Family Life In India

Family Life in India

Family ties are important to most Indians. In India, people learn the essential themes of cultural life within the bosom of a family. It is a country where  family is the most important institution that has survived through the ages.

The family life in India is different from that in the western world. The former has tremendous cultural and ethnic diversity, which is why it is appreciated a lot by people all around the world.

India is a country with many states in which people from different cultures, religions, castes, etc. live. The language, clothings, customs, and traditions of people are influenced by the respective regions they reside in.

In most of the country, the basic units of society are the patrilineal family unit and wider kinship groupings. The number of nuclear families–that is, households that consist of only parents and their children–is increasing, especially in cities. However, many families continue to live as traditional extended families. In a typical Indian extended family, three generations live together in one household.

The family structure in India is typical, wherein there are many wedding customs, which have to be strongly followed by people. Indians are more emotionally attached to the members of their family. Husbands and wives are not allowed to openly display their affection for one another.

Marriage in India

In India there is no greater event in a family than a wedding, dramatically evoking every possible social obligation, kinship bond, traditional value, impassioned sentiment, and economic resource. In the arranging and conducting of weddings, the complex permutations of Indian social systems best display themselves.

Family Authority and Harmony

In the Indian household, lines of hierarchy and authority are clearly drawn, shaping structurally and psychologically complex family relationships. Ideals of conduct are aimed at creating and maintaining family harmony. All family members are socialized to accept the authority of those ranked above them in the hierarchy. In general, elders rank above juniors, and among people of similar age, males outrank females.

Changing Trends in Indian Families

These days traditional roles are changing, especially in urban areas. There are important values shared and followed by most Indian families. But today’s young generation, who is into the modern age, don’t seem to like the traditions and family practices that have been followed by their families for decades. They are more inclined toward the western culture and lifestyle. Indians generally hold family progress, unity and support, in high regard throughout their lives. Lately, more and more people are opting for ‘live-in’ relationships, a concept that is borrowed from the West. They prefer love marriages instead of marriages that are arranged by their families.