Multigenerational living has been a touchstone of Indian culture for centuries, and it perfectly encapsulates our country’s ethos and values of collectivism. Unlike the West’s fixation with independence, ‘joint families’ prioritise togetherness across generations, and through life’s many changes.
In recent years, however, our multigenerational roots have come under undeniable fire. Experts have claimed that this living arrangement will disintegrate amidst economic growth and Indian urbanisation, but so far, the opposite has actually been true. Even now, single-person Indian households are an exception rather than a norm, and that leaves us to ask one question: Why is multigenerational living prevailing here, but not in the West? More importantly, what lessons could the West learn from this deeply-rooted cultural practice? Let’s consider that here.
# 1 – Financial Resilience
The financial struggles of Western lifestyles are well documented, and they’re only set to get worse. Experts especially highlight that the number of first-time home buyers in these countries is currently down to half of the historical norm. New generation buyers simply can’t afford to shoulder those property costs alone.
Multigenerational families, however, have the benefit of providing increased financial resilience that can’t be sniffed at. The pooling of household expenses and the increased preservation of familial wealth that’s possible from this way of living is of particular note, and has even historically served as a shock absorber for the Indian economy on the whole.
# 2 – The Benefit of Built-In Support
In the Western world, people are living to around 80 years of age on average, and roughly 10-12% of the population will enter an elderly care facility before reaching that age. Indian life expectancy is comparatively low for various reasons, but just 1% of our country’s elderly population currently reside in care homes. And even this is a relatively recent shift.
We again have multigenerational living to thank for this difference, with the vast majority of elderly people being cared for by their family members. In multigenerational households, help is always on hand, and it makes independence possible a lot later in life. This is a lesson the Western world has already learnt to some degree, as can be seen from solutions like in-home care or the constant contact made possible by devices like this Life Assure medical alert. But there’s still a lot of room to reduce the toll of isolation in old age, and closer family circles are an undeniably tempting solution.
# 3 – Evolution Without Compromise
Experts have been right about one thing – joint family living has undeniably changed in recent years. But, far from disintegrating India’s multigenerational approach altogether, these evolutions have advanced to cater to the benefits we love, while also providing the privacy that many modern couples or individuals now crave. For example, it’s now not unusual for families to cohabit in separate attached apartments, or to purchase houses on the same street, in lieu of actually living together.
The lesson? It’s entirely possible to meet modern needs without removing the support structures that young generations so sorely need to find their way in life.
