TABLE OF CONTENTS

COMPOSITION OF INDIAN SOCIETY ................................................................................................... - 1 -

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INDIAN HINDU SOCIETY ........................................................... - 1 -

IS HINDUISM A RELIGION?................................................................................................................... - 2 -

THE INFLUENCE OF BUDDHISM AND JAINISM ......................................................................... - 4 -

THE INFLUENCE OF ISLAM .................................................................................................................. - 5 -

THE INFLUENCE OF WESTERNISATION ....................................................................................... - 6 -

THEORETICAL APPROACHES TO SOCIAL CHANGE ..................................................................... - 8 -

SANSKRITISATION .................................................................................................................................... - 8 -

SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS IN INDIA: FAMILY ...................................................................................... - 12 -

TWO MODELS OF THE JOINT FAMILY SYSTEM IN INDIA ................................................... - 12 -

 COMPOSITION OF INDIAN SOCIETY

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INDIAN HINDU SOCIETY

1. Hierarchical Structure.
It is the basis of the Indian social organisation. It may be closed or open. Initially, the varna system
was an open system. There was a hierarchy, but there was no inequality. Eventually, however, the
system became extremely rigid and did not allow for mobility.

2. Ascribed Status.
It is extremely important in Indian society. Sex, caste and age are determined by birth. Indians are
taught to pay respect to elders – this is an ascribed status accorded to the elderly.

3. Various social (varna), psychological (ashram), moral (purushad, rin & karma) dimensions
are present.
• Social dimensions: The Varna system is a social concept. The four varnas were brahmins (head),
kshatriyas (shoulders), vaishyas (thighs) and shudras (feet). This system formed the basis for the
concepts of swabhava (personality traits) and swadharma (duties according to personality traits).
It was believed that one trait (guna) was dominant in each person. The occupation was to be
chosen accordingly. Now, it is widely believed that the caste system must be done away with and
we are in the process of transition back into the varna system that previously subsisted.
• Psychological dimensions: The ashram system divides the lifespan into various phases. In the
Brahmachari Ashram, one is expected to pursue intellectual attainment (vedic knowledge) and stay
away from any sexual desires. In the grihastashram, one is expected to enter into the home and
perform social duties. In the vanaprasthashram, one is expected to go to the forest with the spouse
and render services to the society. Finally, in the sanyasashram (around the age of 75), one is
expected to attain self-realisation by meditation; it entails isolation and renouncement of worldly
pleasures.
In Indian society, two types of ‘moktas’ are recognised – jevatmokta is where the body is there
but you have the realisation that you are a part of the 'parmatma' and videhmokta, where the body
is gone and it is only then that you also have the realisation.
• Moral dimensions:
a. Rin: 'Rin' means paying back to society. It is of three kinds:
- Devrin entails the realisation that one is a part of the ultimate reality or parmatma. One
is supposed to engage in meditation and prayer to pay back to the God.

-1-
 - Rishirin entails the realisation that you have received intellectual knowledge from your
rishi and you have to pay back.
- Pitrarin entails the debt that has to be paid back to society by procreation. A couple bears
a son and does good for society and later when the son bears a son, he is fulfilling his
pitrarin.
b. Purushad: it is the teaching which gives us the direction as to the aim of life and how to
achieve it.
- One school of thought, 'trivaug', believes that the end goal of life is moksha, which is to
be attained through dharma (spirituality), arth (wealth) and kama (enjoyment).
- A second school of thought believes that there are two approaches, materialistic and
spiritual. As per the materialistic approach, arth is the means to attain kama - the 'charvak'
philosophy (based on a sage who propounded hedonism) is an example of the materialistic
approach. As per the spiritual approach, dharma is the means to attain moksha.
c. Karma: there is a cyclic process which answers the questions of birth and death. Our actions
have consequences, whether good or bad, which are understood to be relative terms.

IS HINDUISM A RELIGION?
This issue was discussed in the matter of Shastri v. Vagnapurishadji (1966) before the Supreme Court
of India. It was noted that:
1. Hinduism has no single origin, unlike other religions such as Christianity & Islam.
2. Hinduism has no single authority.
3. Hinduism has no single scripture.
4. Hinduism does not subscribe to any dogma.
5. Hinduism does not follow one set of rituals or practices.
On the basis of these observations, the Court ruled that Hinduism was not a religion but rather a 'way of
life'. The cases of Commissioner of Wealth Tax, Madras v. Late R. Sreedharan (1976) and Ramesh
Yeshwant Prabhoo v. Prabhakar Kashinath Kunte (1996) also affirmed this position.

