Maharashtra Board Class 4 EVS Chapter 18 Changes in the Family and Neighbourhood PDF Download

Changes In The Family And Neighbourhood

Try This

Gather the following information about your family from your parents and grandparents.

How many people were there in your family in each year shown above?

Did the number of people in your family change every time?

How did the changes occur?

Each family may have a different number of people. This number does not remain the same. As time passes, it may increase or decrease. Marriage is one reason for such a loss or gain. You may have seen an aunt or a cousin's wife joining your family after getting married, or another aunt or cousin getting married and joining another family. The number of people in a family also changes due to births and deaths. A family grows when the new generation is born. When members of a family pass away due to reasons like old age, illness or accidents, the number of its members is reduced.

Sometimes, children in a family go to other places for their education. Also, some members take up jobs or occupations in other places. Moving from one place to another in order to live there is called migration. Thus due to migration, marriages, births and deaths, the number of people in a family goes on changing.

It is not only in our family that we see these changes. They occur in the entire society.

Teacher's Note

In India, many families become smaller when children move to cities for jobs. For example, a son from a village goes to Mumbai for work, so the family size changes. This is very common in our country.

Exam Trick

Remember: Migration = moving to a new place to live. Think of how many relatives leave your village for cities like Delhi or Bangalore for jobs. That is migration!

Points To Remember

Family size changes because of marriage, births, and deaths.
Migration means moving from one place to another to live there.
Children going for education away from home causes family changes.
People take jobs in other places and leave their families.
All these changes happen in our society and in other families too.

Birds Also Migrate

Many birds migrate in search of food and shelter. Have you seen a flock of swans flying in a V formation in the sky? Have you heard about the beautiful flamingoes? Every year they migrate from one place to another at a fixed time. Some birds fly far away, while others do not go very far. We can see flamingoes at several places in Maharashtra between October and March. Birds fly in a flock. Even though they stay together in a flock, they do not have families or neighbours like human beings!

Teacher's Note

In India, we see beautiful flamingoes coming to lakes like Lonar Lake in Maharashtra. Just like these birds migrate, many people in India also move from one place to another for work and survival.

Exam Trick

Remember: Flamingoes come to India from October to March. They are like workers who migrate seasonally! Birds migrate like humans do.

Points To Remember

Birds migrate in search of food and shelter.
Flamingoes are beautiful birds that migrate every year.
Flamingoes come to Maharashtra between October and March.
Birds fly together in flocks in V formation.
Birds do not have families like humans do.

Do You Know?

When a member of the family goes far away for some reason, he stays in touch with the family through letters, telephone calls and now, the internet. These modern means of communication have brought the world closer together.

Can You Tell?

Look at the pictures of stamps given alongside.

Which changes are depicted on these stamps?

Changes In Family System Over Time

From ancient times to the present, the nature of a family has undergone many changes. When man took up agriculture for his livelihood he settled down in one place. A lot of people are required to do the work needed in agriculture. Therefore, many relations stayed together and formed a big family.

As the family grew, it became impossible to feed everyone through farming alone. Trade and other new occupations developed. Cities began to grow. People began to migrate to places where they could find work. Big families were scattered into many small families.

In recent years, the number of people going to other States and countries for work and education has increased greatly. Many families have one of their members living abroad or in another city in our own country. Therefore, the family system is also changing.

Teacher's Note

In the past, grandparents, parents, and children all lived together in big houses in villages. Today, children move to cities like Bangalore or Pune for jobs, so families become smaller. This is happening in almost every Indian family.

Exam Trick

Remember: Long ago = big families living together. Today = small families because people move away for jobs. This change happened because of cities and new jobs!

Points To Remember

In ancient times, families were very big and lived together.
Agriculture needed many workers, so families stayed in one place.
When cities grew, people moved to find work in trade and jobs.
Big families broke into smaller families.
Today, families are scattered across different cities and countries.

Just as there are changes in a family, there are changes in their neighbourhood, too.

Try This

Collect the following information about any three families living near you.

Which is their home town or native place?

When and why did the family move from their home town to this place?

What changes did they see here?

People migrate for jobs, occupations or education. As we migrate, we see the diversity in our country. We are introduced to different festivals, food and customs and traditions. At the same time, we also realize that as human beings, we are all alike.

Some people need to migrate frequently for work. Sugarcane harvesters or construction workers and others like them keep moving to places where they can find work. Wherever and whenever they migrate, their children are given admission in the local schools.

Teacher's Note

When sugarcane workers move from Maharashtra to Punjab, they see new food, new clothes, and new festivals. Even though everything is different, people are kind and help each other. This shows we are all the same as humans.

Exam Trick

Remember: Diversity = many different things. When you migrate, you see many different festivals, food, and customs. But all humans are alike! This is the main idea.

Points To Remember

People migrate for jobs, education, and better opportunities.
Migration helps us see the diversity in our country.
Different places have different festivals and food.
Different places have different customs and traditions.
As human beings, all people are alike no matter where they live.

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