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“Psychoanalysis and the Family Life in India”
Dr. Tarun Chandra Sinha
Calcutta, India
January 27, 1966 Meeting
Family life in many sections of India is changing rapidly as a result of a great acceleration in urbanization and industrialization. The “old family” structure is prevalent in rural areas but newly-married couples are leaving their family homes, moving to cities, and starting their own homes. This is similar to the situation existing in many parts of the United States.
The “old family” structure is dependent and based on many members of the same family living together. Fathers, mothers, aunts, uncles, sons, daughters, cousins and grandparents all live in the same home—marriage and births bring new additions. The dominant person is the oldest, whether male or female, and all family members defer to this person for judgments and monetary decisions. A new baby arriving on the scene has “many mothers.” He is rarely, if ever, alone (although the infant is separated from the biological mother for the first ten days of life), and for the first two years there is much bodily contact with adults. At about this age the older children take over most of the care of their siblings and cousins.