Moreover, while the Representation of Peoples Act, Secion 123(3) did not allow for religion to be used
as propaganda in elections, Hinduism was described as a way of life and they were allowed to use this.

The following points also suggest that Hinduism is in fact a way of life and not a religion:
1. Different Sets of Rituals and Practices
Hinduism was also divided into various sects namely Vaishnavism, Shaivism and Shaktism.
Further, small cults of Hindus were united when the Muslims invaded India, and when the Buddhists
sought the creation of a new religion of Buddhism. The Buddhists and Muslims had a formalisation

-2-
 which was absent in the Hindu religion, and the unification of these cults shaped Hinduism as its
distinct identity.

2. The Concept of Ishta-Devta

Hinduism is divided in such a way that each Gotra and community have their own God whom they
choose to worship. It allows for the freedom to worship, and every family chooses to worship their
own God.

3. The Concept of Nature Worship

Nature worship is a distinctive feature of Hinduism, which chooses to worship all the gifts of nature.

4. The Concept of Concrete and Abstract God

This comes from the Vedic philosophy. This means that there is one single reality in the universe,
and there is no applicable attribute for the same. Human nature cannot understand the attributes of
this ultimate reality. We in turn, attempt to define this reality in the form of our manifestations of
God. In order to understand abstract realities, they are given concrete forms in the form of
manifestations of God. The concepts of sagun and nirgun are explained using the example of the
moon, and its reflection. The moon in itself is the concrete God, and its manifestation in the form
of reflections, is the abstract God.

5. The Karma, Dharma Philosophy

This is unique to Hinduism. These are basic schools of thought talking about the ultimate aim of
life.

6. The Concepts of Aastik and Naastik

• Aastik: Those who have faith in the beliefs of the Vedas. There are six schools of thought
under Aastik school.
• Naastik: Those who do not have faith in the teaching of the Vedas. Charvaks, Jains and
Buddhists are described as naastik. They do not have faith in God as a creator, destroyer. They
believe in the sagun form of God.

7. Concept of Purity and Polluted

One of the major distinctive elements of Hinduism is the caste system. Hierarchy was presented in
every system, however the concept of caste as an ascribed system of purity which imposes its own
restrictions, is unique to Hinduism.

-3-
 8. Hindu ethics
The Varna, Ashram, Karma, Purushad and Rina system are Hindu ethics. These are Hindu ethics,
and they prescribe methods on how one's life is to be led. Understanding of the different aspects of
life are prescribed by these ethics.

THE INFLUENCE OF BUDDHISM AND JAINISM

PROBLEMS WITH HINDUISM

1. The caste system - Brahmin supremacy made the system so rigid that it no longer allowed for
mobility across the varnas. Persons belonging to lower castes were oppressed by those who belonged
to higher castes.
2. Karamkaj - this was the ritual aspect of the religion, that is, the way by which the Gods were to be
worshiped.
3. It came across as an extremely complicated and complex religion to the masses. Only the Brahmins
could study the vedas and became the medium for the practice of Hinduism.

Mahavira and the Buddha questioned the authority of the Vedas and emphasised individual agency –
suggesting that men and women could strive to attain liberation from the trials and tribulations of worldly
existence. This was in marked contrast to the Brahmanical position, wherein an individual’s existence was
thought to be determined by his or her birth in a specific caste or gender. Both Jainism and Buddhism
came up in response to Brahmanism, that emphasised ritualism, non-vegetarianism and casteism.

Buddhism only gave some moral guidelines for behaviour. Buddhists started connecting spiritual leaders
to common people to spread basic teachings, those of the four noble truths and the rightfold path. They
acknowledged suffering and talked about the ways to deal with that suffering and remove them from one's
life by performing actions with a detached attitude.

HOW HAS BUDDHISM IMPACTED HINDUISM?

1. Buddhism had an organisational structure. The Buddha founded a 'sangha', an organisation of monks
who became teachers of dhamma. In the sangha, consensus was arrived at through discussions.
Subsequently, Hinduism also adopted similar organisational structures known as 'mathas'.
2. In Hinduism, due to the rigid caste system, identity was determined by birth and all persons were
not considered to be equal. Buddhism, on the other hand, believed that all persons were equal by
birth. This was an appealing proposition for members of the lower castes, who started switching to
Buddhism. As a consequence, the rigidity of the caste system reduced.

