Question

Briefly explain the term joint family.

Answer 1

A joint family consists of multiple primary families living together and having close relationships. Each member has a common ancestor and is required to obligate the others. Members of the group include the individual, his spouse, married sons, their offspring, an unmarried daughter, his brother, and his parents.

The process of transitioning from a joint family setup to living independently as a nuclear family can be described as the dissolution of joint families. In a joint family scenario, it typically involves extended family members, such as three brothers along with their wives and children, all living together in a single household. However, when these family units choose to separate, and each couple, along with their children, opts to live separately, they transition from being part of a joint family to forming individual nuclear families. This change highlights how a larger, collective family structure can divide into separate, smaller family units.