Family and Community — Class 6 Social Science
Exploring Society: India and Beyond · Chapter 9
CBSE Class 6 community
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5- Mathematics
- Science
- + 3 more
- Space weighted by chapter size
- Charts from the book's own data
- Traps corrected
- Space weighted by chapter size
- Charts from the book's own data
- Traps corrected
- Space weighted by chapter size
- Charts from the book's own data
- Traps corrected
- Space weighted by chapter size
- Charts from the book's own data
- Traps corrected
- Space weighted by chapter size
- Charts from the book's own data
- Traps corrected
Chapter summary
Key ideas & terms
- Joint family
- A family in which several generations — grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts and cousins — live together.
- Nuclear family
- A family limited to a couple and their children, or sometimes one parent and children.
- Community
- A group of connected people, beyond the family, who support each other and may share resources and rules.
- Sevā
- Selfless service done for others without expecting anything in return.
- Dharma
- One's duty or right conduct; following dharma is an important principle of Indian culture.
- Halma
- A Bhil tradition of the community coming together to help any individual or family in times of crisis.
Extra questions & answers
Why is the family important?
The family is the fundamental and most ancient unit of society, where members support each other and children learn important values.
What is the difference between a joint family and a nuclear family?
A joint family has several generations living together, while a nuclear family is limited to a couple and their children.
Why is there often no word for ‘cousin’ in Indian languages?
Because cousins are regarded simply as brothers and sisters, which emphasises the deep bonds among all the children in the family.
What values does the family teach, acting as a ‘school’?
Values such as ahimsa, dāna (giving), sevā (service), tyāga (sacrifice) and following one's dharma.
What does Shalini's story show about family?
It shows how families support each other and share what they have — her parents bought clothes for relatives in difficulty before buying her a fancier dress.
What is a community?
A community is a group of connected people, beyond the family, who come together and support each other for various reasons.
Why do communities make rules about shared resources?
To ensure secure and fair access to shared wealth like water, grazing lands and forest produce, with everyone performing specific duties.
What is the halma tradition of the Bhils?
It is a tradition of coming together to help any individual or family in crisis; the Bhils used it to plant trees and harvest rainwater near Jhabua.
Give two examples of urban community participation.
Residents' Welfare Associations making local rules, and people of Ahmedabad or Chennai coming together to teach children or give flood relief.
Why are communities described as interdependent?
Because in complex societies every community depends on others — for supplies, services and waste handling — so no one is fully self-sufficient.
LET'S EXPLORE
What types of families do you see in your neighbourhood? List the type with the number of households for each type.
In my neighbourhood I can observe both joint families and nuclear families. For example, out of 10 households nearby, about 4 are joint families where grandparents, parents and children live together, and 6 are nuclear families where only parents and their children live together. The exact numbers would be found by actually counting and asking neighbours.
What types are more frequent? Why do you think this is so?
In many urban neighbourhoods today nuclear families are more frequent than joint families. This is because people often move to cities for jobs, housing is smaller and more expensive, and young couples prefer to live independently for privacy and work reasons. In villages joint families may still be more common.
As a class activity, compare with your classmates’ findings and discuss.
For this class activity each student shares their list of joint and nuclear families from their lane or apartment building. By putting all the numbers together on the blackboard we can see the overall pattern for the whole class locality, discuss why some areas have more joint families and others more nuclear families, and understand how family patterns are changing.
LET'S EXPLORE
Make a list of all the members of your family you can think of, including a few distant relatives. List their terms in your mother tongue or regional language and try to find the equivalent in English. Two examples are below for Hindi:
This is a personal family vocabulary activity. For example in Hindi: Rani is called bahan which in English is mother's brother's daughter or cousin, and Sameer is called chacha which is father's younger brother or uncle. Similarly you can add: Nani is mother's mother or grandmother, Dada is father's father or grandfather, Mami is mother's brother's wife or aunt, Bhaiya is elder brother. Many Indian language words need two or three English words to explain the exact relationship.
Notice how, quite often, a single word in your mother tongue or regional language requires several words in English to give a precise definition.
