Psychology for India by Sinha Durganand;Misra Girishwar;Dalal Ajit K.;

Author:Sinha, Durganand;Misra, Girishwar;Dalal, Ajit K.;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd.

Dominant Interaction Patterns in a Joint Family

The Indian joint family is hierarchical in nature and the eldest male member, usually the grandfather, is the head of the family. Within him lies the locus of power and authority. He has command over the rest of the family and holds decision making power which he exercises in an authoritarian manner. The child who is at the lowest order in this hierarchy does not have any active participation in the family interactions. He is supposed to be obedient, respectful and rarely rebellious. This prevents him from carrying out his wishes and asserting his selfhood. He is not allowed to make his own decisions and set his goals so that he is unable to recognize his abilities and uniqueness. This strong emphasis on subordination to authority encourages stereotypes in behaviour and restricts autonomous functioning of the child, thereby interfering with the development of self-identity an attribute of differentiation.

Children in large families are severely disciplined (Whiting, 1961) and parental behaviour is autocratic and authoritarian (Elder & Bowerman, 1963). Generally an atmosphere of restraint exists between the older and the younger generation and liberty on the part of youngsters is not tolerated. Thus interpersonal relations between the different generation members in an extended family are authoritarian in nature allowing for limited interactions. Such strict and restrictive atmosphere gives less freedom to the child to explore his surroundings and function in an independent manner, and works against the identification of one's impulses and development of specialized coping strategies which are important features of a more differentiated system.

A joint family set-up demands for its stability and integrity, cooperation and conformity from its members at the expense of individual independence. Thus, a great premium is placed on conformity to family ideals and norms, and children are expected to conform to these ideals strictly. This fosters continued inter-dependence among members and inhibits autonomous development. Further, emphasis on conformity to a predetermined set of external standards makes it difficult to identify and develop one's unique abilities, interests and modes of coping again, with the result that specialization of psychological functions, a significant determinant of differentiation, is inhibited.

In joint family members do not have the freedom to take any initiative nor can they assert their independence. They have to work in the interest of the family and any attempts at gaining personal freedom are resented by the other members. A child thus cannot detach himself from the family and act independently. This prevents him from forming a sharply differentiated impression of himself and from separating himself from his family. Because of the large number of people in a joint family, a child is lost in the vast set-up and is recognized as just one of the group (Gore, 1978). In short then, a large family set-up discourages individuality and breeds in the child a dominating feeling of being “just one of the group”. This works against the achievement of a “self” distinct from others and makes the child unaware of his own attributes as distinct from those of the others.

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