“Joint family is a group of kins of several generations, ruled by a head, in which there is a joint residence, common kitchen and property, where members are bound with each other by natural obligation”.

1. Iravati Karve (Kinship Organization in India): “A joint family is a group of people who ‘ generally live under one roof, who eat food cooked at one hearth, who hold property in common, participate in common family worship and are related to each other as some particular type of kindred”. 

2. K.M. Kapadia (Marriage and Family in India):“Joint Family is a group formed not only of a couple and their children but also other relations either from father’s side or from mother’s side depending on whether the joint family is patrilineal or matrilineal.”

1. Depth of Generations: Joint family consists of people of three or more generations including grandparents, parents, and children. Sometimes, other kins such as uncles, aunts, cousins and great grandsons also live in a joint family.

2. Common Roof: Henry Maine called the joint family a ‘Greater Home’. Members of the joint family normally reside together under the same roof. It is a place to uphold the family Heritage. It is a place for Socio, Economic, Religious, Entertainment, etc. Due to the scarcity of accommodation, members of the joint family may reside separately. Still, they try to retain regular contacts and the feeling of belonging to the same family. They have emotional and economic links with the original family.

3. Common Kitchen: Members eat the food prepared jointly at the; common kitchen. Normally, the eldest female member of the family (the wife of the Karta) supervises the work at the kitchen. Rest of the female members are engaged in different kitchen duties. A single kitchen under a common roof is a unique element of joint family.

4. Common Worship: Joint family derives its strength from religion. Hence, it is associated with various religious rituals and practices. Every family may have its own deity or ‘Kula devata’ and its own religious traditions. Members of the family take part in common worship, rites and ceremonies. At least once a year, they join other members to take part in festivals, feasting, marriage ceremonies and so on.

5. Common Property: The members hold a common property. As O’ Malley writes: “The joint family is a co-operative institution similar to a joint stock company in which there is a joint property”. The total earnings of the members are pooled into a common purse of the family and family expenses are met out of that.

6. Exercise of Authority: In the patriarchal joint family usually the eldest male member known as ‘Karta’ exerscises authority. The super-ordination of the eldest member and the subordination of all the other members to him is a keynote of the joint family. His commands are normally obeyed by others. Karta ruled his family by love and affection. Similarly, in the matriarchal joint family the eldest female (matriarch) member exercises the supreme authority.

7. Arranged Marriages: In the joint family, the elders consider it as their privilege to arrange the marriages of the members. The individual’s right to select his/her life-partner is neglected. The younger members rarely challenge their decisions and arrangements. But now-adays, selecting a life partner to a family member is more democratic in nature.

8. Identification with Mutual rights and obligations towards the Family: Every member has his own duties and obligations towards the family. The family in turn, protects the interests, and promotes the welfare of all. The senior members of the family act as the guide for junior members.

9. Self-Sufficiency: Joint family is relatively self-sufficient. It used to meet the economic, recreational, medical, educational and other needs of the members. Today no other type of family is self-reliant that way today.