find in self-help books. Grandparents with vast experience, judgment, and knowledge can guide you in transforming your life.

9. Quality time with the family

The Covid-19 pandemic has taught us to value life, family, and health. Mother Nature pushed us back to where we belong – our home and our family. More people could spend quality time with their families, as they went back to their hometowns owing to the lockdown. Children couldn’t go to school, but they learned a lot from their parents.

In a joint family, the learning multiplies as children get to spend such quality time with their parents and their grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. Joint families let you have good times and create memories every day, with or without the pandemic.

10. Love and bonding

When you’re living in a joint family, your kids are never alone, which means you don’t have to rely on babysitters to take care of them while you go to work. They are always in safe hands and will be taken care of with love and affection.

10 Disadvantages Of Living In A Joint Family

The joint family system comes with certain disadvantages too. Discussed here are a few negative sides of living in a joint family.

1. Lack of privacy

In a joint family, privacy could be the biggest causality. A newlywed couple may not get enough space and time to talk, considering the many people around them. People who love their independence may feel claustrophobic living with so many new people.

A personal matter could become the entire family’s business, and there could be too many interventions or interference than one may like. Younger family members may not get TV privileges, with the older ones always around. You might miss sharing the same couch to binge watch TV shows during your weekends; you may not be able to cook together and eat alone.

2. Personal preferences may take a back seat

You may want to decorate the home as per your taste. You may want new furniture or home appliances, but you may not have the freedom to get what you want or deck the house as you wish. Even a simple thing like wanting something specific to eat could become difficult when you have to consider what the rest of the family members like or don’t like.

3. Single point of control

The head of the family is usually in charge of everything in a joint family. In such a set-up, you may feel dependent on others and that others are controlling your life . Living in a joint family could be difficult if you are an independent person.

4. Parenting style issues

Although children learn from the wisdom and knowledge of elders, there could be some interference in your parenting style. Members of the family could interfere with your choice of food for the children. A lot of advice, do’s, and don’ts may come your way. This could make you feel uncomfortable if you prefer to bring up your children in your own way.

5. Difference of opinion

Clash of ideas or opinions could be quite common when you’re surrounded by different individuals. Every individual has an opinion, and it may be hard to convince everyone in the family to agree with it. If your idea is not valued, you may feel offended. This could lead to conflict, misunderstanding and may add some edge between you and the members of the family.

6. No preference for individual decisions

Individual decisions have no place in a joint family. You have to heed to the family’s collective decision, which can sometimes mean that you have to sacrifice your personal choices or preferences.

7. Financial differences

Differences may crop up over the earning potential of family members as one individual may earn more than the other. Consequently, the member who makes less contributes less to the family’s expenses, which could lead to conflict in who has a say in these matters and eventually, lead to differences.

8. Less modern approach

Joint families are often a mix of individuals with conservative and modern outlook. In a joint family, it is not uncommon to witness a clash between the orthodox opinions of the elderly versus the modern perspective of the younger generation. Often, the older people in the family have the last word, and they hold on to their set approach, giving little chance for the younger members to express their viewpoint. This could be a source of disturbance in the family.

9. Not everyone feels responsible

A joint family works on the basis of collective or shared responsibility. Unemployed members can put pressure on family expenses. Some members may not be responsible enough to contribute to the family’s larger goals, and the earning family members could feel its pinch. The shifting of the financial burden to one or a few individuals could create some disturbance and conflict in the family.

10. Might affect the personality

There is little scope for independent thinking as the elders of the family take a call on everything. As a result, individuals who follow the elders’ diktat may remain mere followers and could never get a chance to unlock their true potential or follow their passion.

Due to the need for more independence and addressing their own needs, people tend to move out of joint families while still keeping in touch with them. This has led to the growth of nuclear families, with more and more joint families disintegrating due to various factors, including migration for jobs and better living.

The choice of living in a joint family mostly depends on how well you can adjust. This type of family set up works well for individuals who can adapt to any situation and accommodate all kinds of people. If you believe in greater independence and self-sufficiency, then a nuclear family may work well for you.

Why Are People Moving From Joint Families To Nuclear Families?

Several factors influence the transition to nuclear families:

1. Urban employment opportunities: Better job opportunities attract individuals to move away from joint families and pursue their careers in growing cities. 2. Individual independence: The desire to establish independence is one key factor. Many individuals choose nuclear families to pursue personal interests, careers, or businesses, deviating from traditional family professions. 3. Equality in nuclear families: Nuclear families often promote gender equality, allowing both men and women to make decisions and lead independent lives. This contrasts with traditional setups where roles may be predefined. 4. Autonomy and decision-making: In nuclear families, individuals are free to make decisions without interference from extended family members. This autonomy is valued as people seek to live life on their own terms. 5. Personal lifestyle choices: People desire the freedom to shape their lifestyles according to their preferences. Living in nuclear families allows them to make choices without external imposition.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the characteristics of a joint family?

Some of the characteristics of a joint family are a shared kitchen, joint property, and large family size with at least three generations living together. Joint families also generally have common worship, a firm head of the family, shared responsibilities, and a common and shared wallet for household expenses.

2. How do you introduce a joint family?

When introducing a joint family to a new person, begin by introducing the heads of the family, generally the grandparents, followed by the parents, other elders, and then siblings and cousins.

3. How can I address issues related to privacy and personal space in a joint family?

Have a respectful and open conversation to communicate your concerns and privacy needs. Call for a family meeting and discuss different options to help everyone have their personal space within the home, such as designated private zones and time when the members can engage in independent activities. Additionally, use dividers or curtains to enhance privacy and go for walks to have some me-time.

4. What are some strategies for effective communication in a joint family

One way to communicate effectively in a joint family is by having daily meals together while sharing each other’s experiences of the day. You may also host family meetings to discuss vacation plans, upcoming birthdays, and anniversaries. Furthermore, take time to sit and talk with each other at least once a day to create a comfortable environment for each other to seek and provide support in times of need.

5. How can I adjust to living in a joint family, especially if I am used to living in a nuclear family?

You may begin with understanding the dynamics of the members in the joint family and gradually get to know each one. Try to understand their perspectives and respect their values and traditions. However, you should also respectfully establish your personal boundaries to avoid arguments and misunderstandings. Although it may seem difficult initially, be adaptable and try to find common ground to spend quality time and foster closer relationships.

Families play a crucial role in our lives. Unfortunately, as people become more isolated and disconnected from even their closest relatives, joint families have become a rare occurrence. In contrast to nuclear families, joint families are larger in size and live together under one roof.

Infographic: Ways To Strengthen Bonds In A Joint Family

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Key Pointers

Compared to a nuclear family, a joint family nurtures an emotional bond and teaches sharing between the members.
Staying in a joint family could compromise privacy and financial insecurities.
Knowing the pros and cons could help you decide about living in a joint family.

Image: Dall·E/MomJunction Design Team

Personal Experience: Sources

i. My experience of growing up in a joint family; https://ankurkashyap85.medium.com/my-experience-of-growing-up-in-indian-joint-family-69d6c8a57d6e

Fact-checker

Dr Nisha Khanna PhD

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School Education /

Essay on Joint Family in 500+ words in English

Updated on
Jan 4, 2024

Essay on Joint Family: The well-known expression ¨A family that eats together stays together¨ defines the warmth of emotions among the family members. This bond is strengthened in a joint family. Also, in a joint family relationships are interdependent allowing for a support system and encouraging emotional bonds.

Furthermore, living in a joint family environment gives members a sense of being understood, valued, and secure. This security helps in the mental well-being of an individual. Moreover, cooperation and mutual understanding in joint families, promote a harmonious atmosphere.

Also Read: Essay on Family: 100, 200 & 300 Words

Table of Contents

1 Definition and Explanation
2 Cultural Importance of Joint Family
3 Benefits of Joint Family
4 Potential Challenges of Joint Family
5 Different Family Dynamics Around the World
6 FAQs

Definition and Explanation

A joint family is a social unit which is composed of multiple generations, such as grandparents, parents, and children. They all live together under the same roof. Also, they divide responsibilities and resources and often have a common kitchen. The structure of the joint family facilitates strong familial bonds among its members. Also, it promotes mutual decision-making.

Also Read: International Day of Families 2023

Cultural Importance of Joint Family

Moreover, joint families help preserve culture, values, traditions and customs. For example, elders in a blended family transfer the traditional way of cooking and customary ways of praying to youngsters. Also, grandparents teach their children and grandchildren about folklore, festivals, nature, social structure, and moral values important to lead a wholesome life.

By sharing their experiences and customs, elders help create a culture of sharing and collective learning.

Also Read: How to Deal With Family Expectations While Studying Abroad?

Benefits of Joint Family

Undivided or extended families hold significance in different cultures and social environments. Among all benefits, the primary benefit is the emotional support system that is available in a joint family. The members of a joint family, share a strong bond and are always there for each other either in joy or in sorrow. Such close relationship encourages a sense of belonging and security among the family members.

Living in a joint family helps promote cooperation and unity among the family members. Helping each other in daily activities where on the one hand encourages family members to work together as a team and become responsible people. Therefore, children who grow up in such an environment of togetherness develop strong social skills and learn to work cooperatively.

Additionally, financial stability is another benefit of living in a joint family. Family members share their expenses and also make financial plans collectively for their future well-being. The financial collaborations help the household deal with any financial crisis effectively.

Also Read: IELTS Speaking Topic: Describe a time when you felt proud of a family member.

Potential Challenges of Joint Family

It is said, that where there is a crowd there is a quarrel. While joint families have many advantages, similarly it too have some challenges.

Personal space or lack of privacy is one of the significant drawbacks of a joint family. There is always a presence of another person around and one is never left alone. The lack of personal time and space can sometimes make the situations challenging. Personal space and a set of boundaries in terms of personal matters should be ensured so that one can have time for oneself and an opportunity for self-reflection.

Another challenge in a joint family is the difference of opinion due to the generation gap. Different generations in the family might have their perception and point of view. Different perspectives on career choices, views on life, favourites, and social values of the young and the old generation can lead to misunderstandings and sometimes contradictions too. To balance the generational gap, it is necessary to have a healthy discussion on the viewpoints of each family member.

As financial security is one of the strongest advantages of a joint family nevertheless it can be the biggest drawback of the undivided family too. Disputes related to financial matters such as habits of spending money, investment modes, and financial goals are some of the issues that create tension among family members. Thus, the practice of open discussions and transparency in money matters will help in building a conducive financial environment in joint families.

Also Read: IELTS Speaking Topics- Describe a family member you spend a lot of time with

Different Family Dynamics Around the World

Unlike India, the USA, and European countries do not prefer living in joint families. They prefer having their personal space. The decisions that are for the betterment of the family are taken by the spouse instead of the elders of the family. Apart from betterment and financial decisions, household matters are handled by independent family members. Altogether, every member of the family in the USA and European countries is independent enough to pursue a career, follow traditions, and make decisions.

In conclusion, the dynamics of a joint family may vary according to traditions, culture, gender roles, and changes in living standards. Living in a joint family in a country like India helps youngsters share responsibilities and value familial bonds.

Also Read: How to Respond to Your Family’s Concerns for Studying Abroad?

Ans. A joint family is an undivided family that consists of great-grandparents, grandparents, children, aunts, uncles, husbands, and wives. These families generally consist of two or more generations living under the house of the same roof.

Ans. A joint family helps in taking care of family members and emotions such as joy and sorrow. Also, sharing of responsibilities and cultural protection are some of the importance of living in a joint family.

Ans. The different types of families are nuclear families, single-parent families, extended families, and stepfamilies.

