2. Extended & Nuclear Family Systems
Humanfamilysystems arenormallydivided into twotypes:Extended
(or Joint) Family System and Nuclear (or Separate) Family System.
Extended Family SystemInthissystem,allmembersofaclan:father,son,brother,sister,uncle,
nephew, and otherslive together. The income of the individual is not
treatedashispersonal property,rather itbelongstothe familyandthe
expensesof all members are metby that ‘familyor collective income’.
Thissystemintendstopromotetogetherness,mutualtrustandco-opera-
tion amongthe familymembers.However, thissystemalsobreeds the
attitudeoflazinessanddependencyamongsomefamilymembers,and,
asaresult,italsokillstheinitiativetoworkharderamongsomeothers.
(The Hindu society is based on the extended family system.)
Nuclear Family System:In thissystem, everybody is responsible forhis own immediate de-
pendantsonly.Hisincomebelongstohimandnottothe‘family’. This
system lacks the disadvantages of the Extended Family System but it
also breeds self-centeredness and selfishness.