Oct 11, 2024
Oct 11, 2024
Patriarchy is the most times blamed word and institution by every intellectual, sociologist, ism founders and followers, feminists, and everyone worth educated.
A family must have a focussed head of family. In many homes since times immemorial, the women of house have contributed to the decision making of things related to their respective families.
The social atmosphere is congenial for such a system in the beginnings of men and women starting living together, the origin of institution of marriage and the family atmosphere.
A family had been an United institution where there is division of labour. And all most all homes are engaged in this or that community based avocation with its technicalities and related knowledge. Money was not there and barter system was practised.
Invention of money has changed the outlook of men and women. Properties have been acquired and hereditary distribution has started. Men inherited the properties and women enjoying the properties of the family into which they are married.
There were no jobs even to men. All are engaged in the family profession as mentioned earlier. The concept of jobs is the result of the British era. Later women too got educated and started doing jobs. Still the properties are going to the men. The current governments passed laws giving share to daughters too. It should be mentioned that 95% of Indians don't own any property.
What little is saved by father is given to sons and daughters; daughters getting their share as dowry. Now the perspectives have changed and accordingly finances and properties are handled.
When women also started earning, the social equations have changed. Giving and taking dowry is abhorred and banned by law. When it is a family, matters relating to family are discussed among family members and decisions are taken accordingly.
Man imposing his decision on family has almost disappeared. And changed social responsibilities have been playing havoc and are wrecking family lives, the needs of the family being neglected quoting no time available for taking family responsibilities.
The infants and the aged in the family getting almost no care. Servants are engaged in 5% of the families. Rest of the families are suffering the lack of proper care for the infants and the aged. Women are no longer available to the family as wives and mothers to take care of the infants and the aged. It is suggested men can take that job, resigning their job. How far this solves the difficulties faced by the infants and aged is not known.
One gender replacing the other in nature of duties to the family may alter the structure but definitely not the emotional issues in the family.
Women by nature are loving and are adept in taking care. But being like that is dubbed as slavery to men, though they are bringing up their children only and are taking care of their husband and are not doing service to any one who is not their Kith and kin. Only in-laws are considered now as outsiders having no rights to be with the family of their sons.
The perspective and attitudes are encouraging neglecting their own family members and rushing to do social service outside family. It is ironical that taking care of their own family members is not considered as service to humans. Only service to destitute outsiders is considered as service even by making their family members as destitutes, especially infants and the aged.
This peculiar attitude is making families crumble down under the weight of lack of care taker to the family. All are talking big. None is interested in serving family members.
This is like cutting the tree branch on which one is sitting.
Now the issue is not domination of patriarchy or any such thing but destruction of family-set up under the weight of women's rights and equality; completely neglecting the rights of the infants and the aged.
How the human race reconciles to the rights of the women versus the rights of the infants and the aged which are mutually conflicting to one another is the present herculean task.
Destruction of family for women's rights and equality is the greatest challenge the society has to solve for itself.
07-Mar-2020
More by : Dr. Varanasi Ramabrahmam
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