Ans. Some of the disadvantages of living in a joint family can be a lack of privacy, interference from parents, disagreements regarding financial decisions, and lack of independence.

For more information on such interesting speech topics for your school, visit our speech writing page and follow Leverage Edu .

Deepika Joshi

Deepika Joshi is an experienced content writer with expertise in creating educational and informative content. She has a year of experience writing content for speeches, essays, NCERT, study abroad and EdTech SaaS. Her strengths lie in conducting thorough research and ananlysis to provide accurate and up-to-date information to readers. She enjoys staying updated on new skills and knowledge, particulary in education domain. In her free time, she loves to read articles, and blogs with related to her field to further expand her expertise. In personal life, she loves creative writing and aspire to connect with innovative people who have fresh ideas to offer.

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Embracing Togetherness: The Importance of Joint Family

By Vidita Joshi
December 26, 2023
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A joint family setup is known to have a strong bond of love and unity when multiple family units live together in the same home.

A joint family includes extended family members living together under one roof. In a joint family system, generally, the grandparents, father, mother, and children live together. Such families are found in all societies, whether they are rural or urban.

In today’s world, a lot of people think that staying together in a joint family is old-fashioned, especially where there are good values. But it’s also important to understand that staying together with family members can be a good thing as a family teaches us to stay together, makes us feel like a part of the community, and supports each other always. Let’s see why the idea of staying in a joint family is important and how it makes us feel better.

Cultivating Bonds and Shared Values

One of the most significant benefits of a joint family is the chance to form deep relationships with several generations residing under one roof. Elders can teach younger members essential lessons about life, experiences, and cultural traditions. As a result of these contacts, a rich tapestry of shared history is created, helping to preserve family values, traditions, and legends.

Mutual Support and Care

A united family has a built-in support system that can be quite helpful in difficult situations. Having many family members nearby guarantees that no one feels isolated or overburdened, whether it is providing emotional support during trying times or practical aid with daily activities. This cooperative strategy not only lightens personal stress but also improves the sense of cohesion and belonging.

Childhood Enrichment

Children benefit from growing up in a combined family's unique and stimulating environment. They gain by being exposed to a variety of viewpoints, experiences, and interactions with people of various ages. Grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins foster a feeling of community and assist kids in developing critical social skills and morals.

Balancing Responsibilities

In a joint family, duties are divided among many people. This aids in distributing the workload and keeps no one worker from being overworked. Equitable task distribution promotes a healthier work-life balance for all parties, whether it be for household duties, childcare responsibilities, or financial commitments.

Also read - Family Planning: Joint Family vs Nuclear Family

Kintree: Strengthening Family Bonds

As we embrace the concept of togetherness in a joint family, technology can play a supporting role in preserving and celebrating these connections. Introducing Kintree, a powerful family tree maker that not only helps you trace your lineage but also strengthens your family bonds.

Kintree is designed to be the best family tree maker, allowing you to create a comprehensive family tree that captures generations of your relatives. With Kintree, you can document family history, and add photos, stories, and special moments. It serves as a digital repository of your family's legacy, ensuring that the stories and memories are never lost.

Moreover, Kintree facilitates collaboration among family members, regardless of physical distance. You can invite relatives to contribute to the family tree , making it a collective effort. Plan family reunions, share important updates, and celebrate milestones together using Kintree's user-friendly interface.

In a world that's becoming increasingly disconnected due to various reasons, tools like Kintree bridge the gap and bring families closer together. It's a testament to the fact that while we embrace modernity, the essence of togetherness remains a timeless value.

A Harmonious Way of Living

In a joint family, people live together and feel like they belong to one group. They help each other and work together, which makes them feel united. Using modern technology like Kintree , we can now keep this special way of living while also keeping up with today's changes. So, let's treasure our strong connections across different generations and enjoy the wonderful experience of being in a close-knit family.

Vidita Joshi

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What The World Would be Like if Family Trees Did Not Exist

Discover and treasure your unique family history using kintree.

Kintree is a family social network for you to connect with your loved ones. It is the ultimate destination to stay in touch with your family members anytime, anywhere and on any device. Kintree is revolutionizing the way we bond with our family like never before.

With Kintree, you don’t have to worry about keeping your social and family life separate, as you can only connect with your family members on Kintree. Staying connected with your long-lost relatives regularly has now become fun and hassle-free. It is a blessing for those who work long working hours and have no time to bond with their extended family.

The minute you create your family tree online on Kintree, you embark on an enthralling journey to discover your past, unlike anything you have experienced.

Whether you make your family chart alone or collaborate with other family members to build one, we are sure you’ll have fun exploring your family history. Below are some features that you’ll love about Kintree.

Our Foreroom feature is even more exciting. Using this feature, you can

Family Tree

In the family tree section, you can learn even more about your family through your grandparents and living relatives than you did before. One of the easiest ways to uncover your family story is to create a family tree chart.

Here is how you can make your family tree.

Add exact details like names, birthdays, photos and videos, if any, to create an elaborate family tree chart.

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Once you sign up, create your personal profile and stay in sync with the latest happenings in your family. Your profile is a place where you can add

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Get notified every time there is any activity in your family. Our notifications tab keeps you updated on everything going on in your family like

Discover your unique family history and preserve it with our free family tree builder. Download the Kintree app on your Android or iOS device today.

Whether you want to know who your ancestors were or where they came from, Kintree is one of the best social media sites that help you find exactly what you need. Trying to piece together your family is a humongous task, let alone preserving your family stories for generations to come.

Therefore, safeguarding your legacy through a family tree is the need of the hour. Although creating a family tree isn’t something that you can build overnight, we can help ease the process for you. You may take weeks or even months to build a family tree, but we are sure you won’t regret your decision once you start.

While exploring your family history, you can start with whatever information you have to start your family tree project.

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An ideal way to start building your family tree is to add your immediate families like your parents, grandparents and siblings. Making an extended family tree is never easy, especially if you are not connected with your family regularly. Here’s how you can build your tree.

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Nuclear Family and Joint Family

Last Updated: Aug 15, 2023

A family forms the first line of socialization for an individual and plays a pivotal role in shaping their perspective and behavior. The two primary types of family structures worldwide are nuclear family and joint family. A nuclear family typically includes parents and their offspring, while a joint family is an extended kinship network consisting of grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins.

Nuclear Family

A nuclear family, also referred to as an elementary family, consists of two parents and their children, all living under one roof [1] . It is considered the basic unit in many societies.

Joint Family

A joint family, or an extended family, is a large family unit that includes three or more generations living together. It includes the parents, their children, and other relatives such as grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins [2] .

Comparison Between Nuclear and Joint Family

Advantages and disadvantages of a nuclear family.

Autonomy : Nuclear families provide a high degree of independence and freedom to make decisions [3] .
Financial Management : It is simpler to manage expenses and savings as there are fewer family members involved.
Less Conflict : There may be fewer conflicts and disagreements as fewer people live together.

Disadvantages

Lack of Support : In a nuclear family, parents often need to manage work and childcare simultaneously, which can be stressful.
Lack of Shared Responsibility : With fewer adults in the household, responsibilities cannot be distributed as evenly as in joint families.

Advantages and Disadvantages of a Joint Family

Shared Responsibilities : Duties and tasks are shared among members, reducing individual workload.
Support Network : Joint families offer a built-in support network in terms of child-rearing, elder care, and emotional support [4] .
Preservation of Traditions : Traditions and cultural practices are more likely to be preserved and passed down through generations.
Less Privacy : Due to the large number of family members, privacy can be limited.
Conflicts : Larger family sizes can lead to more disagreements and conflicts [5] .
Financial Pressure : The responsibility of supporting a larger number of people may result in financial pressure.

Changing Trends in Family Structure

Over time, societal shifts and economic pressures have led to a transformation in family structure. More families are transitioning from joint to nuclear families, primarily due to urbanization and globalization.

However, there is also a new trend of ‘joint-nuclear’ families emerging, especially in urban areas. These are nuclear families that maintain close ties and frequent interaction with their extended families while still maintaining separate households. This system aims to blend the benefits of both nuclear and joint families.

The Way Forward: Building Healthy Family Relationships

Regardless of the family structure, what matters most is creating a supportive, nurturing environment. Open communication, mutual respect, and shared responsibilities can foster healthy relationships within any family setting.

Whether it’s a nuclear family offering a sense of autonomy or a joint family providing a robust support network, each family type has its unique strengths. Recognizing these strengths and navigating through the challenges will help maintain harmonious relationships within the family.

In conclusion, both nuclear and joint families have their distinct advantages and challenges. The choice between a nuclear family and a joint family can depend on several factors, including cultural norms, economic conditions, personal preferences, and the need for support or autonomy. The family type does not determine the quality of relationships and values within; instead, it’s the nurturing environment that makes the family healthy and fulfilling.

[1] O’Neil, D. (2006). Nuclear Family: Definition, Advantages & Disadvantages . Study.com.

[2] Oxford Reference (2021). Extended (or joint) family . Oxford University Press.

[3] McGoldrick, M., Carter, B., & Garcia-Preto, N. (2016). The Expanded Family Life Cycle: Individual, Family, and Social Perspectives . Pearson.

[4] Beteille, A. (1961). The Joint Family and Social Change . Economic Weekly.

[5] Jayson, S. (2005). Family Face-off: Traditional vs. the Modern . USA Today.

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Darwinism, named after its pioneer Charles Darwin, refers to the evolutionary theory he proposed, which has since served as the foundational concept of biological sciences. This theory was first articulated in his seminal work, "On the Origin of Species," where he argued that all species of organisms arise and develop through the natural selection of small, inherited variations that increase the individual's ability to compete, survive, and reproduce.

Why Living in a Joint Family has Many Advantages

India Culture

What is a joint family, some stats and facts, the cultural undertones of a joint family, advantages of a joint family, 1. sharing responsibilities, 2. manageable financial burdens, 3. discipline and teamwork, 4. strengthened love, care and family bonds, 5. better child care, 6. learning of values, 7. strong support system, 8. improved learning and skills.

Imagine a huge house bustling with too many people. There is the head of the family who manages the overall affairs and has the final decision in all matters. And there are kids running around snaking their way across different rooms or racing down the stairs. The kitchen is a buzz with constant chatter of the women with the aroma of the food lacing its way through idle conversation. Out on the porch the men are gathered, some reading the paper and others idling their time. There is noise, clatter and a sense of being absolutely alive. Welcome to the Indian joint family which until a few decades ago was a reality of our social and cultural environment. Today, the joint family system has declined considerably with most families shifting to nuclear or small households. However, joint families still do exist!

A joint family is one where people who are related to each other live together. This means, they cook, eat and also perform all social and religious activities together as a family from under a single roof. However, when one thinks of a joint family, one imagines it quite like the description above. Yet, we often forget that a married son living with his parents also counts as a joint family. This is probably why though it might seem that the joint family system is deteriorating in India, some research say otherwise.

According to research by Etienne Breton the nuclear families in India have increased only marginally. According to the National Sample Survey only 4.4% of elders above the age of 60 years live alone in rural India, whereas 3.6% in urban areas. ( https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/nsso-more-60-years-and-above-people-living-alone-in-villages/articleshow/77075946.cms ). Slower rate of urbanization is one of the reasons for a slower growth of nuclear families. Also, surprisingly contrary to perception it is the poorer section of society that are adapting to nuclear families when compared to the elite urban class. The poor are migrating to the cities as they have fewer elements to hold them back, such as large property etc.

