Women in Agriculture

Lesson 17 : Types & characteristics of rural families

Characteristics of Family

As a social unit family has the following important general characteristics

1. Family is primarily based on mating relationships
2. Due to enduring relationships, the property either descent either from father or mother
3. Child bearing and rearing
4. Socially sanctioned relationships with traditional values by nature
5. Living together

The distinguishing characteristics are as follows

1. Universality: Family is the most universal among the innumerable associations of man. It is found in all societies, primitive as well as modern, pre-historic as well as modern era.
2. Emotionality: The deep impulses of mating, of procreation and motherly devotions form the primary foundation of the emotional life of human beings. The secondary impulses are social and economical security.
3. Formative influence-The most susceptible period of infancy, and far greater part of childhood and adolescence are molded in the family in accordance of the environment of his or her family.
4. Limited size: Family due to its inherent mature do not extend to a large size.
5. Nuclear position in the social structure: Though some of the functions of the family are taken care by other organizations of society, yet family remains the centre of many activities of man, individual and society.
6. Responsibility of members: The responsibility of one member becomes responsibility of other members, as the responsibility of development and welfare on the family is mutual
7. Social regulations: The family members voluntarily learn to confirm to the patterns of conduct in the family and society.
8. Permanent and temporary in nature: The quality of both enduring as well changing nature of the family is one of the characteristic feature of family, because as an institution it is permanent in nature and as an association it is temporary with changing roles and responsibilities.
9. Joint family: Most Indian rural families observe joint family system, in which the elder male member of the family is has authority over the members of the family
10. Observation of religion and spirituality: The family life has religious and spiritual basis and bound themselves by such principle in all activities.
11. Economic cooperation: Each member participates in production of wealth, irrespective of type of livelihood and gender and age group.
12. Family honour: Due to dominance of we feeling, the hurt or respect of the member or family is implied to the entire family
13. Familism: Giving importance to the family than to the individual. Because of this character Indian society is known as familistic society.