I lived in a joint family for 21 years until I joined my job and moved to a different city. Hence, this article on Joint family advantages and disadvantages is written with practical experiences, not a theoretical write-up like hundreds of articles available on the internet.
I request you post your opinion in the comments – it helps me and other readers to understand if the details shared in this article are true or not. Feel free to criticize if you think there is something wrong.
Olden Days : Attached Families, Detached Toilets
Modern Days : Attached Toilets, Detached Families
Joint Families and Anti Social Activities
I personally feel that lot of anti-social activities are happening in the society because of the broken families. Will there be any frustrated teenagers who carry guns to school if they have parents and grandparents looking after their behavioral growth? Bullying and depression among children can be reduced if they get a good joint family system.
Joint Family doesn’t mean they live under one roof, they live under one value system.
Joint Family Culture in India
India is famous due to its rich culture. Many people think that a joint family only means a group living under the same roof. However, these people are actually tied by blood relations. The tradition of the joint family is decreasing with time.
You will find that many families in the villages are still living together. However, this concept is slowly shrinking in urban areas. There are various factors behind this phenomenon. Sometimes people want to live alone. However, can you stay happy if you are not living with your family? In this article, we are going to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of Joint family
Joint Family vs Nuclear Family LinkedIn Survey Results
We have conducted a survey on LinkedIn to understand what people prefer between a joint family and a nuclear family. The results are interesting – 60% preferred joint family and 40% preferred nuclear family.
- More women preferred the nuclear family than women who preferred a joint family.
- More men preferred joint family than the men who preferred nuclear family.
Which Type of Family Do You Prefer?
Please let us know which type of family do you prefer by voting below.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Joint Family – Comparison List
| Advantages of Joint Families | Disadvantages of Joint Families |
| Togetherness/Support System | Lack of privacy |
| Care and Love | Interference in parenting |
| Learn the importance of sharing | Disagreement on finances |
| Become socially adept | Disagreement on cooking, shopping etc |
10 Advantages of Joint Family
There are many advantages to living in a joint family. Some of the benefits of living in a joint family are:
1. Your child will never feel lonely
A joint family is perfect for children. You can easily go to work without worrying about your child’s needs. Your family will serve him food. Also, they will take good care of them. Your child can also play with his cousins. Thus, he will never feel lonely in your house. He will always have permanent friends.
2. You will learn the importance of sharing
You will notice many differences between the children that are raised in a joint family and in a nuclear family. If your child is raised in a joint family, then he will be more social. Also, he will have a very good habit of sharing things. They share their things with their cousins. Thus, they have a habit of sharing since childhood.
Your child will share his chocolate with his siblings before eating it. He might not like sharing things with his cousins. However, this will prepare him for the real world. If you are sharing your things, then people will automatically like you. The joint family will help you in understanding the importance of “we”.
3. You will respect everyone
If you are growing up in a joint family, then you will automatically start respecting everyone. You will live with so many elders. Thus, you will have a habit of keeping your tongue in check. Also, you will obey their commands and respect them. This will shape your overall personality. Everyone likes people who respect them.
4. Togetherness
If you are living in a joint family, then you will never feel alone. Your children will also never feel bored. They can always play with their siblings. Your children will never feel alone. They will always have their cousins. In this big world, your children will always have a best friend. They can easily share their problems with their cousins. Also, their cousins will always have their back.
5. Family Values
Values are very important for every child. Every parent wants to teach good value to their children. However, this can be very hard if you are living in a nuclear family. You need to attend the office for earning money. Thus, you won’t have time to spend with your children.
If you are living with a joint family, then your children will automatically learn family values. They will learn important values like caring and sharing. Also, they will respect everyone.
6. Education Beyond textbooks
Your children will learn many amazing things from their aunts, cousins, grandparents, and uncles. They will not be restricted to academic books only. These books will only help them in scoring good marks. However, these books won’t help them in real life.
If your children are living with your parents, then they will learn about their time. They will learn about their struggles. Thus, they will understand that school books are not everything. There are many things that matter in life.
7. Support System
If you are a working parent, then the joint family is a boon for you. You will always have someone trustworthy in your house. They will take care of your children. Your uncle, parents, and aunts will take care of your child. Thus, you don’t need to worry about their safety.
This will give more freedom to parents. They can socialize with other people. Also, they can go for a private dinner without worrying about their child.
8. Financial Security
If you are living in a joint family, then all the earning members will help you in handling the household expenses. Thus, you don’t need to worry about paying all the bills. Also, this system will act as a security net. If someone is suffering monetary loss, then other family members will help them.
9. Care and Love
You will receive a lot of love and care if you are living in a joint family. If you are feeling sad, then your family members will help you. You will never feel alone. Your family members will act as your support system.
If you are sick, then your family members will take care of you. You can never experience this if you are living alone. The amount of love that you will receive in a joint family is immeasurable.
