Class 6 Social Science Chapter 9, Family and Community, opens Theme D (Governance and Democracy) by examining joint and nuclear families, kinship terms across Indian languages, values of ahimsa, dana, seva and tyaga, and how rural, tribal and urban communities cooperate through traditions like the Bhil Halma and Chennai flood relief.
What Class 6 Social Science Chapter 9 Covers
Family Roles & Responsibilities compares joint families (multiple generations living together) and nuclear families, explores rich Indian kinship vocabulary (like chacha, tau, bua, mausi, mama), and illustrates through Shalini’s Onam story in Kerala how families practise cooperation, shared household duties and tyaga (sacrifice).
Community & Collective Action traces how communities share common spaces, water and forests through unwritten rules: the Bhil community’s Halma tradition in Jhabua (planting trees and digging water-harvesting trenches without payment), Kamal Parmar’s evening school for underprivileged children in Ahmedabad, and Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) in cities.
Exercises in Chapter 9
- Before we move on … chapter summary points and Questions, activities and projects.
- LET’S EXPLORE and THINK ABOUT IT classroom inquiry tasks.
Read Class 6 Social Science Chapter 9 Online
More Chapters
- Previous: Chapter 8: Unity in Diversity, or ‘Many in the One’
- Next: Chapter 10: Grassroots Democracy – Part 1: Governance
- Hindi medium: Class 6 Social Science Chapter 9 PDF in Hindi (Samaj ka Adhyayan)
- All Social Science chapters and the other Class 6 books: Class 6 NCERT books 2026-27
- All Class 1 to 12 NCERT Textbooks: NCERT Books PDF (Class 1–12)
FAQ
What is the Halma tradition of the Bhil community in Madhya Pradesh?
Halma is an ancient Bhil community tradition of coming together in times of crisis to serve Mother Earth and support fellow villagers—such as planting thousands of trees and digging rainwater-harvesting trenches without expecting payment.
What is the difference between a joint family and a nuclear family?
A joint family includes several generations living together under one roof (grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, children and cousins), whereas a nuclear family consists of a couple and their children (or a single parent and children).