LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After completing this section the learner is able to—
• understand the meaning and definition of family.
• explain the importance of the family and its functions.
• describe the functions of family for overall development of the individual.
• gain knowledge of the family life cycle.
• analyse dynamics within the family.
• understand the importance of effective communication in the family.
IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY
The pictures show you scenes of children in their homes. Notice that there are adults taking care of children, including some older people. In some pictures there is only a mother or father and children. They are all related to each other by blood or through marriage or adoption. One thing common to all situations regardless of the socio-economic or cultural variation is that there are at least two or more than two generations of persons staying together, i.e., mother and children, grandparents and children, parents and adult unmarried children, related to each other by blood or marriage. An exception is that of two adults, a husband and wife, who are of the same generation, and yet they form the beginning of a family.
9A.1 INTRODUCTION
You and all of your classmates live with your families. Families are basic units of society. Families are needed to meet the needs of individuals, both children and adults. The family also helps to continue the culture of any society. It provides care and nurturance to all the children, thus contributing to their wholesome development. In the earlier chapters you have studied how adequate nutrition and other experiences contribute to the physical well-being of the child. Similarly, for a baby to grow into a caring and productive member of the society, she must have positive socio-emotional experiences, relationships and a feeling of belongingness.
Through parenting, families attempt to provide all these experiences to children. You could recall incidents in your family when you were down with fever. How did your parents take care of you? Or the times when you were not feeling cheerful and happy, and the other members of your family may have tried to make you feel better. There are numerous such examples in everyone’s life where parents, or siblings or other members may have given a comforting hand or encouragement. Thus families not only nurture, they also provide stability and support in times of need. Every child has a right to be reared in a family.
Click on the below link to download NCERT Class 11 Home Science Understanding Family Community and Society
