Imagine a world where everyone lives alone without any connections to others. It would be very lonely and disorganized, right? That’s why families and communities are so important. Families give us love, support, and a sense of belonging. They are where we first learn to interact with others and understand our place in the world. Communities build on these lessons and help us connect with more people. They are vital in shaping our lives by providing support, sharing resources, and keeping traditions alive. Let’s explore how families and communities work together to build a balanced and harmonious society.
Family
Family is a crucial part of our lives.
It is the oldest and most basic unit of any society.
In Indian society today, there are different types of families:
Joint families: These include several generations living together, such as: Grandparents, Parents, Uncles and aunts, Brothers and sisters, Cousins
Nuclear families: These typically consist of: A parent and their children, Sometimes a single parent with their children
In English, there are not many words to describe family relationships.
In contrast, Indian languages have many specific terms, such as: Hindi terms include:
Bua (aunt)
Tau (uncle)
Tai (aunt)
Chacha (uncle)
Mausi (aunt)
Nana (maternal grandfather)
Nani (maternal grandmother)
Tamil has different words for elder and younger siblings.
Surprisingly, in many Indian languages, there is no specific word for ‘cousin’.
This is because cousins are often considered just ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters’.
This highlights the strong connections among all the children in a family.
Try yourself:Which term is commonly used in Indian languages to refer to cousins?
A.Brothers
B.Siblings
C.Cousins
D.None of these
View Solution
Family Roles and Responsibilities
Family members have strong connections filled with love, care, cooperation, and interdependence.
Cooperation means working together, and each family member has specific roles and responsibilities towards one another.
Parents play a crucial role in helping their children grow into happy individuals and responsible members of society.
As children get older, they also take on more responsibilities at home, assisting not only their parents but also their siblings.
Through everyday activities, children learn to be part of family life and often adopt traditions and practices that have been passed down through generations.
Following our dharma, or doing our duty, is an important principle in Indian culture.
The family acts as a ‘school’ where children learn essential values such as ahimsa (non-violence), dana (giving), seva (service), and tyaga (sacrifice).
Family members often set aside their own needs to take care of the family’s needs, showing love and commitment.
Story of Shalini’s Family in Kerala
Shalini lives in Kerala with her family. Her father has a small business, and her mother is a teacher. Shalini has a younger brother.
They are preparing for the festival of Onam. Shalini’s grandmother, Acchamma, tells Shalini’s father that his brother is facing money problems and can’t buy new clothes for the festival.
When Shalini’s parents take her and her brother shopping for new clothes, they decide to buy clothes not just for themselves but also for Shalini’s uncle, aunt, and cousin.
Because of this, Shalini doesn’t get the fancy silk dress she wanted and has to settle for a simple cotton one.
Acchamma explains to Shalini that families support each other by sharing what they have.
Shalini understands and is happy that everyone in the family can get new clothes, even if her dress is simpler.
Tenzing’s Life in Meghalaya
Tenzing lives in a village in Meghalaya, where he loves the mountains, even though life can be challenging.
His father runs a small grocery store, and his mother is busy with a local handicraft cooperative, making traditional fabrics, wood carvings, and other items for tourists.
Tenzing’s father also helps at home by cleaning, taking care of the vegetable garden, and cooking, often with the help of Tenzing’s grandmother.
Grandmother shares interesting stories with Tenzing, while grandfather helps him with homework and is involved in social work, like helping neighbors during power failures or after storms.
Tenzing’s parents manage to provide for their needs, and they discuss special expenses together, saving money for unexpected future needs.
Community
Communities and Their Connections
Families are connected not just to themselves but also to other families and individuals. This network of interconnected people is called a community, although the meaning can vary based on the situation.
Members of a community come together for different reasons, such as:
Celebrating festivals
Organizing feasts
Hosting weddings
Participating in other events
In some rural areas, people work together to help with farming tasks like:
Preparing the land
Sowing seeds
Harvesting crops
Over time, communities have made agreements on how to share natural resources such as:
Water
Grazing lands
Forest products
This practice is common among many tribal communities and is still seen in some rural villages in India today.
These shared practices, which can be called rules, were often not written down but helped communities secure their access to resources.
Every family and individual in the community has specific responsibilities they need to fulfill.
If these responsibilities are not met, it can lead to problems in how the community operates.
Helping Children Learn: Kamal Parmar’s Story
Over 20 years ago in Ahmedabad, Gujarat,Kamal Parmar, who owned a small workshop, saw some underprivileged children on the street.
Some of these children had dropped out of school, while others had never been to school at all.
Kamal decided to help them by giving tuition classes from 5:30 to 9:30 pm every day, after finishing his regular work. He also provided a free dinner for the kids.
Soon, around 150 children were attending the classes regularly and were very interested in learning.
Support from Teachers and Older Students
Some teachers from a nearby school noticed Kamal’s classes and offered to help teach for a while.
One teacher observed that despite the poor conditions—like not having proper benches, a noisy environment, and no quiet space—the children were very focused and attentive.
This dedication touched the teacher’s heart, and they felt a strong connection with the children.
Some older children who were going to regular schools also joined Kamal’s classes as volunteers. One of these older students said that instead of just teaching, they learned a lot from the younger children.
New Types of Communities
In the past 30 to 40 years, new types of communities have emerged, such as Residents’ Welfare Associations in cities.
These communities create their own guidelines regarding issues like waste management, cleanliness, and pet care.
Community members collaborate to establish these rules.
Residents’ Welfare Associations also depend on other groups, such as traders for supplies and municipal workers for waste management services.
This illustrates the interconnectedness of different communities in our complex society.
The idea of a communityis quite flexible. For instance:
A jāti (or a subdivision of it) is viewed as a community.
A group sharing a common religion, region, profession, or interest can also form a community. Examples include ‘Mumbai’s Parsi community’ or ‘Kerala’s scientific community’.
In school, you might belong to various communities, such as your class, sports teams, or clubs like the National Service Scheme or the National Cadet Corps.
Examples of Community Support and Environmental Care
Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh: The region faced a serious water crisis every year.
Bhil Community Action:In line with their halma tradition of supporting each other in times of need, the Bhil community took action to help the environment and their community.
Tree Planting: The Bhils planted thousands of trees across hundreds of villages.
Water Conservation: They dug trenches and created various water harvesting structures to conserve rainwater.
Community Service: The Bhils did this work not for payment but as a duty towards their community and the environment, embodying the halma tradition of serving Mother Earth.
Acknowledgment: In 2019, Shri Mahesh Sharma of the Shivganga movement was awarded the Padma Shri for his impactful work with the Bhil communities.
Chennai Floods 2015: During the floods in Chennai, roads were flooded, making transportation difficult, and most shops and services were closed.
Community Response: Many private groups, especially spiritual and religious organizations, came together to cook and distribute large quantities of food to those in need.
Try yourself:
What is the concept of interdependence in communities?
A.Each family member has specific roles and responsibilities towards one another.
B.Families support each other by sharing what they have and working together.
C.Communities come together to celebrate festivals and organize events.
D.Members of a community are linked not just to each other but also to other families.
View Solution
Conclusion
Family and community are the basic building blocks of human society. Families teach us about love, care, and responsibility from the start, while communities provide broader support and strength. By recognizing the roles of families and communities, we see how they work together to make a balanced and supportive society. Just like a family needs cooperation and love to function well, a community depends on its members working together and supporting each other. Embracing these ideas helps us create a more connected and better world.
