ANALYTICAL STUDY OF CHANGING THE CONCEPT OF FAMILYINSTITUTION IN INDIA

1.1 Preliminary
Family is the most important primary group of the society consisting of a father, mother, and
one or more children. All these members live together with definite purpose, they have a home. In
this sense the family lies in a group, which introduces certain rules and procedures at the roots of
the family, so the family is called as an institution. This family institution is nothing but the building
block of any society. It is essential because it gives shapes to us. It introduced individuals that having
different emotions, goals and attitudes. Change is the constant thing. Institution of family is also not
exception to this changing concept. No family always has its smooth running all the time. Occasions
arise at different times when things may not go as the parents or children wish. Such situations need
to be handled carefully and gives introduction of new pattern of family so as to maintain peace and
harmony in the home.
1.2 Concept of family
Family is universally regarded as the primary unit of society. The word family is derived from
the Latin word i.e.‘familia’ which includes it is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity,
or co-residence1. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children.
Anthropologists most generally classify family organization as a mother and her children; conjugal
(a wife, husband, and children, also called nuclear family; and consanguine (also called an extended
family) in which parents and children co-reside with other members of one parent’s family. Family is
a concept which has become increasing difficult to define. The idea of what a family is can differ
from person to person. There was a time when a family was strictly defined as two mother and father,
their biological children, and extended relatives. Today, the family pattern is dynamic, considerably
more complicated and its boundaries can seem endless.