Yet the concept of joint families is not alien to the world. Many countries, including China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan have had a prevalent joint family system which started declining in the early 21st century due to more women joining the workforce. However, a study in India throws light on how women in joint families are less likely to take up a job due to family restrictions or social status etc. ( https://www.livemint.com/news/india/great-indian-family-doesn-t-help-working-women-1550524334031.html )

The Cultural Undertones of a Joint Family

The joint family in India has always been a cultural distinguisher. Even today children do not move out of their parent’s homes after a certain age, as often seen in the west. The values and respect for elders is ingrained in a cultural DNA, so much so that children often feel the burden of guilt on leaving their old parents behind. The strong sense of bonding and dependency on each family member also makes it difficult for youngsters to live independently. The relationships within the joint family are the fundamentals on which the structure of love and bonhomie is built.

Whether it is festivals, celebrations or a time of sorrow, the joint family system has been the glue that has sealed the economic, mental and emotional development of the individual. In rural areas, the joint family has been an essential advantage during the agriculture seasons. And hence, the Indian joint family has made a deep place in our cultural landscape, where family values help in expanding and involving the same principles in society at large.

Let’s take a look at some of the advantages of living in a joint family:

Advantages-of-a-Joint-Family-Sharing-Responsibilities

One of the biggest practical advantages of a joint family is the sharing of the load. With a lot of people staying together, the workload of the household is evenly divided. Basic household chores, such as shopping, cleaning, washing clothes and cooking are divided amongst the members. So each individual has a reduced work load. Also, when working collectively the completion of the total work takes less time than otherwise.

Advantages-of-a-Joint-Family-Manageable Financial Burdens

Just as household chores are shared, the financial responsibilities of the home are also distributed amongst all the members. The entire burden of earning and running the budget of the home doesn’t fall on a single person. In fact, the finances are pooled in from the different sources of the joint family and hence usually there always remains an economic stability.

Advantages-of-a-Joint-Family Discipline and Teamwork

The adults and especially the children living in a joint family understand the importance of discipline. Since there are many members, the house cannot run efficiently if each member is not disciplined or stuck to their routine. The family figures out a smooth way to live their personal desires and manage their time in ways that do not infringe upon the space or time of the other members. And thus, a sense of discipline and habit is easily adapted by the members of a joint family. Also, they all learn to work together as a team, whether it comes to living together or managing duties etc.

The biggest disadvantage of a nuclear family is that the bonding or sense of ‘family’ is often limited to fewer people. However, this is a huge advantage of a joint family. The feeling of being loved, accepted and cared for is extremely strong in a joint family. The bonding between the members is inevitable because they live, eat and spend time together. There is always the emotion of someone having your back or covering up for you in the hardest of times. The sense of not being alone or lonely is paramount as seen in the recent times of lockdown and quarantine. As humans, we crave for an emotional attachment and joint families are a wonderful medium to provide emotional and mental stability to its members.

Advantages-of-a-Joint-Family-Better-Child-Care

The saying goes, ‘it takes a village to raise a child’. And this is reflected in the way a child is brought up in a joint family. The responsibility of the parents alone reduces because the child is often spending time with other members of the family. This helps in a more rounded development of the child. At the same time, it frees up time for the mother or father too. The children are exposed to more members or people from birth, helping them to imbibe and learn from a larger group.

Advantages-of-a-Joint-Family Learning of Values

Fundamental values, such as sharing, caring, team work, discipline etc. are easily acquired in a joint family. This paves the way for the members to exhibit the same set of values even at the larger community level. This doesn’t mean that those living in nuclear families have only negative values instilled, but the range and exhibition of these in a joint family are far greater.

Advantages-of-a-Joint-Family Strong Support System

One needs the family the most during both happy and trying times. Whenever there is an emergency or loss in the family, the support of everyone coming together helps to turn the tide. Imagine a death or crisis in a nuclear family. The responsibility falls solely on a single or two people who have to manage all aspects of it on their own. On the other hand, the same situation becomes relatively easier to handle in a joint family. The same can be viewed during weddings or any other celebrations. There is far more practical, mental, emotional and physical support in a joint family.

Advantages-of-a-Joint-Family Improved Learning and Skills

Though acquiring skills or learning is not exclusive to a joint family set up, it definitely helps. Each member of the joint family brings with him/her skills, talents and experiences that can be useful to the entire family. Whether it be grandparents or uncles and aunts or even cousins, the experiences and skills from each other are great to bounce off ideas and new learning.

There are many logistical and practical advantages of living in a joint family. Yet, it would be untrue to assume that all joint family systems yield only positive and excellent results. The advantages of a joint family only reap benefits when the people who make up the family are genuine themselves. Clashes and arguments may be common, however, the way these are handled and the maturity that each member of the family shows in conducting themselves is of paramount importance.

Finally, the basis of a joint family lies on its stress of basic values, such as caring, sharing, brotherhood, helpfulness or standing up for each other. Such values and temperaments are very important components of our cultural outlook and for the overall betterment of the society and world.

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Joint Family | Advantages & Disadvantages | Essay

December 10, 2017 by Study Mentor Leave a Comment

Joint family can be defined as a place or unit where the grandparents, father, mother, sons, daughters, grandchildren, uncles, aunts stay together. Family is very important in our life. It means everything to us. Our needs are fulfilled by our family. They support us during both our happy and sad times.

No matter what happens our family will always be there beside us. They take care of us every day. We grow and develop with the different values taught in our family. When we are small children, our parents and elders sacrifice for us so that our needs are fulfilled and we stay happy.

They do a lot for us. So, we should always respect our family and love them. We should take care of them when needed and always obey them. We should always remain united with the family and help any of the members in need.

Family may of different forms. Some of them are joint family, nuclear family, extended family, single parent family etc. These days all of them are popular.

Table of Contents

What is joint family?

Joint family is very rare in the present day. Its existence is decreasing with time. But we can still see some joint families in a few areas. Joint family refers to the family where three or more generations stay together. Like the family includes the grandparents, their children and their grandchildren.

Everyone stay under the same roof with a common property, rights and obligations. In a joint family, all the members eat, pray and celebrate together. They are always there for each other. In a joint family, the grandfather or the eldest male member is the head. He is the one who takes all the major decisions of the family. His decision is always taken into consideration.

Why is joint family important?

A joint family has several advantages. In a joint family, the wealth is distributed equally among all the members. Even if any of the members earn more than the other, still the wealth is given equally to all. There is economy and expenditure in this type of family.

This means that all the necessary items and resources that the family needs is bought as a whole not for a single person. All the members contribute equally for the expenditures. Only one member who earns the highest does not take the burden of paying for everyone.

There is social security in a joint family. For example: If a member of the family falls sick or meets with accident or is disturbed by any problem, the entire family takes care of the member. Only one person is not responsible to take care of that person.

Or if the eldest member of the family is retired, he does not have to worry anymore because the family is there to take care. As there are three or more generations in a joint family, the children get to learn different values and culture from everyone.

This way even the culture of the family is carried forward. The children are loved and taken care of equally. The parents do not have to worry about their children when they go to work because the grandparents are there to take care of them. If any one member from the family need financial help or suggestions for job or to start a business, all the members contribute to solve the problem. All the works are divided equally.

Staying in a joint family everyone learns to share things rather than being selfish and helping each other in need. The family celebrates together during the festivals. They enjoy and have fun together. The children get to study and play together. The family is always there to support. They spend quality time together.

Disadvantages of a joint family

Every single thing on this earth will have disadvantages along with its advantages. So, even a joint family has many disadvantages. There is no individuality. Due to this a member cannot focus to develop one’s own personality. The personal development is hindered.

There is no privacy. They do not have much freedom. In a joint family, all the members contribute equally for the family. But some of the members may become lazy to contribute and work hard. They know even if they do not work hard, still they will get everything in front of them.

Every person has different personality, opinions and the way to understand things which may create conflict. The members of the family earn different.

Some may have a high income while some may earn less. Due to this there are chances of being jealous with each other. In most of the joint families, women are not allowed to work outside. Their life is just about the household chores.

As there are three or more generations staying together, there is age difference among the members of the people. Due to this age difference there are changes of conflict to take place.

This might happen because the elders or the old members of the family may not be ready to adapt the changes like the young people. Sometimes a single person is burdened with a lot of work. As the eldest male member of the people takes all the major decisions, the members may start to fight because they do not support a particular decision.

Sometimes the parents feel that their children are not able to get sufficient love, care and necessary facilities. The reason behind this is that there are so many people to take care due to which the children are suffering.

Does joint family still exist?

The visibility of joint family in the present day is very less compared to before. There are many reasons to the less visibility of joint family. The family might have separated due to urbanization, search for proper education and job, to get all the necessary facilities etc.

There must have been troubles in the family due to which they had to settle somewhere else. Due to over population there might be less space for everyone to stay and live. This is another reason contributing to disintegration of the family.

The members of the family do not like to make adjustment for someone else. In most of the joint families, women are allowed to study further or even if they study it is of no importance. But her education is necessary for the upbringing of the children. So, the women of today after marriage are staying separately with their husband.

As the number of joint families is decreasing, this is giving birth to other forms of family like nuclear family, single parent family etc. These forms of family might be a benefit for some but the advantages which a joint family has can never be replaced.

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EssayBanyan.com – Collections of Essay for Students of all Class in English

Essay on Joint Family

Family does not mean bonded to each other only by blood relation. It does mean connecting with them emotionally. A happy life is not possible without a happy family. Everyone needs a family who cheers with them in happy times, stands with them in their bad times, guides them in difficult times and so on. Family is an important part of our survival.

10 Lines Essay on Joint Family

1) A joint family consists of at least three generations living together in one house.

2) Joint families have a common kitchen, rituals, property, residence and sometimes have common occupations.

3) Joint family is practiced from the Vedic period in India.

4) The elder member is responsible for decision making.

5) Members of a joint family never feel alone.

6) Joint families are the major support system in every situation.

7) Privacy is violated in a joint family.

8) Quarrels and conflicts are common issues.

9) The main cause of decline in joint families is urbanization.

10) Joint families are more stable than nuclear families.

Long Essay on Joint Family in English

Here, I’m providing an essay on the merits and demerits of joint families in very easy language. You can go through this essay to know the different aspects of joint families.

1200 Words Long Essay – Merits and Demerits of Joint Family

Introduction

Joint family is all about “us” rather than “I”. We all are well aware of the famous proverb “united we stand, divided we fall”, this can be seen in the joint families. Unity is the main power to fight all the problems. That’s why the joint family is considered as the most stable type of family.

A joint family is like a flower bouquet, which contains several flowers that are different in shapes, sizes and colors but together they produce a pleasant fragrance of harmony.

Joint Family in India

A joint family is a family which consists of many generations living together in one house. A joint family consists of all the family members from grandparents to grandchildren. This type of family system is generally practiced in India.

Joint family can be seen as the extension of a nuclear family and hence also referred to as the extended family. The food is prepared together by all the women members in one common kitchen. In most of the cases, members of a joint family follow the same occupation. Joint family practice common religious activities, usually all the rituals are performed by the elder member of the family.

The joint family is large in size as it contains many family members. Family shares expenditure so that no member has the burden to feed the family alone. If there is any unemployed person in the family he too can survive in a joint family.

The children of a joint family are said to have sharing as well as compromising nature. They develop the ability of adjusting according to the situation.

