For many sociologists, family as a part of the larger social structure has been commonly regarded as very resistant to change. When a country is becoming rapidly industrialized, one of the most crucial human adjustments takes place when the large joint family breaks down as the small family units move to the city. This book is based on case studies of a large number of middle and upper class Hindu families in South India. The originality of this study lies in its attempt to classify some of the many changes in responsibility, authority, and affection which affect family relationships when such migrations occur.
In the joint family, the closest tie is usually that between mother and son, and the next closest between brother and sister. But the strongest affectional tie in the small urban family is between husband and wife. It is therefore evident that changes in the feeling of the son for his mother must take place when he shifts his affections from her to his wife, and this may cause much strain. In like manner alterations in the authority of members over one another and in their sense of responsibility towards one another may cause conflict until a new order is accepted. This study gives a valuable picture of the inevitable tensions and confusion of the transitional stage. The book will interest all social scientists, and those who are working with or are concerned by family problems.
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