Yes, this is true. English has only a few general words like uncle, aunt and cousin, while Indian languages have specific words that tell the exact side of the family and whether the person is elder or younger. That shows Indian languages give more importance to the exact family relationship, while English uses one word for many different relations.
LET'S EXPLORE
Who in your family decides what is to be bought from the market?
In my family both parents discuss and decide together what to buy, often after asking what is needed at home. Sometimes grandparents also give advice. The decision is usually made jointly rather than by one person alone.
Who cooks food in your home?
In my home my mother and father both cook, and sometimes my grandmother also helps. Cooking is shared, not done by only one person, and everyone helps in serving and cleaning.
Who is the oldest person in your family?
The oldest person in my family is my grandfather on my father's side. He is about seventy years old and is respected by all members.
Who cleans the floor in your home?
Cleaning the floor is shared. My mother, father and sometimes I and my siblings take turns, and we also have help at times. Everyone contributes to keeping the house clean.
Who washes utensils in your house?
Washing utensils is also shared among family members. Usually my parents do it together, and children help by washing their own plates and glasses.
Who helps you to do your homework?
My parents and elder sister help me with homework, and sometimes my grandfather explains stories or maths problems.
LET'S EXPLORE
Draw a simple tree of this family of seven members.
Shalini's family tree has three generations. At the top is Acchamma, the grandmother. Her two sons are Shalini's father and his brother Chittappa. Shalini's father is married to Shalini's mother, who is a teacher. They have two children: Shalini and her younger brother. Chittappa is married to Chitti and they have one daughter Chinni, who is Shalini's cousin. Altogether this makes seven members living together.
Why do you think Shalini’s parents bought clothes for everyone?
Shalini's parents bought clothes for Chittappa, Chitti and Chinni because Chittappa had lost his job and the family had no money for new festival clothes. They followed the values of sharing, care and tyaga. They wanted everyone to feel happy during Onam and not feel left out, so they shared what they had instead of buying an expensive silk dress only for Shalini.
What would you have done if you were in Shalini’s place?
If I were in Shalini's place I would also be happy to accept the simple cotton dress. I would feel proud that my parents helped my uncle's family and that all of us could celebrate together. Sharing joy is more important than having an expensive dress for myself.
THINK ABOUT IT
Why does Tenzing’s father consult his wife for special expenses?
Tenzing's father consults his wife because both parents are partners in running the family. His wife now earns and also manages the household, and decisions about money affect everyone. Consulting shows mutual respect, cooperation and interdependence, and helps them save for unexpected needs.
How do you feel about his participation in household chores?
His participation is very good and fair. It shows equality and cooperation. When the mother became busy with the handicraft cooperative, the father helped with cleaning, gardening and cooking. Sharing household work teaches children that no work is only for one gender and that family members should support each other.
What roles do the grandparents fulfil?
The grandmother cooks, tells stories full of humour and wisdom, and cares for the children. The grandfather helps Tenzing with homework, takes him to the bus stop, and does social work in the colony like registering complaints about power failure and collecting money to help neighbours after a storm. They provide love, knowledge and community service.
LET'S EXPLORE
Create a story of a family somewhere in India, where we see some family values practised. Share it with your class either through writing or drawing.
Example story: In a village in Rajasthan, the Rathore family lives jointly. When the youngest son fell ill before his exams, his elder sister taught him every evening, the grandfather told him encouraging stories, and the parents took turns taking him to the doctor. The family gave up their own comforts, showed seva and care, and the boy recovered and did well. This shows love, cooperation and sacrifice.
Stage a small drama with all your classmates around two or three families. The play you write could include some challenging situations that the families faced, and show how they are resolved.
For the drama, one group can act as Shalini's family facing the problem of money for festival clothes, another as Tenzing's family managing shared chores, and a third as a nuclear family in a city dealing with grandparents visiting. Each family faces a challenge like job loss, illness or disagreement, and resolves it through discussion, sharing and respecting dharma. The play ends with all families celebrating together, showing that cooperation solves problems.
In the stories of Shalini and Tenzing, we see examples of joint families. What do you think are the aspects of modern living that make some couples opt for a nuclear family (i.e., living apart from older generations or other relatives)? What could be some advantages as well as disadvantages of the two kinds of families?