Advantages/ Benefits of Joint Family

A joint family possesses many advantages when compared to nuclear families. Since the family members of a joint family are multiplied as compared to the nuclear family, therefore we can say that the enjoyment and benefits are also multiplied. Some of them are mentioned below:

Never Lonely: In joint families, children will never feel alone. They always have someone who takes care of them.
Sharing and Caring: Living in a joint family teaches you the true meaning of love and care. Children develop the nature of sharing and caring on their own. They are emotionally bonded to each other.
Knowledge beyond Books: The elder people always share their life experiences with others. Learning from their experience will give you knowledge beyond the books.
Meaning of Respect: The true meaning of respect is only understood by living in a joint family. Joint family consists of several members including grandparents. Therefore, respecting everyone is the ultimate quality developed in the people of joint families.
Less Financial Burden: The total expenses are distributed among all the working members. Therefore, nobody feels the burden of running home alone.
Support: The joint family is the major support system. People share every happy and unhappy moment together.
Division of Labor: All the work is equally divided by the members of the family. Women distribute their job so that no one will feel the load.

Disadvantages of Joint Family

Living in a joint family will sometimes affect the lifestyle of the family members. Apart from having various advantages, joint families also have some disadvantages. Some of them is mentioned below:

Privacy: The main issue in the joint family is privacy. People in a joint family will never be allowed to enjoy their private life. Everyone knows the secret of every other person in the house therefore the term privacy does not exist in joint families.
Financial Issue: Sometimes, expenditure is not equally distributed due to difference in income of the members. It also leads to dissatisfaction among some members.
Parenting Issues: Parents have to treat their children according to the system of joint family. As they always try to give their opinion.
Disagreement: While taking any important decisions, it is very difficult to get every member to agree on a particular solution.
Unnecessary Fights and Conflicts: Living in a joint family is not that easy. Fights and quarrels are quite common in the house. When people with different mindset live together under the same roof, mismatch of thoughts will always raise conflicts.
Decision Making: All the important decisions are taken by the head of the family. Although other members can give their views, the final decision lies in the hands of the family head.

Characteristics/ Features of Joint Family System

Most of the decisions are taken by the elder member of the family, usually referred as the “Karta” of the family.
All members contribute money for overall expenses.
Members of a joint family share joint property.
All the members follow common rituals and worship, followed by generations.
Joint family is all about joint responsibilities.

Joint Family Vs Nuclear Family

There are a lot of differences between joint families and nuclear families. Let us discuss some main differences.

In joint families, children are raised with the love and affection of their elders. They enjoy their childhood in the lap of their grandparents. Children never feel bored nor alone. They always have someone by their side. Even the place of friends is occupied by the cousins. On the other hand, in nuclear family’s children have no one to whom they can share their feelings. They live alone with their parents. As a result, children from nuclear families are easily prone to mental diseases like Depression.

Children from joint families develop various social etiquette, they easily get mixed with others. The children from joint families are more adjustable than those in nuclear families.

Sometimes both the parents are working, due to which they have less interaction with their kids. There are more chances of kids trapped in bad habits as parents don’t have much time for them. However, they always fear for their children as there is no one to take care of them. But in joint families, there are other members who take care of the children in absence of their parents.

Reasons for Decline in Joint Family

Today we can see a huge shift of joint families to nuclear families. According to an early survey there had been a decline in the joint family from 19.1% to 16.1%. The main cause of deterioration of joint family is urbanization. People are more influenced by the western culture.

Unemployment and migration to the cities for better job opportunities are other reasons for decline in joint families. As it is somehow difficult for elders to shift completely in the cities by leaving their ancestor’s house.

Everyone wants to live a life of their own choice. Desire for independence had shifted the attention and likelihood towards the nuclear family system. However, for better education and facilities nobody wants to live in the rural areas. Therefore, inconvenience can also be the reason for shifting towards more nuclear family.

Family is the essential segment of our life. Everyone wants to live a happy and prosperous life with their family. It can be nuclear or joint. Both types of families have their own merits and demerits. It is our personal preference to choose the type of family in which we want to live.

I hope the above given essay on merits and demerits of joint family would be fruitful for your knowledge. I have tried to keep the language simple for your better understanding.

FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions on Joint Family

Ans. A joint family consists of all the family members living together under the same roof.

Ans. Joint family is also known as joint household.

Ans. The word “Family” originated from the Latin word ‘famulus’ meaning servant.

Ans. There are various types of families like nuclear family, compound family, joint family, lineal family, etc.

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15 Joint Family Advantages and Disadvantages-Real Experience

I lived in a joint family for 21 years until I joined my job and moved to a different city. Hence, this article on Joint family advantages and disadvantages is written with practical experiences, not a theoretical write-up like hundreds of articles available on the internet.

I request you post your opinion in the comments – it helps me and other readers to understand if the details shared in this article are true or not. Feel free to criticize if you think there is something wrong.

I personally feel that lot of anti-social things are happening in the society because of the broken families. Will there be any frustrated teenagers who carry guns to school if they have parents and grandparents looking after their behavioral growth? Bullying and depression among children can be reduced if they get a good joint family system.

Joint Family doesn’t mean they live under one roof, they live under one value system.

Article Contents

A Brief About My Joint Family

My father has 3 brothers and he is the 3rd son of my grandparents. Each couple has 2 children. So, it’s a total of 4 couples of 8 children plus my grandparents (a total of 18 people) living together in a big house for over 20 years.

The joint family concept is very popular in India. People are following this concept since the Vedic times. It was even popular when the British were ruling our land. Joint families have various advantages and disadvantages . Not everything suits everyone. If you are living in a joint family, then you need to adjust with your aunts, uncles, and cousins.

However, there can be many advantages to living with different individuals. You need to sacrifice your needs. Also, you can fight over small things with your cousins. Joint families are still very popular in India. However, the number of joint families is decreasing very rapidly.

A family is very important for everyone. We don’t understand the value of family until we are going through tough times . If someone will come to your rescue, then it will be your family members first. You grow up with your cousins. Sometimes you might even fight with time. After some time you will eventually move on with your lives. However, you know that your family and cousins will always help you in tough times.

India is famous due to its rich culture. Many people think that a joint family only means that a group of people is living under the same roof. However, these people are actually tied by blood relations. The tradition of the joint family is decreasing with time.

You will find that many families in the villages are still living together. However, this concept is slowly shrinking in urban areas . There are various factors behind this phenomenon. Sometimes people want to live alone. However, can you stay happy if you are not living with your family? In this article, we are going to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of Joint family

Joint Family vs Nuclear Family LinkedIn Survey Results

We have conducted a survey on LinkedIn to understand what people prefer between a joint family and a nuclear family. The results are interesting – 60% preferred joint family and 40% preferred nuclear family.

More women preferred the nuclear family than women who preferred a joint family.
More men preferred joint family than the men who preferred nuclear family.

Joint Family vs Nuclear Family LinkedIn Survey Results

Which Type of Family Do You Prefer?

Please let us know which type of family do you prefer by voting below.

Joint Family Poll

Which type of Family do you prefer?

Advantages and Disadvantages of Joint Family – Comparison List

10 advantages of joint family.

There are many advantages to living in a joint family. Some of the benefits of living in a joint family are:

1. Your child will never feel lonely

A joint family is perfect for children. You can easily go to work without worrying about your child’s needs. Your family will serve him food. Also, they will take good care of them. Your child can also play with his cousins. Thus, he will never feel lonely in your house. He will always have permanent friends.

2. You will learn the importance of sharing

You will notice many differences between the children that are raised in a joint family and in a nuclear family. If your child is raised in a joint family, then he will be more social. Also, he will have a very good habit of sharing things. They share their things with their cousins. Thus, they have a habit of sharing since childhood.

Your child will share his chocolate with his siblings before eating it. He might not like sharing things with his cousins. However, this will prepare him for the real world. If you are sharing your things, then people will automatically like you. The joint family will help you in understanding the importance of “we”.

3. You will respect everyone

If you are growing up in a joint family, then you will automatically start respecting everyone. You will live with so many elders. Thus, you will have a habit of keeping your tongue in check. Also, you will obey their commands and respect them. This will shape your overall personality. Everyone likes people who respect them.

4. Togetherness

If you are living in a joint family, then you will never feel alone. Your children will also never feel bored. They can always play with their siblings. Your children will never feel alone. They will always have their cousins. In this big world, your children will always have a best friend. They can easily share their problems with their cousins. Also, their cousins will always have their back.

5. Family Values

Values are very important for every child. Every parent wants to teach good value to their children. However, this can be very hard if you are living in a nuclear family. You need to attend the office for earning money. Thus, you won’t have time to spend with your children.

If you are living with a joint family, then your children will automatically learn family values. They will learn important values like caring and sharing. Also, they will respect everyone.

6. Education Beyond textbooks

Your children will learn many amazing things from their aunts, cousins, grandparents, and uncles. They will not be restricted to academic books only. These books will only help them in scoring good marks . However, these books won’t help them in real life.

If your children are living with your parents, then they will learn about their time. They will learn about their struggles. Thus, they will understand that school books are not everything. There are many things that matter in life.

7. Support System

If you are a working parent, then the joint family is a boon for you. You will always have someone trustworthy in your house. They will take care of your children. Your uncle, parents, and aunts will take care of your child. Thus, you don’t need to worry about their safety.

This will give more freedom to parents. They can socialize with other people. Also, they can go for a private dinner without worrying about their child.

8. Financial Security

If you are living in a joint family, then all the earning members will help you in handling the household expenses. Thus, you don’t need to worry about paying all the bills. Also, this system will act as a security net. If someone is suffering monetary loss, then other family members will help them.

9. Care and Love

You will receive a lot of love and care if you are living in a joint family. If you are feeling sad, then your family members will help you. You will never feel alone. Your family members will act as your support system.

If you are sick, then your family members will take care of you. You can never experience this if you are living alone. The amount of love that you will receive in a joint family is immeasurable.

10. You will become Socially Adept

If you are living in a joint family, then you will automatically learn how to communicate with other people. Your cousins, nephews, and elders will mold your child’s personality. They will know how to effectively communicate with other people. Thus, your children will easily mold into society. They can easily make new friends.

5 Disadvantages of Joint Family

Nuclear families are becoming more common with time. There are some disadvantages to living in a joint family. Thus, many people are living in nuclear families now. We are going to talk about the biggest disadvantages of a joint family.

1. Lack of privacy

This is the biggest disadvantage of living in a joint family. If you are living in a joint family, then your privacy will be compromised. You will never be alone in your house. If you are feeling lonely, then you might want to cry on your bed. However, this is not possible in a joint family.

Every family member knows everything about other family members. Thus, they might sometimes interfere in your daily matters. Most people don’t want any interference in their daily matters.

People don’t want to share every secret with their family members. Your family members will always try to help you. However, this can be annoying sometimes.

2. Interference in Parenting

If you are living in a large family, then parenting will be a difficult task for you. Your family members might interfere with your parenting style. They will advise you about what to do. This can be very annoying for new moms. They might become confused due to these tips.

3. Disagreement on finances

There can also be disagreement on finances. Everyone will contribute to the household fund. However, the head of your family will control these funds. They will decide on how to spend this money.

Sometimes other members don’t like the decisions of the head of the family. Thus, this might lead to arguments and disagreements. Also, sometimes the head of the family has to handle the burden of 2 families. Thus, they need to deal with a lot of financial pressure.

4. Disagreement on Cooking and Shopping Matters

In almost all joint families, all women cook together for all the family members. Everyone has their own preferences because of tastes, cooking style,s and health reasons. This would create some discussions and disagreements among the women.

Also, shopping matters would also create differences among the family members, especially women. You cannot create an equal budget for all women to buy whatever they like. Everyone has their own likes and dislikes. The gender, generation, and education gaps play a very important role.

5. Collective Decision Making

Collective decision-making has its own advantages and disadvantages. It is very beneficial if all the family members sit together and take everyone’s opinion for any important event like marriage, new business etc.

