Modern Lives

            In modern times there have been many changes in social conditions which have affected the institution of the family. The family is no longer the unit for production. Production is now undertaken by industrial and commercial institutions. At one time children used to be regarded as an economic asset since they worked with the adults and started to earn very early. Today even children from poor families spend more time in school provided by the state, and are regarded as a liability rather than an asset.

           In most countries women today play a different role; they are no longer confined to the home. Men and women together share the responsibilities of child-care, education and earning a livelihood. The close circle of kin related to the family by blood or by marriage is not as close as it used to be. This is largely because all the members of a family no longer follow a trade or profession together, nor do they always live in close physical proximity.