Modern reasons for choosing a nuclear family are jobs in different cities, need to move for study or transfer, small flats in cities, desire for privacy and independence, and easier daily management with fewer members. Advantages of joint family: more love and support, grandparents help with children, shared work and expenses, learning traditions. Disadvantages: less privacy, more adjustments. Advantages of nuclear family: more independence, easier decisions, privacy. Disadvantages: less support in emergencies, children miss grandparents, all work falls on parents.
DON'T MISS OUT
There are many more such examples of people coming together to do something for the benefit of the community without expecting anything in return. Have you heard of any?
Yes, many examples exist. During the Chennai floods people and community groups cooked and distributed food, during the pandemic neighbours helped each other with medicines, in villages people build check dams together, and in cities residents clean parks on weekends. Another well-known example is the Bhil halma in Jhabua where villagers plant trees and dig trenches together to save water without payment, serving Mother Earth.
LET'S EXPLORE
Discuss this story in your class. What kind of attitude towards the community does it reveal?
Kamal Parmar's story reveals a caring and responsible attitude towards the community. Instead of ignoring the underprivileged children on the street, he gave his time, money and effort to teach them daily and feed them, showing compassion and a sense of duty to uplift others.
What values get reflected in Kamal Parmar’s initiative?
The values reflected are seva or selfless service, dana or giving, compassion, equality and dedication. He sacrificed his evening hours after work for years without expecting reward, and showed belief that education is for all.
Think about those underprivileged children. Do you think society has been unfair to them?
Yes, to some extent society has been unfair because many children do not get proper schools, benches, silence or even food, while others have many facilities. Poverty and lack of opportunity force some to drop out or never enroll, even though they are keen to learn as shown by their attention in Kamal's street classes.
What should society do to make sure that all children get access to education?
Society and government should provide free and nearby schools, trained teachers, benches and books, mid-day meals, and safe transport. Communities, NGOs and volunteers can run evening classes like Kamal's, donate, and ensure no child is left out due to money or distance. Awareness among parents is also important.
LET'S EXPLORE
Make a list of all people outside your family that are supporting you through their work in one way or another.
People outside my family who support me include teachers who teach me, doctors and nurses who keep us healthy, farmers who grow food, shopkeepers who sell goods, bus drivers who carry us to school, municipal workers who clean streets and collect waste, police who keep safety, and electricians and water supply workers who provide electricity and water.
LET'S EXPLORE
What types of communities are you part of?
I am part of several communities: my family, my neighbourhood, my class and school, the sports community in school, a music or art club, my apartment's residents' welfare association, and also a religious and linguistic community. Each community has its own rules and ways of helping each other.
Is there a club that you are a part of in school? How does it function?
Yes, I am part of the science club in school. We meet once a week, choose a teacher as coordinator, plan activities like experiments and exhibitions, divide duties among members, keep the room clean, and make rules together about participation and respect. Everyone's opinion is heard and we work as a team.
Questions, activities and projects
1. What are some of the rules you follow in your family and neighbourhood? Why are they important?
In my family rules include respecting elders, speaking politely, doing homework on time, helping in chores, and not wasting food and water. In the neighbourhood or resident welfare association rules include keeping common areas clean, managing waste separately, not making loud noise at night, and caring for pets responsibly. They are important because they maintain harmony, safety, cleanliness and mutual respect, and help the family and community function smoothly.
2. Do you think some rules are unfair to a few people in the family or community? Why?
Yes, sometimes rules can be unfair. For example, if only girls are expected to do kitchen work while boys are not, that is unfair and based on gender bias. Or if community rules do not allow children to play in common grounds, children suffer. Such rules are unfair because they give burden to one group or deny equal opportunity. Fair rules should be made by discussing with all members and should treat everyone equally.
3. Describe several situations that you have observed where community support makes a difference. You can draw or write about these.
Three situations: First, after a heavy storm in our colony, neighbours collected money and helped repair a damaged house, showing financial and moral support. Second, during a water shortage in Jhabua, the Bhil community planted thousands of trees and dug trenches together under the halma tradition to conserve rainwater. Third, during the Chennai floods, volunteers cooked large quantities of food and distributed it to stranded people. In each case community work solved a problem that a single family could not solve alone.