The Burden of Expectations: Emotional Experiences of Sole Male Offspring in Evolving Family Systems

This study delves into the experiences of married men, particularly sole male offspring, who are living separated from their parents and are enduring the intergenerational conflict in Kashmir. The research adopts a qualitative approach. The findings suggest that separation may frequently reflect a broader shift away from traditional joint systems toward more individualized marital arrangements, and may result in conflict over issues of authority, responsibility, and belonging. The study emphasizes the role of conflict and emotional tension (and even feelings of guilt and societal pressure) that participants face when balancing filial and conjugal duties. It also reveals patterns of moral labeling and symbolic control, the relationship between perceptions of a shifting parental authority, and evolving notions of masculinity and autonomy. Poor communication and limited adaptation to the evolving nature of families further exacerbate these conflicts. The study suggests the need for family-based counseling, intergenerational dialogue platforms, and community awareness campaigns, including efforts to develop a balanced understanding of roles and expectations. The research examines the problem not in terms of individual responsibility but through the lens of changing social dynamics, thereby providing a more nuanced understanding of family change in contemporary Kashmir.