-4-
 3. In comparison to Hinduism, Buddhist ideologies and rituals were far simpler. As a consequence,
they were easier to understand and thus, more accessible to the masses.
4. The language of the Brahmins was Sanskrit, which was not understood by a majority of the society.
Buddhists disseminated knowledge in the language of the masses, which made it more
comprehensible and accessible to society at large. This propelled the development of regional
languages.
5. Buddhists also encouraged education and development of logic and philosophy. Higher institutions
of education were developed, attracting scholars from different parts of the world. The backward
sections also had access to education and women played a vital role as well. Nalanda and Taxila were
established.
6. Buddhist art and architecture, including stupas, have also had an impact on Hinduism. The two styles
fused and their remnants are visible even today.
7. Various scholars came to India during that period. Further, many scholars also travelled to other
nations to spread the message of Buddhism. This improved contact with foreign nations.
8. Buddhist influence can also be seen in the policies undertaken in contemporary Indian history, as
well as the idea of equality. Nehru's ideas of 'panchsheel' that guided Indo-China relations was based
on Buddhist philosophy. Ambedkar himself was a Buddhist. The Buddhist idea of equality has also
gained a stronghold in recent times.

THE INFLUENCE OF ISLAM

In contrast to Hinduism's polytheism and spiritualism, Islam propounded monotheism and materialism.
Even though, Muslim rulers started invading / settling in the subcontinent in the 10th century itself, the
impact of Islam on Hindu society was first notably seen after the establishment of the Mughal Empire in
the 15th-16th centuries.

HOW HAS ISLAM POSITIVELY IMPACTED HINDUISM?

1. A majority of Muslim settlers settled in urban areas and big cities like Hyderabad. They believed that
this would keep them safe from Hindu imposition, as they were also able to keep and maintain their
armies.
2. Generally, sociologists believe that there are certain characteristics - unity, faith in religion - that are
peculiar to Islam as a religion. In recent times, this has been termed as 'religious fundamentalism'.
3. Islam has a unique educational system, the equal of which cannot be found in Hindu society. The
madrasa system in Islam has no equal in Hinduism.
4. Islamic art and architecture have also made its way into traditional Hindu art. The influence of
Islamic patterns can be seen in structures such as the Red Fort and the Qutub Minar. It was also

-5-
 evident in the styles of landscaping and the development of the 'charbagh' garden systems, as seen
in the Shalimar and Dilshad gardens.
5. Impact was also seen in the domain of music. Sufi music became commonplace and musical
instruments such as the sitar, tabla and sarangi gained prominence.
6. Trade routes were open between other countries and India as a result of contact with Muslims.
7. Influence can also be seen in administration. Akbar's din-e-ilahi has contributed immensely to
administrative reforms, the court system, military organisation, and upper-class lifestyle.

HOW HAS ISLAM NEGATIVELY IMPACTED HINDUISM?

1. The differences that were already prevalent were further widened as a result of Islamic contact.
Muslims were perceived to be barbarians who would take away the dignity of Hindu women. This
gave impetus to the development of practices such as child marriage and sati, in an attempt to
preserve the dignity of women.
2. Some historians believe that the practice of slavery was widespread in Muslim society, which
subsequently found its way into Hindu society as well.
3. The caste system also became more rigid in order to protect themselves from the influence of other
religions and norms, and also in order to establish their authority and dominance in Indian society.
4. An excess of materialism also impacted Indian society negatively, as it strayed further away from the
spiritual aspects of the religion.

THE INFLUENCE OF WESTERNISATION

Westernisation is generally understood to be the influence of a western nation on a non-western nation.
M N Srinivasan, a sociologist, is the first to have talked about westernisation as a concept and understood
it to be the result of 150 years of British contact in the domains of technology, ideology, values and
institutions.

WHAT WERE THE POSITIVE IMPACTS OF WESTERNISATION?

1. Technology started developing rapidly as a result of British contact. The emergence of Railways
and Postal Services contributed greatly to Indian society and even to the Indian freedom struggle.
2. Institutions refers to legal, social, economic and educational institutions. The court system, the
police system, the concept of universal law were all introduced during this period. Moreover,
capitalism was introduced to India, which gave rise to the 'jajmani system' as well. Banking and share-
marketing systems also emerged. Further, at a social level, joint family systems started disintegrating.
The existence of the joint family system was primarily premised on the existence of an agricultural
economy. The introduction of industrialisation led to the disintegration of this system.