At the same time, it would be frustrating if this has to be done for small things like movie, picnic etc. Do you think this is a real disadvantage of a joint family?

Infographic : Tips for Love and Bonding in Joint Families

I have created a simple infographic to show you some tips to increase love and bonding in joint families.

Why are Joint Families Declining?

Joint families are declining in most cultures across the world due to two main reasons – employment opportunities in other places and independent thought processes.

Urban Employment Opportunities:

The increased number of employment opportunities in urban areas is one of the main reasons why people leave their ancestors and their properties to live in small rented apartments in the growing cities.

Individual Thought Process:

The thought process of proving themselves as an independently successful person is also a reason for many to part ways from their joint families. This could be because of their individual interests in jobs, business, etc. They may not be interested in continuing their traditional family professions.

Joint Families in USA

Surprisingly, according to the results of a study by Pew Research Center , the number of joint families in the USA is increasing in this century as compared to the previous century. The main reasons for this are the availability of social security for elders, increased unemployment in the younger generation, and rising costs. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are around 3 million grandparents raising their grandchildren in the USA.

These were the advantages and disadvantages of living in a joint family. If you are living in a nuclear family, then it will be very difficult to adjust to a joint family. Most families are restricted to only 4 members only. However, many families are still living together in small villages and cities.

There are many advantages to living in a joint family. Your children will never feel alone in a joint family. There will be many sacrifices and arguments. However, you can always depend on your family.

The disadvantages of joint families are also discussed in detail above. It is an individual’s thought process and choice.

Humans are social animals and dependent beings. The question is about how much social and how much dependent. With each generation and financial independence, we are becoming less social and less emotionally dependent on others. We are learning to cherish individuality. This is leading to nuclear families.

Please let me know what advantages and disadvantages of joint families you agree with and do not agree with. We can have a great discussion on this very important topic.

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Very detailed information given. It is individual’s choice but we live in a society. Families are the pillars of society.

Information has been given in a very concise manner. I personally am from a nuclear family and feel that it has its equal pros too.

Hey, to be honest, I loved the way you’ve shaped this post. It is not only written in simple language that can be understood by people who have not done their Masters in English Literature but also in a friendly style. I have always loved to read your blog posts and hence I keep coming back for more. Everytime I visit your website, I am always welcomed with a new interesting post. Thanks. Keep them coming!

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Joint family system: it’s features, functions and other details.

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Read this article to get complete information on joint family system, its features, functions, other details..

Family is one of the universal and permanent institutions of mankind. In every society and at every stage of development we found some sort of family. As a result we found different types of family all over the world. But in India we found a peculiar family system which deserve special attention. The family in India does not consist only of husband, wife and their children but also of uncles, aunts and cousins and grandsons.

Image Courtesy : upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/HinduMarriageIndia.jpg

This system is called joint family or extended family system. This joint family system is a peculiar characteristic of the Indian social life. Usually a son after marriage does not separate himself from the parents but continue to live under the same roof eating food cooked at one hearth participating in common worship and holding property in common and every person has share in it.

All the members of joint family keep their earnings in a common fund out of which family expenses are met. Accordingly Indian Joint family system is like a socialistic community in which every members earns according to his capacity and receives according to his needs. This joint family or extended family is organized on close blood relationships. It normally consists of members of three to four generations.

In other words joint family is a collection of more than one primary family on the basis of close blood ties and common residences. The entire members are bound by mutual obligations and have a common ancestor. It consist of an individual his wife and married sons their children and unmarried daughter, his brother and his parent.

But to have a clear understanding of the meaning of joint family we must have to analyze some of its definitions given by different sociologists.

Some of this definitions are as follows:

(1) According to Smt. Iravati Karve, “A joint family is a group of people who generally live under one roof, who eat food cooked at one hearth, who hold property in common and who participate in common worship and are related to each other as some particular type of Kindred.”

(2) According to K.M. Kapadia, “Joint family is a group formed not only of a couple and their children but also other relations either from father’s side or from mother’s side depending on whether the joint family is patrilineal or matrilineal.”

(3) According to Henery Maine, “The Hindu joint family is a group constituted of known ancestors and adopted sons and relatives related to these sons through marriage.”

(4) 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 to 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.”

Joint or Extended family

Thus we conclude that the joint family comprises of a large number of members which has greater generation depth and who are related to one another by property, income, household and mutual rights and obligations. It is organised on the basis of close blood ties.

Features or Characteristics of Joint Family:

Joint family has the following features or characteristics.

(1) Large in Size:

The most important characteristic of joint family is that it is large in size. Because it consists of members of three to four generations. It includes parents, grandparents, children grand children and other close blood relatives. Several nuclear families live together as one and constitute a joint family.

(2) Joint Property:

Joint or common property is another important characteristic of joint family. All movable and immovable property of the family held jointly. Ownership, production and consumption of property take place jointly. All the members pool their income in a common family fund from which expenditure is incurred equally irrespective of their income. The head of the family acts as a trustee of the family property and looks towards the material and spiritual welfare of the family members. A family continue to remain joint till it’s property held jointly. Division of property means division of family.

(3) Common Kitchen:

It is the next important feature of joint family. All the members of joint family eat food cooked at one hearth. There is division of work in a joint family. Male members work in the field whereas female members remain engaged in the hearth. The eldest female member remains in charge of the kitchen and supervises the work of other women. This joint kitchen keeps the joint family integrated. Because separate kitchen means separation of family.

(4) Common Residence:

All the members of a joint family live under a common roof or in a common residence. This joint living crates a sense of unity among all the members of the family. As the joint family consists of several nuclear family when it became too large and the accommodation became insufficient they may live in separate houses in close proximity to one another. Thus living in a common residence all the members eats similar type of food, wear similar type of dresses and shows similar type of behavior.

(5) Common Worship:

All the members of a joint family believe in a particular religion and worships common gods and goddesses. This common god is known as ‘kula devatas’. All the members participate in common prayer and worship their ‘kula devatas’ jointly. They have similar faith and beliefs. All the members celebrate religious rites, duties and festivals jointly. This joint worship passes from generation to generation.

(6) Similar rights and obligations:

All the members of the joint family except the head enjoy similar rights and shows similar obligations towards each other. This keeps the joint family integrated. Each member remain conscious about his rights and obligations.

(7) Close blood ties:

All the members of joint family are bound by close blood ties. In other words there exists close blood relationships among the members of joint family.

(8) Absolute power of the head:

In a joint family the eldest male member or the head enjoy absolute power over others. In every respect his decision is final and binding.

(9) Co-operation:

Co-operation is the basis of joint family. All the members co-operate with each other in realization of their common objective and while performing family functions.

(10) Socialistic Ideals:

Joint family based on socialistic ideals “from each according to his capacity and to each according to his necessity”.

The Functions of Joint Family:

Here is your essay for students on the Functions of Joint Family!

Joint family is a peculiar and unique social institution of Indian Society. Joint family or extended family system is a peculiar characteristic of the Indian social life. Since its origin it has been instrumental in providing protection, economic support and recreation to its members. It also helps in fostering good qualities among the members. It nourishes and socializes its members. As an important social institution it has brought about the well being of its members in several ways. It performs many functions. Some of its important functions or advantages or merits are stated below:—

(1) Economic functions:

Joint family performs a number of economic functions. It guarantees food, clothing and shelter to its members. All the members of joint family works together on a cooperative basis and in that way it saves money that would have been spent on hired labour. Besides collective purchase of household articles also saves money. It avoids fragmentation of agricultural land and thereby helps in increasing productivity. By this way joint family ensures economic progress of the family as well as society.

(2) Protective functions:

Joint family performs a number of protective functions for its members. It acts as a safe home for the physically or mentally handicapped, sick, old members.

It also acts as an asylum for the orphans. It also assures a proper living for the widows. Thus joint family acts as a social insurance company for the old, sick and destitute.

(3) Recreational functions:

Joint family performed a number of recreational functions for its members. It provides healthy recreation to all its members. By arranging feasts on different religious, social and festive occasions it provides recreation to its members. The joking relationships in the joint family are another source of amusement.

(4) Fosters social virtues:

Joint family fosters good social virtues like sacrifice, love, affection, cooperation, mutual help, selflessness, renunciation among its members and makes the family a cradle of social virtues. Under care and guidance of the elders the youths are prevented from being wayward. These social virtues are learned during the process of socialization.

(5) Socialism:

Socialism prevails in joint family because it believes in the socialistic principle i.e. “from each according to his ability and to each according to his necessity. Hence Sir Henry maine is right when he remarked that the joint family is like a corporation where the father acts as it’s trustee. Earnings of all the members are kept in a common family fund from where the expenditures are met.

(6) Acts as a unique device of division of labor:

Joint family acts as a unique system of division of labor. All the advantages of modern division of labor are enjoyed by joint family. All the works of the family are equally distributed according to the abilities of its members. All the family members help during harvesting of crops. None is over burdened. It brought economic benefits to family.

(7) Provides leisure:

Joint family provides necessary leisure to its members. As all the works are divided among the members and it finish within a little time and the rest time is spent in leisure. Besides the sick and old member are provided with more leisure

(8) Agency of social control:

Joint family acts as an agency of social control. As an informal agency it controls the deviant behaviors of its members. The unsocial and anti-social activities of its members are suppressed within a healthy family environment.

Agency of Socialization:

Joint family acts as an important agency of socialization. Family first socializes the child. Child learns a number of civic virtues in the family. The environment of family guides the growth of a child. The child gets his first lessons in the family. The family moulds the personality of the individual and continues to exercise its influence throughout life.

Dysfunction’s (Demerits or Disadvantages) of Joint Family:

Here is your essay for students on the Dysfunction’s (Demerits or Disadvantages) of Joint Family!

Although joint family is an important social institution and has been performing a number of functions is not free from criticism. Inspite of its instrumental role in preserving the Indian social structure it has many things to its discredit. However, joint family has the following dysfunctions and demerits.

(1) Hinders the development of Personality:

Joint family hinders the development of individual personality. The karta or the head of the family enjoy absolute authority in the family. His decisions are binding in family matters. Such authoritative nature of joint family leaves little scope for the development of self-dependency and personality of the junior members. Individual autonomy are severely restricted.

(2) Encourages birth rate:

Joint family encourages birth i rate. No individual member faces the problems of having more child j birth. It is the responsibility of joint family to bring up the children and provide education to them. Besides irrespective of parental income all children are treated equally in a joint family. Hence no individual finds any cause to control reproduction. Thereby it encourages birth rate.

(3) Home for idlers:

Joint family gives stress on collective responsibility. Some members take advantage of this and became lazy. In a joint family some active members work harder while others become lazier. Because in a joint family there is no reward for the hard working members and no punishment for the lazy members. All are treated equally in every respect. This also lessens the interest of hard working members in doing hard work. As a result joint family became a home for idlers and family prosperity is impaired.

(4) Pitiable condition of Women:

Conditions of women are very pitiable in the joint family system. They are the worst sufferer. They toil for the family day and night and eat only after all the male members. They enjoy low status in the family. Very often the daughter in law faces different kinds of ill-treatment by the mother-in-law and sister-in-laws.

(5) Frequent Quarrels:

Because of large size in general and presence of many women in particular in the joint family quarrels occurs frequently. There is hatred, jealousy and constant bickerings among the female members. There is always clash of ideas, interests, ideals and temperaments which makes the joint family a hotbed of quarrels. Quarrels became more severe when the male members got involved.

(6) Lack of Privacy:

Absence of privacy particularly to the newlywed couple impaired their personality in a joint family system. Due to the presence of large number of individuals and elders the newlywed couple could not meet each other during day time to discuss their problems. Hence joint family environment is not congenial for the newly married couple to enjoy their life in full.

