Difference Between Modern Family and Traditional Family

Difference between Modern Family and Traditional Family
Family is a very old social group. It has been in existence since long times.
It is older than society and as old as human life itself. But despite all this, it
is not a static institution. It is always changing with the march of time. It is
for this reason that the structure of the modern family is not the same as it
was about a century ago.
In order to emphasise this fact, J. Rurnney and Joseph Maier observe,
“Although the family is universal, no particular form of it is primary or
inevitable. Like all other institutions, it is a social product subject to
change and modification”.
Similarly Nimkoff and Ogburn also write, “The family has changed a good
deal in the past and has assumed many different forms and functions. The
family has proved to be a very resilient and flexible institution. Despite
radical changes in form and functions, the family has continued to exist in
every society known to us. It should be clear from these facts that family is
undergoing constant changes. As a result of this the modern family has
become much different from the ancient family”.
In short, some of the main points of difference between them can be

shown in the following way:
1. Replacement of Joint Family by Single Family:

To begin with a fundamental difference between the modern family and the
ancient family pertains to its size. In the ancient societies joint family
system was the order of the day. There used to be families of very big size
consisting of the members of many generations. Not only parents and their
children but also the families of their brothers, grandparents and the widow
daughters of the same family used to live in one house.
Such family group was like a social unit and many a time the number of its
members exceeded even a hundred, but in the modern times single-family
system has become the order of the day. Now joint families have broken up
and their place has been taken over by single families. The modern families
are quite small in size consisting of parents and their small children.
Even the grown up children after their marriage separate themselves from
their parents and establish their own families. At present the number of
membership in a family hardly exceeds ten persons or so. This process of
the disintegration of joint families and in its place the establishment of
single families first began in the west and now it has spread all over the
world.
2. Modern Family no Longer a Social Unit:

The traditional family was regarded as a social unit, whereas the modern
families have become individualistic in outlook. In the ancient times all the
members of a family lived at one and the same place and they were bound
together by a thread of the commonness of residential and social
conditions. All the physical and social needs were fulfilled in the family
and there was no necessity of any outside agency to interfere in the human
life.
But this is not the case in the modern families with the disintegration of
joint family system. The family in the modern time has lost. Its character as
a social unit. The people have become more Individualistic In outlook than
they think of common interests. Now even the members of the same family
live scattered at different places and do separate occupations.
Emphasizing this fact Gisbert writes, “The family has somewhat relaxed as
a closely knit social unit and has opened the door to individualistic
tendencies and outlook. The husband now has to leave his home for a
living and work at a specified time and place and under conditions
prescribed by others.”
3. Change in the Position of Women:

An important point of difference between the traditional and modern
families relates to the position of women. Formerly, the women occupied a
very low position in the family. They were just slaves to men possessing
none of their own individuality. They had no rights nor any freedom. They
had to carry out the dictates of the male members of the family. But now
her position has changed altogether.
In modern family the woman if not the devotee of man but an equal partner
in life with equal rights. The husband now does not dictate but only
requests the wife to do tasks for him. She is now emancipated of man’s
slavery. She can divorce her husband as the husband can divorce her. She
can sue the husband for her rights and likewise be sued in turn. Thus the
position of the women has changed in the family with the changing times.
4. Economic Independence of Women:

A very important feature of modern family is the economic independence
of women, while such a thing was not found in the traditional family.
Previously, women were dependent on men for the fulfilment of all their
needs and wants. They had no independent economic resources of their
own to support them. They were confined within the four walls of the
home and all their basic needs of food, clothing and shelter had to be met
in the family by men.
Women could own neither property nor could they hold any occupation.
Marriage was a compulsory bond for them, which they had to undertake
for the fulfilment of economic, needs. But now the position has changed
altogether. Women in modern family have attained an increasing degree of
economic dependence. It is not only the husband who leaves the home for
work but it is also the wife who goes out of doors, for work. The
percentage of women employed outside the home is continually on the
increase.
They are now property-owners as well as wage earners and do not want to
lag behind men in any way. This economic dependence has largely
affected the attitude of modern woman. Formerly, she had no choice but to
find a male partner who could marry her and support her economically.
She now does not feel helpless before man, settles matters with him in
terms of her own right. She is not a slave of the man who provides her with
food, clothing, and shelter but she can now earn her own living. Such a
feature did not mark the traditional family.
6. Decreased Control of the Marriage Contract:

Marriage is the basis of family. In a traditional family the parents
contracted the marriage. The marriage ceremony was based on the
principle of male dominance and female obedience. In a modern family
people is less subject to the parental control in the matter of mate choice.
The partners themselves do not settle the marriage and it can be undone at
their own will.
7. Abandonment of Non-Essential Functions:
The sphere of activities of traditional family had been much larger than
that of modern family. The modern family has given up a great many
functions, which were performed by the traditional family. These functions
have now been taken over by specialized agencies.
According to Jay Rumney and Joseph Maier, “Compared with the family
of medieval times the functions of the modern family are few. All but gone
are its economic, educational, religious and protective functions. They
have been transferred to the State, the Church, the school and industry.”
Not only this much but many of the traditional tasks of the household such
as cooking and baking, cleaning and washing are also performed outside
the household by specialized agencies. In this way while the traditional
family performed both essential and non-essential functions, the modern
family is concerned with the doing of essential functions.
8. Modern Family no longer an Economic Unit:

The traditional family was an economic unit, which the modern family has,
ceases to be now. The traditional family was all at once a production and
consumption unit. It was self-sufficient in economic needs. All the active
members of the family were employed in the family occupation. All the
articles of consumption could be prepared at home.
There was no cause of depending on outside agencies for the sake of
economic gratification. But the modern family does not possess such a
character. It is no longer a self-sufficient unit. The members of the family
have to seek outside help for finding a suitable occupation. It has also
ceased to be a unit of production because most of the articles of daily need
are now obtained from the market.

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Difference between Modern Family and Traditional Family

In short, some of the main points of difference between them can be

1. Replacement of Joint Family by Single Family:

2. Modern Family no Longer a Social Unit:

3. Change in the Position of Women:

4. Economic Independence of Women:

6. Decreased Control of the Marriage Contract:

8. Modern Family no longer an Economic Unit:

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