Family, being the basic social unit of system, has a predominant place, particularly as it happens to be the principal agency of socialization. The principal form of family in Indian happens to be the joint and quasi-joint family.
What is known as nuclear family has however begun to emerge. At the moment, in
The outside agencies like the mass media, the feature films, the occasional TV set, the cheap reading material like comics and popular reading books for children, have started to play an increasing role in the vital function of socialization. Because of lack of time, the recreational function of the family is also on the decline. And the companionship role of the elders is also a casualty in modern times.
All told, as socialization is not being fully taken up within the family, individuals tend to grow on their own influenced by external agencies. As a matter of fact, even the older people in the family have grown special about the traditional cultural heritage. This naturally has made the younger generations to be at variance with the older generations.
The resulting tension between the two generations is felt in marriage and in kinship relations. The traditional ways of deciding the matrimony of the youngsters is almost falling into disuse. Instead, the prospective bride and bridegroom tend to follow the modern courtship structure and then decide whether to marry or not to marry. Very often, we hear of youngsters trying to reconcile their own preferences with those of the wishes of the parents. On occasions, the conflicting situation that arises at the time of marriage tends to snap the family bonds.
Since the younger generations tend to value things from an individualistic view-point, and also accept the modern norms relating to individual conduct, they have the least amount of respect and sympathy for the traditional kinship bonds.
The traditional habit of showing proper reverence and following the traditional structure in matters of hospitality in family gatherings and on religious occasions is almost vanishing from the life of young couples in their own households. If at all kinship relations are sought, they happen to be only for utilitarian purpose, but not out of traditional, cultural, and normative values.
Since both in matters of marriage as well as in maintaining kinship relations, the younger generations happen to be at variance with the older generations, the distance between these two appears to be very prominent. It is difficult to say when exactly in future the growing divergence between the two generations would reconcile itself.
On the other hand, the inter-generational gap and youth unrest in the context of family, marriage and kinship are almost the same as these were in the past in rural
In rural
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