(7) Absolute authority of the head:

In a joint family system the head or ‘Karta’ enjoys absolute and unquestionable authority. Being the eldest member he is orthodox in his attitude and temperament. He normally do not allow new ideas and change to be introduced easily. Dynamic members do not find scope for utilization of their plan for development. Besides he insists on the practice of old customs, traditions etc. All this hinders the process of development of joint family.

(8) Low Standard of Living:

Standard of living in a joint family is very low due to number of factors such as pitiable condition of women, lack of privacy, frequent quarrels and litigation, improper care of common property, laziness of some members etc.

In spite of the above dysfunctions joint family system still continue to exist in modern day. Of course the system is breaking down in cities but it still prevails in rural areas. But it cannot said that the system has been completely abolished. It continues to exist in Indian Society withstanding the challenges of time. It still exists today in a renewed and modified form.

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Joint family culture in india: meaning, characteristics, merits, demerits.

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Joint Family Culture in India: Meaning, Characteristics, Merits, Demerits!

For the Indian students of Sociology, the study of the Indian family system deserves special attention, not only because they are born in Indian families but also for here the family system differs in material respects from the western family system. The family in India does not consist only of husband, wife and their children but also of uncles, aunts and cousins and grandsons.

This system, called joint family or extended family system is a peculiar characteristic of the Indian social life. A son after marriage does not usually separate himself from the parents but continues to stay with them under the same roof messing together and holding property in common.

The family has joint property and every person has his share in it since the time he is born. The earnings of all the members are put in a common fund out of which family expenses are met. Non-earning members have as much share as the earning members. The Indian family system is thus like a socialistic community in which everyone earns according to his capacity and receives according to his needs.

The family in India is based on patrilineal descent. Children are identified by name and allegiance with the father’s family. Property is passed from generation to generation within the father’s family.

I. The Meaning of Joint Family:

Some Definitions of Joint Family are the following:

(i) “ A joint family is a group of people who generally live under one roof, who eat food cooked at one hearth, who hold property in common and who participate in common worship and are related to each other as some particular type of kindred.” —Karve

(ii) “We call that household a joint family which has greater generation depth than individual family and the members of which are related to one another by property, income and mutual rights and obligations.” —I.P. Desai

(iii) “The joint family consists of persons 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 to 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.” —Davis

(iv) “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.” —Jolly

(v) “The Hindu joint family is a group constituted of known ancestors and adopted sons and relatives related to these sons through marriage.” —Henry Maine

Characteristics of Joint Family:

On the basis of the above definitions, the chief characteristics of joint family are the following:

(i) Large Size:

The first characteristic of the joint family is its large size. A single family consists of only the husband, wife and their children. But a joint family consists of parents, children, grand children and other near relatives along with their women. It is a group of which several basic families live together at one and the same time.

(ii) Joint Property:

In a joint family, the ownership, production and consumption of wealth takes place on a joint basis. It is a cooperative institution, similar to a joint stock company, in which there is joint property. The head of the family is like a trustee who manages the property of the family for the material and spiritual welfare of the family members. The total earnings of all the family members are pooled together.

(iii) Common Residence:

The members of joint family usually live under the same roof. They may also live in separate houses in close proximity to one another. They eat the same food and wear the same type of clothes.

(iv) Co-operative Organisation:

The basis of joint family system is cooperation. A joint family consists of a large number of members and if they do not cooperate with one another it is not possible to maintain the organisation and structure of the joint family.

(v) Common Religion:

Generally the members of a joint family believe in the same religion and worship similar deities. They perform jointly the religious rites and duties. They celebrate all the festivals and social functions jointly. They also hold themselves jointly accountable for participating in social ceremonies like marriage, death and other occasions of family sorrows and rejoicing. They all share the family burden together.

(vi) A Productive Unit:

This feature of joint family is found among agricultural families. All the members work at one and the same field. They do the sowing and harvesting of the crops together. Even in the case of artisan classes all the members of a joint family do one and the same function.

(vii) Mutual Rights and Obligations:

The rights and obligations of the members of joint family are the same. None except the head of the family has special privileges. Every member of the family has equal obligations. If one female member works in the kitchen, the other does the laundry work, and the third one looks after the children. There is rotation of duties as well.

Origin of Joint Family System:

It may not, however, be presumed that joint family system originated in India. This institution is said to be the outcome of the settling down of the Aryans in different parts of the world. We have similar institutions practically all over the world. As we have learnt before in the ancient Roman society, the supreme authority rested in the eldest male member of the family who, in administering the family affairs, was entitled to take all steps.

When the pastoral stage was over and the people began to live a settled life by tilling the soil, constructing the house and maintaining the patrimony, joint family system came into existence. Difficulties of communication and travel compelled all the members of the family to live together and carry on jointly the family occupation in agriculture or trade.

Over and above these causes the kinship idea and the religion emphasizing ancestor worship further made joint family a complex organisation catering to the spiritual and economic needs of the large family groups which composed the society. In other parts of the world while joint family system has disappeared, in India, it still continues though suffering heavy strains brought about by industrialization and urbanization.

II. Merits of Joint Family System:

The following are the chief merits of the joint family system:

(i) Ensures economic progress:

It enables economic progress of the country since everyone in the family is guaranteed bare subsistence, a first condition of economic progress. Unless people are assured of food and shelter they would not devote themselves sincerely to the work of country’s progress. It is an essential condition of national progress that the citizens must at least get two meals a day. Joint family provides this to its members and thus enables them to devote themselves to nation’s progress.

(ii) Division of labour:

It secures the advantages of the division of labour. Every member in the family is given work according to his abilities without being taxed unduly. Every phase of family’s life is managed by all members including women and children. Thus, during the harvest season every member of the family helps in harvesting the crops. No outside labour is required.

(iii) Economy:

It secures economy of expenditure. Since things are consumed in large quantities they are secured at economic prices. Within small means a large family can be maintained if it lives jointly.

(iv) Opportunity for leisure:

It provides opportunities for leisure to the members. The female members divide the household work and finish it within a little time spending the rest of it in leisure.

(v) Social insurance:

In the joint family the orphans find a comfortable asylum instead of being thrown out. Similarly, widows are assured of their proper living for whom remarriage in India is unthinkable. The joint family acts as a social insurance company for the old, sick and incapacitated.

(vi) Social virtues:

It fosters great virtues like sacrifice, affection, co-operation, spirit of selflessness, broadmindedness among its members and makes the family a cradle of social virtues. Under the care of elders the undesirable and anti-social tendencies of the young are checked and they are prevented from going astray. They learn to exercise self-control. All members learn to obey family rules and respect their elders.

(vii) Avoids fragmentation of holdings:

It avoids fragmentation of holdings and the evils inherent therein. It prevents property from being divided.

(viii) Socialism:

According to Sir Henry Maine, the joint family is like a corporation where trustee is the father. Everyone in the joint family works according to his capabilities but obtains according to his needs. Thus it realises the socialistic ideal—from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

III. Demerits of Joint Family:

If joint family system has received the highest praise for its many advantages, it has no less been vehemently denounced.

The main defects of the system are said to be the following:

(i) Home for idlers:

Joint family is the home for idlers and drones as the non-earning members do not want to earn their livelihood. When a person can eat comfortably without exerting himself, he is unlikely to indulge in any strenuous activity. Mostly, in the joint family it happens that some people have to exhaust themselves while the others lead a life of utter lethargy.

(ii) Hindrance in the development of personality:

In joint family there is very little opportunity for the fostering of individual autonomy or self-dependence. The whole environment of the family is not congenial for the growth of the individual because he is bound down by the minutest rules and regulations framed by the head of the family who looks upon men and women as children even when they attain adulthood.

(iii) Encourage litigation:

The joint family system encourages litigation, for at the time of partition of common property generally disputes crop up which are not settled without a recourse being taken to law. In case of agricultural families partition leads to fragmentation of holdings which is harmful from the viewpoint of agricultural progress.

(iv) Leads to quarrels:

It is the hotbed of quarrels and bickering especially among the female members. Generally, there is hatred and jealousy between the wives of brothers. There is continuous strife and fighting over the doings of children. There is also the clash of ideas and temperaments on account of which there are constant quarrels between the elder and young members of the family.

(v) Privacy denied:

In a joint family privacy is denied to the newlywed couple. The brides of the sons do not get an opportunity to develop their personality. They serve the entire family like slaves. They hardly meet their husbands during the day.

The invariable presence of other family members shames the bride and she cannot freely talk to her husband. Any natural love between husband and wife is prevented from blossoming. There is also no limit to the injustice done by the mother-in-law. In some cases this injustice becomes so inhuman and unbearable that women become fed up and commit suicide.

(vi) Unfavourable to accumulation of capital:

It is not favourable to large accumulation of capital. When one has to share one’s income with large family, it is not possible to save much. The property of the family being jointly owned is sometimes allowed to go waste.

(vii) Uncontrolled procreation:

In the joint family the responsibility for bringing up and educating the children is shared. No individual feels responsibility to control procreation because of the limited income of the family. The offspring of one member will be treated on the same footing as others. No distinction is made between the statuses of the family members. In this way no direct benefits occur to an individual in the joint family by practising family planning or earning more.

Thus the joint family system has got both its strong proponents as well as opponents. However, we are to remember that no institution is perfect and also that no institution full of defects can exist very long. The joint family system has been in existence since the society changed from the agricultural stage of economic development.

While the system is breaking down in cities, it still largely prevails in the villages especially among the agricultural families. Though there may be exceptions here and there, yet it cannot be said that the system has been completely abolished. It is no doubt true that the system once considered the pillar of stability is finding it difficult to withstand the dizzying pace of social mobility and the transformation of values.

IV. Disintegration of Joint Family:

The following factors are responsible for the disintegration of joint family system:

(i) Industrialization:

The joint family system is most suited to agricultural families. India today is on the way to industrialization. With the establishment of new factories in urban areas workers from the villages move to the cities which breaks the joint family.

(ii) Extension of communications and transport:

As we saw above difficulties of communication and travel in ancient times compelled all the members of the family to live together and carry on the family occupation in agriculture and trade jointly.

Today when the means of communication and transport have been extended it is no longer necessary for men to stay with the family and carry on the family occupation. Now they go to the city and take up any other occupation or even living in the village adopt some other trade and when they adopt a trade different from the family trade, they establish a new home.

(iii) Decline of agriculture and village trades:

The joint family system in India flourished in the days of yore when agriculture and trade in the villages were in a sound position. Today with the establishment of factories the commodities produced by the village craftsmen cannot compete in quality or price with those produced in factories with the result that the village industries suffer loss and after some time close down.

With the closing down of the village industry the workers move to the city. Further, more and more land is being acquired by the Government for setting up big public undertakings, creating new sectors for habitation and providing public amenities.

The population in the villages is growing at a faster rate than in the urban areas. Thus the pressure on land is high and not only the workers but land holders also are compelled to go to the city to find job there.

Owing to the onrush of people from the villages to the cities the Hindu joint family system breaks down. Besides the decline of agriculture and trade there are other causes as well which induce people to move to the city.

In the villages there are fewer facilities for entertainment and recreation, less opportunities for employment for the educated and inadequate opportunities for the education of children. A gentleman so called finds little attraction to stay on in the village.

(iv) Impact of the West:

India today has been greatly influenced in her social outlook by western thought and ideology. Our modern laws relating to marriage and divorce have been enacted on western pattern. Our education is entirely foreign in outlook and approach.

We have begun to look at the family as a partnership and not as a sacrament. Our views especially of the young men and women on sex and family relations have undergone a change. The influence of individualism has made deep inroads in the Indian outlook.