-6-
 3. The values and ideologies of secularism, equality, justice and human rights gained prominence in
Indian society. This came as a result of contact with British society, prompting us to reconstruct our
own societal ideals. The 'zamindari system' also fell to its gradual decline.
4. In addition to these changes, contact with the British also greatly impacted the lifestyle of the
Indians. Change in eating habits, dressing habits and recreational habits can be identified. The
emergence of a 'club culture' was noted. However, these changes were primarily noticeable in the
upper castes. Subsequently, the lower castes sought to emulate the upper castes. In this manner,
social change took place in India.
5. The emergence of the professional middle class can also be credited to British contact. The major
objective of the British was to put together a force that would work for them. These people were
given skill training and English-medium education. This led to the rise of the 'upper middle class'.
6. Change was also seen in the economic and political structures in Indian society. Capitalist systems
were introduced and started gaining prominence. The emergence of democracy as an ideal was also
seen in this era.
7. Change in the joint family system was noted, as nuclear family systems gained prominence.
8. A change in the status of women was also witnessed after contact with the British. Initially, in the
pre-Vedic and Vedic periods, women held respectable positions in society. They used to own
property and perform yagnas. However, in the post-Manu era their status deteriorated. Subsequently,
however, the British introduced various social legislations allowing them access to education,
elevating their status once again.

WHAT WERE THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF WESTERNISATION?

1. The sanctity of Indian culture and values was distorted. The gurukul system, which sought the
overall development of the student, came to an end and western schooling systems, that emphasised
academic progress, emerged. Further, the joint family system, which was regarded as one of the main
pillars of Indian society, diminished.
2. The policy of divide and rule was employed. Separatist techniques and tendencies developed among
the people, leading to the marginalisation of Muslims. This further increased the divide between
Hindus and Muslims. Tribal populations were also criminalised. Several forest policies introduced
by the British persist to this day. Now, these tribes have assimilated with the Hindu system and
adopted the caste system.

-7-
 THEORETICAL APPROACHES TO SOCIAL CHANGE

Whenever there is any change in the social status, it is social mobility. Society may be either open or
closed. If options are open in the sense that there is hope or chance for a social position to change, it is
socially mobile.

Social status and social position are different. When a businessman moves up in class because of his effort,
there is vertical social mobility in terms of class. Horizontal social mobility entails a change in the
social status in the same sphere. For instance, a teacher who remains a teacher but who moves from NLUJ
to NLS has made a horizontal shift.
Social mobility can be inter-generational and intra-generational as well. The difference between the
two lies in whether the change happens in different generations or in the same generation.

Social change may happen on two levels, on the basis of either caste or class. To that end, three processes
have been identified by scholars:
1. Sanskritisation refers to the social change which happens when persons belonging to lower castes
start imitating persons belonging to higher castes.
2. Westernisation refers to the social change which happens when the upper caste, which is also the
upper class, imitates the lifestyle of the British.
3. Modernisation, as defined by Daniel Lerner, refers to the social change which happens when a less
developed society acquires the characteristics of a more developed society.

SANSKRITISATION
Sanskritisation does not refer to any process of structural change, since caste was ascribed. This was
mainly a process of imitation, between the lower and upper caste.

A majority of sociologists conducted field investigations, including M.N. Srinivas, who conducted a field
study in Karnataka and concluded that persons belonging to lower castes imitated the lifestyle of Brahmins.
He discussed this in his book, 'Religion and Society Among the Groups'. He later amended this position
in his book 'Social Change in Modern India', stating that the persons belonging to lower castes imitated
the lifestyle of persons belonging to any upper caste.

"Sanskritisation is the process by which the lower caste or a tribe or other group changes its customs,
rituals, ideologies or way of life in the direction of a high-end, twice born caste".

-8-
Twice-born, or Dvija, meant that they were born twice, spiritually. There was rebirth once a person had
read the Vedas, and once the Upanayana Sanskaar was complete. There are sixteen Shingar. A person
is born once when he is physically born, and the second birth is considered entirely spiritual. M.N. Srinivasa
states that the lower castes imitate any caste which had this Dvija philosophy. All three castes of Vaishya,
Kshatriya and Brahmin were Dvija castes.