10. You will become Socially Adept
If you are living in a joint family, then you will automatically learn how to communicate with other people. Your cousins, nephews, and elders will mold your child’s personality. They will know how to effectively communicate with other people. Thus, your children will easily mold into society. They can easily make new friends.
5 Disadvantages of Joint Family
Nuclear families are becoming more common with time. There are some disadvantages to living in a joint family. Thus, many people are living in nuclear families now. We are going to talk about the biggest disadvantages of a joint family.
1. Lack of privacy
This is the biggest disadvantage of living in a joint family. If you are living in a joint family, then your privacy will be compromised. You will never be alone in your house. If you are feeling lonely, then you might want to cry on your bed. However, this is not possible in a joint family.
Every family member knows everything about other family members. Thus, they might sometimes interfere in your daily matters. Most people don’t want any interference in their daily matters.
People don’t want to share every secret with their family members. Your family members will always try to help you. However, this can be annoying sometimes.
2. Interference in Parenting
If you are living in a large family, then parenting will be a difficult task for you. Your family members might interfere with your parenting style. They will advise you about what to do. This can be very annoying for new moms. They might become confused due to these tips.
3. Disagreement on finances
There can also be disagreement on finances. Everyone will contribute to the household fund. However, the head of your family will control these funds. They will decide on how to spend this money.
Sometimes other members don’t like the decisions of the head of the family. Thus, this might lead to arguments and disagreements. Also, sometimes the head of the family has to handle the burden of 2 families. Thus, they need to deal with a lot of financial pressure.
4. Disagreement on Cooking and Shopping Matters
In almost all joint families, all women cook together for all the family members. Everyone has their own preferences because of tastes, cooking style,s and health reasons. This would create some discussions and disagreements among the women.
Also, shopping matters would also create differences among the family members, especially women. You cannot create an equal budget for all women to buy whatever they like. Everyone has their own likes and dislikes. The gender, generation, and education gaps play a very important role.
5. Collective Decision Making
Collective decision-making has its own advantages and disadvantages. It is very beneficial if all the family members sit together and take everyone’s opinion for any important event like marriage, new business etc.
At the same time, it would be frustrating if this has to be done for small things like movie, picnic etc. Do you think this is a real disadvantage of a joint family?
Infographic : Tips for Love and Bonding in Joint Families
I have created a simple infographic to show you some tips to increase love and bonding in joint families.
Why are Joint Families Declining?
Joint families are declining in most cultures across the world due to two main reasons – employment opportunities in other places and independent thought processes.
Urban Employment Opportunities:
The increased number of employment opportunities in urban areas is one of the main reasons why people leave their ancestors and their properties to live in small rented apartments in the growing cities.
Individual Thought Process:
The thought process of proving themselves as an independently successful person is also a reason for many to part ways from their joint families. This could be because of their individual interests in jobs, business, etc. They may not be interested in continuing their traditional family professions.
Joint Families in USA
Surprisingly, according to the results of a study by Pew Research Center , the number of joint families in the USA is increasing in this century as compared to the previous century. The main reasons for this are the availability of social security for elders, increased unemployment in the younger generation, and rising costs. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are around 3 million grandparents raising their grandchildren in the USA.
Conclusion
These were the advantages and disadvantages of living in a joint family. If you are living in a nuclear family, then it will be very difficult to adjust to a joint family. Most families are restricted to only 4 members only. However, many families are still living together in small villages and cities.
There are many advantages to living in a joint family. Your children will never feel alone in a joint family. There will be many sacrifices and arguments. However, you can always depend on your family.
The disadvantages of joint families are also discussed in detail above. It is an individual’s thought process and choice.
Humans are social animals and dependent beings. The question is about how much social and how much dependent. With each generation and financial independence, we are becoming less social and less emotionally dependent on others. We are learning to cherish individuality. This is leading to nuclear families.
Please let me know what advantages and disadvantages of joint families you agree with and do not agree with. We can have a great discussion on this very important topic.
A Brief About My Joint Family
My father has 3 brothers and he is the 3rd son of my grandparents. Each couple has 2 children. So, it’s a total of 4 couples of 8 children plus my grandparents (a total of 18 people) living together in a big house for over 20 years.
The joint family concept is very popular in India. People are following this concept since the Vedic times. It was even popular when the British were ruling our land. Joint families have various advantages and disadvantages. Not everything suits everyone. If you are living in a joint family, then you need to adjust with your aunts, uncles, and cousins.
However, there can be many advantages to living with different individuals. You need to sacrifice your needs. Also, you can fight over small things with your cousins. Joint families are still very popular in India. However, the number of joint families is decreasing very rapidly.
A family is very important for everyone. We don’t understand the value of family until we are going through tough times. If someone will come to your rescue, then it will be your family members first. You grow up with your cousins. Sometimes you might even fight with time. After some time you will eventually move on with your lives. However, you know that your family and cousins will always help you in tough times.