Joint family is an amazing place to live. Old timers see it as an idyllic place which is the cradle of social learning and emotional bonding. For kids it is a haven of fun with unlimited supply of love and care. Working spouses find a solace here as kids are taken care of by the elderly members. Elderly people in turn find meaning to their lives as they turn children again with the new members of the family. Away from this rosy picture, many feminists see the joint family as a noose around the freedom of the womenfolk of the house. In a patriarchal society like India, the burden of joint family falls unequally on the members of the family. Women are made to make compulsory sacrifices for the family. While every member strives for freedom and individuality, joint family sometimes imposes collective will on them. It creates conflict as well and joint family becomes a liability. Apart from economic causes, relationship management is a big challenge in maintaining the cohesiveness of a joint family or even a nuclear family for that matter.
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