He initially said that they solely imitated rituals, but then he went on to state that they also imitated the
ideology. Ideology imitation meant adoption of the varna system, and way of life changes dressing style,
eating practices, among others. He also amended his definition to include not only the lower castes, but
also tribes.

THIS DEFINITION PRESUPPOSED SOME CONDITIONS:

1. The superior status of the group who is being imitated has to be respected.
2. There has to be some willingness of imitation on part of the lower caste.
3. There has to be close socio-cultural contact between both groups. In this context, he stated that it
is a two-way process.
4. The lower group considers the upper caste as a reference group.

DIMENSIONS OF SANSKRITISATION
1. Rituals, such as 'kanyadaan' were previously considered to be upper caste rituals, which was imitated
by the lower castes. Further, when the upper castes used to give the children names of Gods, the
lower castes in the process of imitation, gave such names to their children.
2. Marriage Practice also witnessed a change. Widow remarriages and divorces were seen to be taboo
in the higher castes. However, these practices had widespread acceptance in the lower castes. There
existed a practice, called naata, as per which one was allowed to move on to another person when
your spouse died or was incompatible with you.
3. Lifestyle changed in terms of consumption of food and dressing styles. The lower castes emulated
and adopted the dietary restrictions (like that of onion, garlic and alcohol) of the upper castes.
Dressing habits like dhotis were also imitated by the lower castes.
4. Role of Women changed as upper castes gave a lower status to women, while lower castes used to
give higher status to women. Lower castes, in this process of imitation, started treating women with
a lower status.

-9-
SANSKRITISATION AS A TWO-WAY PROCESS
The sole process of this imitation was to make society believe that they were higher in group. The caste
structure however, underwent no structural changes. A person's ranking in the eyes of society was sought
to be increased, since the actual ranking could not be changed because it was ascribed.
While it has been described as a two-way process, it was a process of upward mobility. Whenever there
is social contact, which is a precondition of Srinivasa's description of Sanskritisation, it is but natural that
certain minor practices would also transfer from the lower caste to upper caste. Therefore, this is a
positional change and not a structural change. With a process of upward mobility, a person's status does
not change. A person's value in the eyes of society, as a consequence of this upward mobility, increases.

It is accepted that both groups influenced each other. One common example of a practice that upper
castes have adopted from lower castes, is animal sacrifice.

Moreover, Sanskritisation was not confined to Hindus, and tribes like the Bhil, Gond and Oreols adopted
these practices as well. Tribes who followed their own religions which were perhaps based on toteism.

CRITICAL VIEW OF SANSKRITISATION

1. JF Stall
A criticism of Sanskritisation is with regard to whether it is a concept or a process. A concept merely
defines existing facts and provides a reason for the same. The criticism calls it a process and not a
concept. It was said by Srinivasa that Sanskritisation is a concept.

He believed that even if it was a concept, it was a complicated and jumbled-up concept. He suggested
that it is better to state that it is a widespread social process and not a social concept. Therefore,
while it was not a single concept in itself, Sanskritisation was merely a process bundled up of several
concepts.
1. Yogendra Singh
He believed that Srinivasa's theory failed to consider the many facets of India as it disregarded other
aspects of social change. He believed that it wrongly focused solely on Sanskritic tradition, restricting
its ambit to the same. The exclusion of non-Sanskritic traditions was not acceptable to him. In this
context, he puts forward an argument that the concept lacked universality. He took the example of
Punjab, stating that the Punjabis were more influenced predominantly by Islamic and Persian
traditions.

- 10 -
 He further stated that modern-day reservation policies seem to suggest that political and economic
forces are in favour of Sanskritisation. However, if the reservation policy is examined, it will be
apparent that it is not in consonance with Sanskritisation. Therefore, when reservation is given to
such people, they want to maintain their identity as a member of that group, rather than find an
artificial upgrade to the upper caste by a process of imitation which does not guarantee any structural
change. The policy of reservation, therefore, widens the caste gap because the persons belonging to
lower castes have found a caste identity and are not willing to give up the same.

3. Marriot
He believes that we cannot establish that the process of Sanskritisation always takes place by
replacing or removing the non-Sanskritic rituals. They can often add on rather than replace it. It is
entirely possible that mere addition to the initial process takes place. Contrarily, the process of
imitation suggests that the old practice is 'replaced' by the new one, which need not always be the
case.

4. DJ Majumdar
He conducted a field study in the village of Mohana. It was observed herein, that the lower caste did
not want to imitate the habits of the upper class. This challenged the universality of the theory.

