An Impact of the Changes in Family Life and Structure in India

Family, the smallest and most basic unit of human organization has been the fundamental keystone across all the societies on the face of the earth. The importance of family can be conceived simply by the fact that it lays down the foundation for the growth of any individual. In India, the family was traditionally thought to be an encompassing unit serving all the social and economic functions collectively. Over the years various forces interplaying their roles have led to changes in our understanding of family. Indian family, per se, was characterized by “Jointness” with the patriarchal structure being an exception in certain pockets. The exposition of structural changes in the Indian family has been looked at in detail as the related impact that they have on women, children and other family members. The paper, therefore, is an attempt to gauge the intricacies of the traditional family structure and its related meaning.