MIXED SIGNALS - THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE FAMILY

The International Year of the Family, 1994 provided an opportunity to rethink on the theme of 'family' which has been relatively neglected i n social science discourse for years. This paper discusses some propos itions regarding the role of the family in modern societies which now seem questionable from one point of view or another. The author takes a closer look at the official rhetoric of IYF as contained in the UN d ocument and critically analyses the documents prepared to commemorate the year in India.