Joint Family Vs Nuclear Family - What's your choice?

Introduction

Family is considered to be the most essential part of a person's life. Every individual is taught about the importance of a family since their childhood days.

There are two types of family systems – joint family and nuclear family systems. Joint family is a type of extended family, which consists of parents, their children, spouses of the children and their offspring in one household. A nuclear family is composed of parents and their children.

Which one would you prefer?

                                                                    Joint Family 

                                            

1. Dependency – As discussed, a joint family is an extended family and it consists of a lot of members. People can depend on each other for any kind of help. Thus, this is one of the best quality that a joint family possess.

2. Unity – Joint family creates an emotional bond between two generations and it helps to keep the family united in all the situations. The tradition and culture is passed on to the coming generations so that they can take it forward. The proverb “United we stand, Divided we fall”, goes true in the joint family system.

3. Preference of the youngsters – There are youngsters out there in the society, who prefer a social life with a better support system. These people believe in the system of joint family.

4. Provides an opportunity for leisure time – The joint family system provides an opportunity for leisure time as the female members divide the household work and finish it off very soon.

5. Social insurance – Joint family acts as a social insurance and a support for the widows and the old aged people. They are assured of a proper living.

                                                                      Nuclear family

                                                         
1. More freedom – Nuclear families have more freedom as compared to a joint family system. They do not have to worry about what the other members of the household may think. They can roam around freely and come back at any time without being answerable to anyone. Democracy exists in a nuclear family.

2. Bonding – Nuclear family is based upon the parental love and sibling connection. The mechanism of relationships in a nuclear family is very straight forward. It is based on the foundation of mutual respect and love for each other.

3. Kid's preference – Youngsters of a nuclear family prefer more freedom and less restrictions. As both the parents go to work, kids may feel bored at home. They may prefer to go out and play with their friends or to go out for an outing. To carry out such activities, less restriction is essential.

4. Quarrels – Nuclear families face fewer quarrels when compared to a joint family. Usually, they are the small quarrels between a husband and wife or a child and the parents.

Conclusion

Both the joint and nuclear families have their own pros and cons. India is a country which is known for its cultural diversity and thus, joint family system is still prevalent in many parts of the country.

But with the increase in urbanization, nuclear families are taking over the joint family systems. When compared to joint family, nuclear families many a times feel better. They provide a peace and calm environment at home as there are very few quarrels. Every individual after coming from work requires a peaceful atmosphere at home. As they say - “small family, happy family.”