5. Gould
He posited that imitation was a show of aggression, and was merely a reactionary show against the
upper castes. When a person imitates the lifestyle, he believes that it is not necessarily because they
want to become like the upper caste. It was rather a process of infiltration, with which they wanted
to show revolt against the historical oppression. They wanted to interfere in this process, and this
exploitation was expressed in the form of challenge to the established order.

To clarify, he took the example of tribal women who did not cover their chests. Due to oppression,
however, they started doing so. Their reasoning was rebellion and not imitation or conformity.

- 11 -
 SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS IN INDIA: FAMILY

In India, we are following the joint family system in ethos. The size is not as large as it used to be. However,
the cultural settlement and sentiment of binding is still prevalent. Such structures become extremely
pertinent with respect to property. One of the drawbacks of the joint family system, is the clash between
females (lol what now).
Irawathi Karwe provided the traditional definition of ‘family’ in explaining it to be a group of people who
generally live under one roof, eat food cooked in a common kitchen, hold property in common (concept
of karta), participate in common family worship (concept of kuldevta) and who are related to each other
by any form of kinship.

TWO MODELS OF THE JOINT FAMILY SYSTEM IN INDIA

1. Matriarchal System.
Structurally, it means that the eldest female, her brother, her daughters and sons, and the children of
her sons and daughters. The husband does not live with the family. Such structures are known as
‘tarwad’ families and are particularly prevalent in the ‘Nair’ community. If the tarwad family gets
unmanageably large, it gets divided into smaller units, known as ‘tavazhisi’. This includes the female
and her children alone. The brother of the eldest female was known as ‘karnavar’, and in a typical
matriarchal system, had full control over the family property, and could even gift it or sell it off. Such
control could be taken away only if the karnavar was engaging in some fraud, or if he was incapable
of holding the property. In such case, the power will be transferred to another brother, and in the
absence of another brother, to the eldest female herself. Thus, in the matriarchal system, the male
members of the family had some role to play.

2. Patriarchal
Nambudiri is Ilom.

TAKE NOTES FOR 5/03/19

CHANGES IN THE HINDU JOINT FAMILY SYSTEM

1. Structural Aspect.
• The size of the family is shrinking. This is happening because joint families are getting split into
nuclear family systems. Instead of living under one roof, smaller units are now residing separately.
Thus, the depth of the generation is also shrinking.

- 12 -
 • Ownership rights are also changing. In the traditional joint family system, ownership and property
rights are centralised. Due to the emergence of various legislations and awareness about rights,
these ownership rights are getting diluted and thus, decentralised.
• Change is also seen in the exercise of authority. Previously, the eldest male or female had the right
to take all the decisions by themselves. However, now, the element of consultations has emerged.
• The forms of marriage have also witnessed change. In the traditional system, people were more
inclined towards arranged marriages and such marriages were not considered to be merely a union
of two individuals, but rather the union of two families. While previously, caste norms were
observed strictly, rigidity has greatly diminished now and inter-caste marriages are permitted.
• The status of women changed. Men were considered to be superior in the patriarchal system.
Nowadays, there are movements for the empowerment of women by way of education and
awareness, as well as the introduction of legislations. Women, by virtue of having become
economically independent, now have the capacity to voice their concerns and assert their rights.
• Joint family systems are changing into dependent nuclear family systems. While smaller units may
be residing separately, there is dependence with respect to decision-making, rituals and property.

2. Functional Aspect.
• Common residence is not there. It is related to the functioning of the family.
• Religious functions: the sharing of sentiments is still there but the way of conducting ceremonies
has changed.
• Socialisation of children: this is one of the major functions of families. Nowadays, the peer groups
and teachers have more influence on the children. Inconsistency in socialisation is a demerit of
the joint family system. There are generation gaps, and the generation gap between parents and
grandparents is particularly prominent and gives rise to inconsistencies. Thus, socialisation gets
affected when the size of families changes. As we are moving towards nuclear family system, these
socialisation patterns are changing.
• Functions of the family, such as procreation, social approval and legitimacy of children and sexual
relations: these aspects have not changed but 20 years down the line, there may be changes.

Lineal Joint Family System

Fraternal Joint Family System – two married brothers and their families form a joint family.
Filial –

Factors responsible for change in the joint family system – urbanisation, westernisation, industrialisation,
modernisation, legislation, education, change in the marriage system.

- 13 -