Many people who live in modern society today have benefited from social improvements which have changed the overall quality of life for the better. We are now living in an age of increased life expectancy, better access to health care, social services, technology, mobility, and far more human rights and freedoms than ever before. Two quotes illustrate this phenomenon. Tradition is a fragile thing in a culture built entirely on the memories of the elders ". "Modernity exists in the form of desire to wipe out whatever came earlier, in hope of reaching at least a point that could be called a true present, a point of origin that marks a new departure. There seems to be more of an emphasis on individual freedoms and responsibility compared to past traditions where ones family group and its objectives took far more precedence. The story of the Sarakatsan's family as well as my own personal experiences growing up in a traditional East Indian family illustrate the impact and enormous benefits that social improvements have had on our society, and countries in southeast Asia such as India.
In traditional East Indian families, there was a very strong emphasis in the importance of the family group. The welfare of the group including extended family was of a far higher priority than that of any one individual within it. It was important that every single family member aspired to preserve and protect the family, often at the expense of one's own happiness and goals. Outsiders not belonging to the family were viewed with suspicion, and any interference from them in family matters would lead to much resentment towards them. This form of "us" versus them" approach affected everything from the role of men versus women, to how much individual freedom one had as well as the differences between acceptable and unacceptable social values, and the consequences of breaking taboos.
The honor and reputation of the family within the larger social community was to be protected at all costs.