TRIBAL FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS and its types

An Article Review Submitted

in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of
 MASTER OF LAWS
by
ROHIT KUMAR
LL.M
(Registration No. 20250403016)
 
 Under the guidelines of
Dr. Sachichinand
to the
DEPARTMENT OF CUSTORMARY AND TRIBAL LAWS
CENTRAL UNIVERSITY OF JHARKHAND
RANCHI
 INTRODUCTION
Definition
• The family is the basic unit in all human societies, though its nature
may be different. The basis of every human society whether primitive
or modern is the family. It is found, in one form or other, in all cultures
and among all groups of people.

•  According to Burgess and Locke, “Family is a group of persons united

by the ties of marriage, blood or adoption consisting a single
household, interacting and inter­communicating with each other in
their respective roles of husband and wife, mother and father, son and
daughter, brother and sister and creating and maintaining a common
culture”.
Characteristic of Tribal Family:

(i) A family has a limited size.

(ii) The relationship between the members of the family is of
permanent nature.
(iii) Husband and wife are permanent sexual partners.
(iv) At least one member of the family has to be bread earner for all
the members.
(v) Members have a common habitation.
(vi) Members have a common nomenclature. (vii) Family is centre of
education for the children.
Tribal societies have a simple social organisation. The society is
organised on the basis of kinship.
 Classification of the Family:
Tribal families have been classified on the following important basis.
1. On the Basis of Marriage
(a) Monogamous Family:
This family is composed of one husband and one wife. This type of family is
very common among the tribes.
(b) Polygynous Family:
A polygynous family is a type of family in which one man marries more than
one wife. Polygynous families are prevalent over most of tribal India. This
type of families are found among the Nagas and Gonds and among all the
tribes in Orissa.
(c) Polyandrous Family:
It is composed of one woman and more than one husband. Polyandrous
family is of two types – (i) Fraternal Polyandry, (ii) Non-fraternal Polyandry. In
fraternal polyandry husbands of a woman are brothers. The Khasas practise
this type of family. In non-fraternal polyandry husbands of a woman are not
related to each other.
2. On the Basis of Structure:
(a) Nuclear Family:
It consists of both couple and their unmarried children. These families are
found among the Khasi, Juang, Santhal and Bhuinya.
(b) Joint Family:It is composed of closely related kins or any two or more
nuclear families. It may be matrilocal or patrilocal. This type of families
are found among several tribes of India.
(c) Extended Family:
When the nuclear family is extended by the addition of closely related
kin, it is called the extended family. It is composed of aunts, grandparents,
grand children etc. Therefore, the size of an extended family is very large.
These families are prevalent among the Santhal, Ho. Juang etc.
3. On the Basis of Residence
(a) Patrilocal Family:
When the couple after marriage moves to live with the husband’s family
the family is called patrilocal family. This type of family is quite common
among the Oraon, Ho and Kharia tribe.
When the couple after marriage moves to live with the husband’s family the family is called
patrilocal family. This type of family is quite common among the Oraon, Ho and Kharia tribe.
(b) Matrilocal Family:
In this type of family the husband goes and lives in the house of the wife after their marriage.
The matrilocal family is found among Khasi, for example.
 4. On the Basis of Authority

(a) Patriarchal Family:

In this type of family, the father enjoys supreme power. Patriarchal
family is a common form of family in majority of tribes in India.
(b) Matriarchal Family:When authority is vested with the mother or any
of the female members of the household it is called matriarchal family.
An example is the Khasi tribe.
(c) Avunculocal Family:
When the sources of authority is neither father nor mother but uncle it
s called avaunculocal units.
5. On the Basis of Ancestry and Property Inheritance
(a) Patrilineal Family:
When descent is traced through the father and inheritance of property
takes, place along the male line of descent, such a family is called
patrilineal family. This type of family is common among a number of tribes.
(b) Matrilineal Family:
The family in which descent is traced through the mother and in which
females inherit property is called a matrilineal family. The Garo and the
Khasi families of Assam may be cited as examples of this type of family.
On the Basis of Blood Relationship
(a) Consanguineous Family:
This type of family is formed if a nucleus of blood relatives is surrounded by
a fringe of spouses. In other words, primary families together with blood
relations constitute the consanguineous family.
It is composed of members who are related by birth. Marriage does not
break up in this type of family and membership in the family tends to
persist even after marriage. This kind of family is found among the Khasis of
Assam.
(b) Conjugal Family:
This kind of family is composed of husband, wife and their children along with their
affinal kins. In this family, the emphasis is on the conjugal bond. Conjugal family is
prevalent among the most of the tribes in India. The family of Kharia of Orissa and
Chotnagpur may be cited as an example.
Functions of Family:
Family among the tribes, as in any society, -is a functional unit. It performs certain
functions for its member as well as the society. The functions of family may be
discussed under two main categories – basic functions and traditional functions.
1. Basic Functions:
(i) Biological Functions:
These functions include the satisfaction of sexual needs, reproduction etc. These are
considered as essential functions.
(ii) Psychological Functions:
These functions include the protection and rearing of children, safety and security of
wife etc. Family is not only the birth place but also the place of protection and care of
children.
2. Traditional Functions
(i) Economic Functions:
Documentations:
D(t,I(t)): Time dependent demand rate.
: The holding cost per unit per unit time.
 : The rate of deterioration.
c : The deterioration cost per unit per unit time.
p c : Purchase cost per unit of the inventory item.
TC : Total cost per unit time.
A : Ordering cost of inventory per order.


I(t) : The inventory on-hand at time t.

Q : Maximum inventory level.
r : The reduction produced in the deterioration rate on applying
preservation techniques.
: The difference in the deterioration rates due to reduction in deterioration
and is given by  = (‫ ݎ‬− ߠ.( t  : The time when the deterioration begins,
in the inventory.
T : The length of one cycle time which is a decision variable
Mathematical Model Formulation:
By the above assumption and notations, we determine the optimal
order quantity and the length of ordering cycle so that the total
relevant cost can be made as low as tenable on applying the scientific
techniques of preservation. The pictorial representation of the
inventory cycle is given in figure1.In this model deterministic demand
is time dependent and depletion of the inventory occurs due to
demand as well as due to deterioration in each cycle. When
replenishment is made at 0 = ‫ݐ‬, the inventory level goes to its
maximum level ܳ which decrease during the interval [0,tఏ] and finally
at time ‫ݐ‬௖ the inventory diminishes to zero level as shown in the
figure.
It includes fulfillment of economic needs such as food, cloth and shelter of
its members. A member or some members of the family arrange for
livelihood of the whole family. They also create and take care of the
family property.
(ii) Social Functions:
These functions include socialisation of children for the development of
personality and their education. Through the process of socialisation the
members learn their culture. The family moulds the behaviour of members
according to culture. Thus, family is an important agency through which
culture is transmitted to the present generation.
(iii) Religious and Cultural Functions:
The family provides religious training to its members. Children learn about
their customs, traditions, taboos, art, music and dancing from the family.
(iv) Health Related Functions:
The family looks after the health of its members. It also gives them the
knowledge about tribal system of medicine mostly based on herbs.
However, they have faith in magic, witchcraft, sorcery etc. for cure of
disease. Because they believe that diseases are caused by the bad spirits.
(v) Organisational Functions:
The tribal family happens to be the principal unit in the village organisation. Each family
contributes money, labour and personnel for the participation in the welfare of the village.
Finally it helps in the effective exploitation of the environment which is necessary for the
satisfaction of man’s more intimate needs like hunger.