Family and Community
Big Questions & Opening Quote
- Why is the family unit important?
- What is a community and what is its role?
"Love and dharma are the flower and fruit of family life." — Tiruvalluvar
Tiruvalluvar is the celebrated Tamil poet and philosopher, author of the Tirukkuṛaḷ — one of the greatest works of Tamil literature and ethics. His quote places love and dharma at the heart of family life.
Family — Definition & Types (Joint & Nuclear)
Almost all of us live in a family. The family is the fundamental and most ancient unit of any society.
| Joint Family | Has several generations living together — grandparents, parents, uncles and aunts, brothers, sisters and cousins. |
| Nuclear Family | Limited to a couple and their children, and sometimes one parent and children. |
Indian Language Terms for Family Relations
In English, there are not many terms to describe family relationships. Indian languages have many more terms. For example, in Hindi: bua, tau, tai, chacha, mausi, nana, nani, and many more. Tamil has different terms for elder and younger brother/sister.
In most Indian languages, there is no word for 'cousin'! Cousins are called 'brothers' and 'sisters' — emphasising the deep bonds among all children in the family.
Also: a single word in an Indian language often requires several words in English to give a precise definition — showing the richer vocabulary for family in Indian languages.
| Name | Term in Hindi | Meaning in English |
|---|---|---|
| Rani | बहन | Mother's brother's daughter (cousin) — among other meanings |
| Sameer | चाचा | Father's younger brother (uncle) |
Roles, Responsibilities & Family Values
Relationships among family members are based on love, care, cooperation and interdependence. 'Cooperation' means 'working together'. Each member has a role and responsibility towards other members. Following our dharma (duty) has been an important principle of Indian culture.
The family is also a 'school', where children learn important values. Individuals often give up their own needs to take care of the family's needs.
| Ahimsa | Non-violence / non-hurting |
| Dāna | Giving — spirit of generosity and sharing |
| Sevā | Service — serving others without expecting anything in return |
| Tyāga | Sacrifice — giving up one's own needs for the benefit of others |
"The family is also a 'school', where children learn important values such as ahimsa, dāna (giving), sevā (service) and tyāga (sacrifice)."
Community — Definition, Functions & Types
Families are connected not only within themselves, but also with other families and the people around them. Such a group of connected people may be called a 'community' (there are other meanings depending on the context).
| Definition | A group of connected people who share bonds and support each other. A flexible concept with multiple meanings depending on context. |
| Why Communities Form | Celebrating festivals, organising feasts, weddings and other events; supporting each other in agricultural practices (land preparation, sowing, harvesting). |
| Shared Resources | Communities agree on practices for shared water, grazing lands and forest produce — especially tribal communities and rural villages. Such rules were rarely written down but provided secure access to resources. |
| Duties | All families and individuals in the community have specific duties to perform. Otherwise the community will not function smoothly. |
| Interdependence | Communities are ultimately interdependent. Everyone depends on a number of other people and communities. |
Don't Miss Out — Halma (Bhil Community) & Padma Shri 2019
The region around the town of Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh suffered from an acute water crisis year after year.
Following their halma tradition — coming together to support any individual or family in times of crisis — the Bhil community:
- Planted thousands of trees in hundreds of villages
- Dug many trenches to conserve rainwater
- Created other water harvesting structures
They did not get paid — did it as their duty towards community and the environment.
In the halma tradition, the objective is to serve Mother Earth.
In 2019, Shri Mahesh Sharma of the Shivganga movement was honoured with the Padma Shri award for his transformational work with Bhil communities.
| What is Halma? | The Bhil community's tradition of coming together to support any individual or family in times of crisis. Objective = serve Mother Earth. |
| Community | Bhil (a tribal community) |
| Location | Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh |
| Problem | Acute water crisis |
| Actions | Planted trees in hundreds of villages; dug trenches for rainwater conservation; built water harvesting structures |
| Payment? | No payment — done as duty |
| Award (2019) | Padma Shri to Shri Mahesh Sharma, Shivganga movement |
Don't Miss Out — Chennai Floods 2015
During the Chennai floods of 2015, roads turned to rivers. Almost all shops were closed and services interrupted.
Many private groups, in particular spiritual and religious organisations, cooked large quantities of food and distributed it to people who needed it — without expecting anything in return.
This illustrates the values of sevā (service) and dāna (giving) at a community scale, and shows how community functions even in an urban context.
Residents' Welfare Associations — New Urban Communities
New types of communities have emerged in the last 30 or 40 years. Residents' Welfare Associations (RWAs) in many urban areas are examples of communities that make their own rules and regulations.
| When Emerged | In the last 30 or 40 years |
| Rules Cover | Waste management, cleanliness of common areas, taking care of pets, etc. |
| Participation | People living in the community participate in making such rules and regulations — a democratic process. |
| Interdependence | Even RWAs depend on the trading community for supplies and municipal workers to handle waste. |
'Community' — A Flexible Concept (All NCERT Examples)
'Community' is a flexible concept. The NCERT gives the following examples:
Before We Move On — Chapter Summary
- Family is the foundation of human society. Ideally, members support each other in their many duties and tasks.
- Community, a bigger unit, also implies that people do their best to support each other. 'Community' can be defined in several ways and there are many kinds.
- Ultimately, communities are interdependent.
| Opening Quote | "Love and dharma are the flower and fruit of family life." — Tiruvalluvar |
| Family Definition | Fundamental and most ancient unit of any society |
| Joint Family | Several generations together — grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, cousins |
| Nuclear Family | Couple + their children; sometimes one parent + children |
| No word for Cousin | In most Indian languages, no word for 'cousin' — cousins are 'brothers' and 'sisters' |
| Family Values (4) | Ahimsa, Dāna (giving), Sevā (service), Tyāga (sacrifice) |
| Cooperation | Means 'working together' |
| Halma | Bhil tribal tradition; Jhabua, MP; water crisis; no payment; Padma Shri 2019 to Shri Mahesh Sharma (Shivganga movement) |
| Chennai Floods 2015 | Spiritual and religious organisations cooked and distributed food — urban community service |
| RWAs | Residents' Welfare Associations — emerged in last 30–40 years; rules on waste, cleanliness, pets |
| Jāti | Also often called a community |
| Community = Interdependent | Communities are ultimately interdependent |
| Theme | Chapter 9 is under the theme 'Governance and Democracy' |
MCQ Practice Set — Chapter 9: Family and Community
35 Questions on exam-relevant concepts | UPSC & State PCS Level