(v) New Social Legislation:

The joint family system in India has been very much influenced by the new social legislations consisting of the Civil Marriage Act (1872), Hindu Marriage Act, (1955), and Hindu Succession Act (1956). The Civil Marriage Act enabled the adult boys and girls to marry against the wishes of their parents.

The Hindu Marriage Act enabled the women to seek divorce under certain conditions. The Hindu Succession Act gave the right of equal inheritance to women. All these acts have influenced the solidarity of the joint family and relationships between brothers and sisters, parents and children and husbands and wives.

K. S. Sambasivan, a contemporary Indian writer, dealing with the effect of the modern forces on the working class families of India writes.

“Industrialization has contributed much to family disorganisation. In its result most of the important ties that bind all family members together in an agricultural society began to loosen. Again, the worker unaccustomed to the work life in the factory also becomes disorganised and in such a condition is not able to enjoy the richness of the family. This condition affects his emotions also, leading him to seek pleasure through unnatural forces like alcohol, prostitution etc. Factory occupation has made members of the same family economically independent. The joint family, so common in India, is gradually disappearing.”

Most of the workmen when questioned by researchers express themselves against joint family system and prefer to live in separate families. It means that the joint family system under modern influence is weakening.

It is, however, to be remembered that joint family system in India has not completely died out. The causes of its disintegration are mainly social. The Indian people still keep intact the family attachment and live their traditional morality. Hindu sentiments are even today in favour of joint family.

Even in cases where family property has got divided and income of the family members is not pooled, the constituent householders consider themselves duty bound to participate in ceremonial celebrations like marriage, birthday, and religious functions. Such participation keeps the joint family feelings alive. The thinkers who criticize the system have not been able to appreciate it properly.

Compromise and mutual adjustment are the keynotes of the Indian joint family system. The joint family is not a place where individuality is crushed but it is a cooperative institution where every member does his duty under the guidance of the eldest members.

In it we have a synthesis of individual and common interests; here are inculcated social virtues which make man a good citizen and teach him to live for all. What is needed today is to find out the ways by which the virtues of the joint family system can be retained. And this will require the intelligent cooperation of rulers and social scientists aided by enlightened public opinion.

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Research article
Open access
Published: 28 January 2021

Factors associated with quality of life among joint and nuclear families: a population-based study

Fahad Saqib Lodhi 1 , 2 ,
Unaib Rabbani 3 ,
Adeel Ahmed Khan 4 ,
Owais Raza 5 ,
Kourosh Holakouie-Naieni 2 ,
Mehdi Yaseri 2 ,
Umer Farooq 6 &
Ali Montazeri ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-5198-9539 7 , 8

BMC Public Health volume 21 , Article number: 234 ( 2021 ) Cite this article

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Metrics details

Advantages and disadvantages associated with joint and nuclear family systems can affect quality of life (QOL). However, there is scarcity of literature about QOL among joint and nuclear family systems. This study aimed to assess the factors associated with QOL in joint and nuclear family systems.

We conducted a population based cross sectional study in all 52 Union Councils (UCs) of District Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan from March 2015 to August 2015. Multistage cluster sampling technique was used to select participants from both nuclear and joint family houses. The validated Urdu version of World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire-Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) was used to assess quality of life among participants. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to explore the associations of different socio demographic variables with QOL among both family systems. Also a multilevel linear regression using backward analysis to obtain final model for each domain was performed to find out the variables that are associated with QOL score in each of family systems.

A total of 2063 participants were included in this study (51.0% joint family, 49.0% nuclear family) with the response rate of 97.4%. In multiple linear regression analysis of each domain for joint and nuclear family systems, rural residence compared to urban ( p < 0.001), being female ( p < 0.001), older age ( p < 0.001), having comorbidity ( p < 0.001) and lower socioeconomic status ( p < 0.001) were found to be a strong predictor of poorer QOL. Furthermore, social capital ( p < 0.001) had a positive effect on joint and nuclear family QOL scores.

This study was the first of its kind which determined the factors of QOL in joint and nuclear families using the validated Urdu version of WHOQOL-BREF in Pakistan. Male gender, urban residence, younger age, higher socioeconomic status and social capital were positive predictors of QOL score while older age and presence of illness were associated with lower QOL scores among both family systems.

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Introduction

In general family is one of the fundamental units of societies and takes care of the diverse needs of people [ 1 ]. It is also one of the basic sources of providing care to all of its members. Because of this fact elderly persons of the house occupy respectful position in Asian culture. Family system encourages the life of individuals in all aspects which enables them to live happy and productive life [ 2 ]. Culture has been shown to regulate the family network by building family type, family size and form [ 3 , 4 ] and the family functioning by defining barriers, cooperation rules, connection patterns, adequate practices, regulation and ranking in the family [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ].

Family is a social group of one or more parents and their children. Family systems refer to members and their interrelationship (structure) with each other. There are different classifications of family systems [ 8 , 9 ]. Most commonly used classification has two types i.e. joint and nuclear family systems [ 10 ]. A nuclear family system is defined as ‘a two generation family consisting of a father and mother and children or a single, possibly widow, parent and his/her children’ [ 11 ]. Similarly, joint or extending family is defined as ‘three or more generations lived together with both vertical and lateral extension having a single line of authority, either patrilineal or matrilineal’ [ 11 ]. A number of advantages and disadvantages associated with each type of family has been reported such as social support, protection during crises, physical space, autonomy a freedom of decision making [ 12 ].

Extent of these systems varies from countries to countries and within countries as well. Traditionally Pakistan had joint family system and bonding within a family. Like other Asian countries, over the time, balance is shifting towards nuclear family system in Pakistan [ 13 ]. Multiple factors are responsible for this shifting trend from joint to nuclear system. These include; financial pressures, decreasing living space, movement for job and rapid urbanization [ 13 ]. It also seems to be an outcome of increasing prosperity. This trend is faster in urban areas than rural areas. The superiority of one of these systems is a matter of debate these days. The researchers are on a quest for evidence based information regarding the current debate about the quality of life of an individual, based on a family system [ 14 ].

In Pakistan, a large number of the aged people depend on their family especially on their children or grandchildren for physical, communal and financial support [ 2 ] which is more convenient in joint families. It was recommended by Mason (1992) that urbanization is expected to negatively affect the family’s capacity and willingness for care of the elderly and it will also decrease the chances of living grown up children with their parents [ 15 ]. Studies from Asian countries have shown that most of the help for the elderly people comes from their home by their children/grandchildren [ 16 , 17 ].

Limited studies have been conducted on different study populations that have assessed the predictors of quality of life. A study conducted among elderly population in India reported that occupation, higher income, 60–69 years age group, staying with partner and absence of co-morbidity were found to be the determinants of better QOL [ 18 ]. Studies from Kuwait and Lebanon also reported that female gender, older age, social disadvantage, and presence of anxiety/ depression were associated with poor QOL [ 19 , 20 ]. Although all of the works done before were on health-related QOL all around the world, there are no such study exploring the predictors of quality of life of people who live in nuclear or joint family system. Our study presented the predictors of quality of life scores in joint and nuclear family systems in Pakistani general population.

Study design and setting

We conducted a population based cross sectional study in all 52 Union Councils of District Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan from March 2015 to August 2015. We recruited 2063 participants for our study. Abbottabad is the main district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan having more than 1.2 million population living in 52 union councils. The primary language spoken here is Hindko (used by 94% of the rural population and 75% of urban residents) followed by Urdu which is also spoken and understood in rural & urban areas [ 21 ].

Sample size

We used the Statulator, an online statistical calculator for sample size determination [ 22 ]. Assuming a standard deviation of 12 units (derived from pilot study) and a design effect (DEFF) of 2, the study would require a sample size of 969 for each group (i.e. a total sample size of 1938, assuming equal group sizes), to achieve a power of 90% at 5% significance level (two sided) for detecting a true difference of 2.5 points in quality of life score between joint and nuclear family systems.

Sampling procedure

Participants were selected from all union councils (UCs) of District Abbottabad. Multistage cluster sampling technique was employed in this study. Each union council was further divided into several blocks called Mohallah. We did proportionate sampling according to the 1998 population census [ 23 ] of UCs for the selection of Mohallah & on the next stage households. In the first stage we randomly selected these blocks (Mohallah) in each of the UC from a list by using simple random sampling technique. In the next stage we selected households in that selected block by using a random sampling technique again. The total number of houses selected in each block was also proportional to the population size of respective block. For the selection of family type, from the list of household of each block, we made a list of joint & nuclear family system households and enrolled equal number of houses from both family types. A simple random sampling technique was used for the selection of person (≥18 years) from each house. Simple random sampling was done by applying the lottery method for selecting the ≥18 year’s participant for the study. The inclusion criteria used for selection of individual were age greater than 18 years and permanent resident of union council for at least 5 years. Guests and temporary residents were excluded from the study.

We used the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire-Brief version (WHOQOL-BREF) for measuring quality of life. It is in public domain and contains 26-items that covers four domains of QOL (psychological 6 items, physical 7 items, social relationships 3 items and environmental 8 items). Each question scored on a scale from one to five, with high score indicating good QOL with the exception of three questions, which include pain and discomfort, need for medical treatment and negative feelings [ 24 ]. The seven items included in the physical health domain were mobility, daily life activities, pain, sleep, functional capacity and energy. The psychological domain measured negative thinking, self-image, positive approach, self-esteem, mindset, ability to learn, memory, consolidation, religion and the psychic conditions. Questions such as social support, sex-life and personal relationship come under the social relationship domain. The environmental health domain contains questions on financial assets, security, health and social services, living in natural environment, opportunities for advance learning experience, relaxation, and natural environment (air, noise, pollution and transportation) [ 25 ]. The total raw score for these four dimensions were transformed into 0 to 100 scale according to the standard procedure defined in WHO QOL user manual [ 24 ], and then analysis of this reconstruct score was done. Psychometric properties and validation of this WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was done in the national language “Urdu”. The Cronbach’s alpha for each of four domains were 0.78, 0.71, 0.73 and 0.65, respectively [ 26 ]. To assess the feasibility and clarity of the items, a pilot study was conducted on 30 individuals conveniently selected from the study area.

We also developed a structured demographic questionnaire which included variables such as age, gender, marital status, type of family (joint and nuclear), residence type (urban and rural), house ownership (owner, not owner), respondent education (no education, madrassa, can read/write, primary- up to grade 5, secondary education-up to grade 12 and tertiary-up to grade 16 or above), working status (employed, unemployed and retired).

The socio-economic characteristics were assessed by taking household conditions, sources of drinking water, sanitation facilities, availability of electricity, housing facilitates, possession of durable goods, mean of transport, inventory of house hold and personal items such as chairs, clocks, buckets, radios, television sets, fans, stoves or cookers, cars, and telephones. This list was composed of 21 such items used in the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2013 [ 27 ]. Wealth index was measured by an index constructed from principle component analysis (PCA) [ 28 ] of items indicating ownership of household durables and dwelling characteristics.

The World Bank’s Social Capital Integrated Questionnaire (SC-IQ) was also used to study social capital among families. It is an open-domain questionnaire and consists of 27 questions in six domains [ 29 ]. Of these five questions on overall trust, trust in local government, trust in central government, community cooperation and safety at home were selected and used in this study. These questions were translated by the research team into Urdu and then back translated into English by independent bilingual expert to assess the validity of the translation. The internal consistency of the items as assessed by the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was found to be acceptable (alpha = 0.64). The concurrent validity as assessed by correlation between the trust subscale of the SC-IQ and the social relationship of the WHOQOL-BREF showed satisfactory result (r = 0.74).

