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Unlock This CourseThe lesson Family Life: Types of Family, Roles and Responsibilities explained the types of family, duties between generations and non-religious views. This lesson looks at what Hindus teach about family life, and at how Hindu communities support it.
In the lesson Dharma and the Four Ashramas you met the grihastha (householder) stage. Hindus say that this stage supports all the others. Students in the first stage, retired people in the third and those who have given up home life in the fourth all depend on householders for food, shelter and support. Householders also earn money, bring up children and keep society going. So the family is not just a private matter. It is how dharma is carried out and passed on.
Many Hindus live in an extended family. In India this is often called a joint family: grandparents, parents, children and sometimes aunts, uncles and cousins share a home or live close together and share the work, the money and the care.
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Parents feed, clothe and protect their children, make sure they are educated, and set a good example. Hindu parents also teach dharma, tell the stories of the scriptures and take children to worship. Hindus see this as part of the householder's duty.
Children are expected to respect and obey their parents and teachers, work hard and, when they are grown up, look after their parents. Many Hindu children greet elders by touching their feet as a sign of respect.
Respect and care for elders is a strong Hindu value. Grandparents are valued for their wisdom and experience. Many Hindu families expect older relatives to be cared for at home, not sent away, which is easier in a joint family. Elders also pass on dharma, stories and worship at home. A grandmother may teach a child a prayer or tell the story of a festival, and the family may worship together at the home shrine. In this way each generation hands religion on to the next.
Family life is changing for Hindus, and it is not the same in every country.
Hindus do not all agree about these changes. Some worry that family bonds and respect for elders are weakening. Others say that the values of dharma, care and respect can be kept in any kind of family.
Hindu communities help families to keep together and to bring up children in the faith. Much of this happens at the mandir.
Many mandirs run classes in which children learn the scriptures, prayers, music, dance and often a language such as Hindi. They also meet other Hindu children.
Festivals such as Navaratri (nine nights of worship in autumn) and Holi (the spring festival of colours), and family events, bring many families together. Children see their religion as joyful and shared.
Some mandirs and Hindu organisations run youth groups, trips and camps. Young people can make friends and ask questions about their faith.
Families can also turn for advice to elders in the community, to priests and to a guru. They may ask for help over a family quarrel, a decision about a marriage or caring for an older relative. Their advice is often about dharma and about keeping the family at peace. Support like this can be especially helpful for families far from relatives.
Question: outline one way a Hindu community supports family life. Point: the mandir runs classes for children. Develop: they learn prayers, scriptures and the language of their family, so each new generation keeps its religion.
(a) Identify three duties of children in a family. [3 marks]
(b) Choose one religion. Outline two ways in which religious communities help to keep families together. [4 marks]
(c) Choose one religion. Explain why family life is important in this religion. [6 marks]
(d) 'Religious communities do more than anyone else to keep families together.' Evaluate this statement, showing you have considered different points of view. In your answer you should refer to at least one religion. [12 marks]
(a) 1. Respect their parents (1). 2. Obey their parents (1). 3. Care for their parents when they are old (1).
(b) Hinduism: the mandir runs classes for children (1), where they learn prayers, scriptures and the language of their family (1). Hindu families can ask elders, priests or a guru for advice (1), for example when there is a family quarrel, so that the family is kept at peace (1).
(c) Family life is important in Hinduism for several reasons. First, the householder (grihastha) stage supports all the other stages, because students, retired people and those who have given up home life depend on householders for food and shelter. Second, the family is where dharma is carried out. Parents have a duty to bring up children well and teach them dharma, stories and worship at home. Third, family life teaches respect and care, as children respect their parents and look after elders, who pass religion on to the next generation. This means that the family keeps the religion alive and keeps society going, which is why Hindus value it so highly.
(d) Plan. For the statement: Hindu communities run classes, youth groups, festivals and family events through the mandir; elders, priests and gurus give advice when families are in trouble; they give support to families far from relatives. Against: the family itself does the most, as parents teach children at home and grandparents pass on dharma; the law, doctors, charities and friends also help families; non-religious groups, such as counselling services and humanists, also support family life; some families do not use the mandir at all. A possible conclusion: 'more than anyone else' is too strong. Religious communities give important help, especially in keeping faith and culture alive, but the family itself and wider society also play a big part. Communities help most when they work with families rather than replace them.
In part (b), name a specific Hindu way, such as mandir classes or advice from a guru, and develop it by saying what it achieves for the family. A general answer such as 'they help' earns nothing.