advertisement
Earlier this week, Indian filmmaker Shoojit Sircar spoke about the superiority of joint families over nuclear ones.
As Sircar romanticised a joint familial setup, he was met by a huge backlash, particularly by women who said that such a statement could come only from a man. Several others also pointed out the mental strain of being part of a such a domestic situation.
We reached out to mental health experts to ask them if a particular type of family is more detrimental than the other for the emotional well-being.
Dr Samir Parikh, Director, Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Science at Fortis Healthcare, says that it’s unfair to make these blanket statements.
If we are looking at an ideal family, of course the joint one is a better option, asserts the doctor. It’s advantageous in so many ways - there is emotional support and an end to isolation and loneliness.
Another important aspect where a joint family is advantageous is in the raising of children and during times of grief and celebration. You are always surrounded by people in case of need. Not all agree.
The dilemma arises, says Dr Aruna Broota, a New Delhi-based psychologist, when it comes to raising the children.
There are two things to be looked at:
For instance, if another family member is looking after the kids they may eventually start seeing it as a restricting responsibility and will start holding it against the mother or father or both. To be able to understand this better, Dr Broota brings to attention another important concept, that of functional autonomy.
However, in case of a mother and daughter-in-law, the mother might feel that she wasn’t allowed functional autonomy during her own time. In such a scenario, she would want to withhold it from the daughter-in-law as well. If she is made to take care of the children, she will have a lot of qualms. Instead of seeing it as a form of freedom or an empowering role, she will complain about it.
Dr Parikh says that this is not a gender issue, but one of faulty comparisons.
Another criticism that people sometimes have of a joint family is that it can be an isolating space for the ‘leader’ or the ‘head’ of the family. Dr Parikh responds to it in the following manner:
Loneliness is a real concern, he adds, and on the contrary, it’s something a lot of young parents struggle with. There are also things like cultural education, morality, emotional well-being which a stable joint family has to offer to its members.
Dr Parikh agrees with the idea of a cohesive familial space where there is support, love and care.
However, the kind of lifestyles we have, we are losing our sense of patience and the ability to listen, says Dr Broota. We need to lose our affinity towards power games to achieve a peaceful joint familial equation, she adds.
The problem arises from a desire to control and assert power, concludes the doctor.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)
Published: undefined