Data collection

One-day training session was conducted for administering the questionnaires prior to data collection for lady health workers of all UCs by principal investigator. In 1994, Pakistan’s Ministry of Health (MOH) implemented the Lady Health Worker Program (LHWP) as part of a national strategy to reduce poverty and improve health by bringing health services to the doorsteps of underserved communities. Lady health workers are out reach health workers who provide preventive and health promotion services specially for maternal and child health issues [ 30 ]. The questionnaire was administered through face to face interviews in the households by trained lady health workers of that union council. To ensure privacy and confidentiality, interviews were conducted in an independent room or area separate from other members of the family.

Statistical analysis

The data was analyzed using the Stata version 13.0 (Stata Corp, College Station, TX, USA). First, we conducted descriptive analyses such as frequencies, proportions and means. Then, we carried out univariate linear regression analyses with domain scores as dependent and other variables as independent variables. Next, in the multivariate analysis, we included all independent variables and used stepwise backward approach to eliminate variables with a p value > 0.05. Finally, multi-level analysis was performed with two –level continuous random intercept model with individuals nested within clusters was applied to explore the variability explained by individuals and cluster level variables taking the correlated nature of data into account. P -value of < 0.05 was considered as significant.

Demographic characteristic of study participants

A total of 2116 households were approached. Of these, 56 refused (non-response 2.64%) to participate in this study giving a total number of 2063 [1053 (51.04%) belonged to joint family system and 1010 (48.6%) to nuclear family]. Younger (18–30 years) and elderly (> 50 years) were more in joint families (39%) and (20%) respectively compared to (20%) and (10%) in nuclear families. Educational status of the participants was comparable in two groups as proportions of individuals with no education were 15.5% and 15.7 in joint and nuclear families respectively. Majority were living in their own houses 849 (80.5%) in joint and 750 (74.3%) in nuclear family. A higher proportion of the participants (80.5%) in joint family groups owned a house compared to (71%) in nuclear family group. Proportions of employed persons were (56.5%) in joint families and (56.1%) in nuclear families. Higher proportion of the participant were satisfied in living in joint family system (87.5%) compared to (81%) in nuclear family system (Table 1 ).

Joint family system WHO QOL-BREF scores

Table 2 shows mean score of WHOQOL-BREF scores of participants in joint families. Those living in the urban areas, had significantly higher scores in all four dimensions. Male had higher scores in physical and psychological domains compared to females. However, no differences were observed in relationship and environmental domains. Younger age group < 30 years had higher scores than elderly > 50 years of age. Divorced had highest scores in physical and psychological domains while married had highest scores in relationship domain. No significant differences were observed in environment domain between different categories of marital status. Lack of education, presence of any physical disability or disease, unemployment, lower socio-economic status and low social capital were associated with lower scores in all domains.

Multivariate linear regression model for joint family system

Table 3 shows the results of the multivariate linear regression model for joint family system. In multivariate model, rural residence was negatively associated with physical, psychological and environmental domains QOL scores and there was 4.59 units [95% CI: − 7.77 to − 1.41], 3.54 units [95% CI: − 6.44 to − 0.63] and 5.32 units [95% CI: − 8.75 to - 1.89] reduction when changing from urban to rural ( P = 0.001) respectively. There was no significant association with relationship domain. Female gender was also negatively associated with QOL scores in physical, psychological and social relationship domains − 3.94 units [95% CI: − 5.88 to − 0.01], − 3.10 units [95% CI: − 4.7 to − 1.47] and − 0.11 units [95% CI:-3.06 to- 0.84] respectively, and no significant association was observed in environmental health domain. Increasing age was negatively associated with QOL scores. One-decade increase in age lead to 0.22 units [95% CI: − 0.29 to − 0.19], 0.11 units [95% CI: − 0.2 to - 0.05] and 0.12 units [95% CI: − 0.19 to − 0.05] reduction in scores of physical, psychological and relationship domains respectively. Presence of disease was also significantly associated as scores declined with the presence of disease in physical and psychological domains. However, there was no significant association of disease status with relationship and environment domains. Socio-economic status also had a significant association as a change in SES from high to low resulted in a reduction of QOL scores in all the domains. Similarly increase in social capital was also positively associated with QOL scores in all four domains.

Nuclear family system WHOQOL-BREF scores

The mean score of each domain among different subgroups in joint family system is presented in Table 4 . Pattern of differences between the subgroups in nuclear family system was similar to joint family system. The mean of all four domains was significantly higher among those living in urban areas. Male had higher scores than female. Younger age people < 30 years of age had significantly higher scores than elderly in physical domain only. There were no significant differences in other three domains with respect to age. House ownership did not affect the QOL scores in any of the domain. Significant differences in scores were observed across different marital status strata. Those with no education generally had lower scores than others. Presence of any disease or disability significantly reduced the QOL scores. Compared with working/employed subjects, unemployed subjects had lower QOL scores. Participants with higher socioeconomic status, and social capital levels had higher QOL scores in all domains.

Multivariate linear regression model for nuclear family system

Table 5 presents the results of the multivariate linear regression model for nuclear family syste. In multivariate model, rural residence was negatively associated with physical − 2.55 units [95% CI: − 5.42 to − 0.33], psychological − 1.90 units [95% CI: − 4.9 to − 1.13] and environmental domains − 3.69 units [95% CI: − 7.27 to − 0.09]. Female gender was also negatively associated with QOL scores in physical, psychological and social relationship domains − 2.64 units [95% CI: − 4.59 to − 0.68], − 3.56 units [95% CI: − 5.5 to − 1.65] and − 1.92 units [95% CI: − 3.91 to − 0.07] respectively, no significant association was observed in environmental health domain. Increasing age was negatively associated with QOL scores. One-decade increase in age lead to 0.27 units [95% CI: − 0.35 to − 0.20], 0.15 units [95% CI: − 0.2 to − 0.06] and 0.12 units [95% CI: − 0.05 to − 0.12] reduction in scores of physical, psychological and relationship domains respectively. Presence of disease or disability led to significant decline in the QOL in physical domains. However, there was no significant association of disease and disability with QOL scores in other domains. QOL scores significantly declined with changing socio-economic status from high to low in all four domains. Social capital was also positively associated with QOL scores in all the domains.

Our study is one of its kinds to assess the predictors of QOL domains in joint and nuclear families in Pakistan. We found that male gender, urban residence, younger age, higher socio-economic status and social capital were positive predictors in both types of family systems. Increasing age and presence of illness were associated with lower QOL scores in joint and nuclear families. Predictors were similar in for all domains of QOL across two types of families with few exceptions.

Family type has been reported to affect the mental and social wellbeing. A study from India reported that adolescents from joint family have better mental health compared to nuclear family [ 31 ]. Another study from India found no difference in the QOL scores between joint and nuclear family types except for social relationship domain where scores were significantly high for those living in nuclear families [ 18 ]. One study from Pakistan reported that elderly living in joint families had better social support and quality of life than those in nuclear families [ 32 ]. Another study from Japan reported that couples living as couples did not have any significant difference in the perceived physical and mental health while they were more likely to have severe hypertension compared to those in extended families [ 33 ].

Our study found higher scores for males in all four domains of QOL. This finding is similar to a study from India where females had lower scores [ 18 ]. A study from Kuwait also reported negative association of female gender with QOL scores [ 19 ]. A study from Iran also found that there were significant association between QOL and greatly varied by socio-demographic variables including gender [ 34 ]. These findings indicate that family members even within same family have different views about the family environment which could affect their QOL [ 35 ] and that of female members.

Ageing is associated with physical and mental changes in the body which affects the health and QOL. We found that increasing age was associated with decrease in the QOL scores in all domains except environmental domain in both types of families. Other studies have also reported similar association of age with QOL scores [ 18 , 36 ]. With the increasing life expectancy countries will experience increasing proportion of elderly population. This calls for reorientations of systems and services to ensure healthy elderly.

Our study found significant association of socio-economic status with QOL scores in both types of families. Socio-economic status is associated with availability of resources and access to services which ultimately affect QOL. Studies on different populations have shown positive association of higher socio-economic status with higher scores in different domains of QOL [ 18 , 34 , 36 ]. Likewise, social capital was also associated with higher QOL scores in all domains a finding similar to studies from China and Malaysia [ 37 , 38 ].

We found that presence of diseases was associated with lower scores in physical and psychological domains in joint families and with physical domain in nuclear families. Presence of any physical deformity or illness affect the physical and psychological health. Studies have consistently shown negative association of QOL with presence of diseases [ 19 , 36 , 39 ]. A study reported that people with mental and physical illness had significantly lower scores than healthy people in all three domains of QOL life except environmental domain [ 40 ].

We did not find any significant difference in the predictors of QOL among both family types. Our findings are interesting in a way that it is considered that QOL differs in both family systems and their predictors would also be different. There is a need to do further studies to explore this finding.

Our study is one of its kinds from Pakistan to assess the levels and predictors of QOL in joint and nuclear families from the randomly selected general population. We used robust statistical procedures and performed multi-level analysis to draw conclusions. However certain limitations need to be considered while interpreting the results of this study. First our sample was drawn from a single city which may limit the generalizability of our results. Second, questionnaire was administered by the interviewer which could introduce social desirability bias in the response. To minimize this, we ensured privacy during interviews and no other household member was allowed in the interview room. Thirdly, this was a cross-sectional study and temporal associations could not be ascertained with certainty and we cannot say surely whether the predictors of our study preceded the quality of life.

Our study determined the levels and predictors of QOL scores of individuals in joint and nuclear families using validated WHO QOL BREF. Predictors were similar across both types of families. Male gender, urban residence, younger age, higher socio-economic status and social capital were positive predictors of QOL score while increasing age and presence of illness were associated with lower QOL scores among both family systems. These findings call for policy actions such as women empowerment, improvement in facilities in rural areas and poverty alleviation to improve quality of life. We also recommend further studies in different segments of population to further characterize the predictors of QOL.

Availability of data and materials

Corresponding author will provide all the relevant data used in this study upon request.

Abbreviations

Quality of life

World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire Brief version

Standard deviation

Beta coefficient

Confidence Interval

Reference group

Social Capital Integrated Questioners

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Acknowledgements

This study was originated from the Ph.D. thesis of the first investigator at Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran. We also acknowledge the efforts and collaboration of Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

This research was funded by International Campus Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

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Department of Community Medicine, Women Medical and Dental College, Abbottabad, Pakistan

Fahad Saqib Lodhi

Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Fahad Saqib Lodhi, Kourosh Holakouie-Naieni & Mehdi Yaseri

Family Medicine Academy, Qassim, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Unaib Rabbani

Saudi Board Program of Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Health, Mecca, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Adeel Ahmed Khan

School of Public Health, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan

Community Medicine Department, Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad, Pakistan

Umer Farooq

Population Health Research Group, Health Metrics Research Center, Iranian Institute for Health Sciences Research, ACECR, Tehran, Iran

Ali Montazeri

Faculty of Humanity Sciences, University of Science and Culture, Tehran, Iran

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Contributions

FSL and AM conceptualized the study, conducted literature review, and drafted the manuscript. KHN and AM supervised the study. MY was the study advisor and contributed to analysis. UR, AAK, OR, and UF helped in data collection and provided input on the successive version of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Ali Montazeri .

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This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Tehran University of Medical Sciences and by health and political administrative bodies of Abbottabad District, Pakistan. All participants provided written consent prior to the interview.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Lodhi, F.S., Rabbani, U., Khan, A.A. et al. Factors associated with quality of life among joint and nuclear families: a population-based study. BMC Public Health 21 , 234 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10265-2

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