Life Experiences of Girls Facing Delayed Marriage and the Typology of its Coping Strategy

Abstract

Abstract: For various reasons, the delay in marriage (whether based on social norms or on the basis of self-perceptions) has become a living experience for some girls and boys, but due to the biological differences and cultural coordinates of the Iranian community, this may create a different situation for girls. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to study the life experiences of girls facing marriage delays and strategies for dealing with them. This study has adopted a qualitative methodology, using deep and semi-structured interviews for data collection and a thematic analysis method for analyzing the data. To this end, interviews with 20 girls aged over 30 living in the city of Karaj were carried out and theoretical saturation was obtained. The research findings are described in two main aspects of life experiences and typology of exposure strategies. The results of the research indicate that girls are in conflict with tradition and modernity. On the one hand, with the adoption of modern values, their marriage age has increased and on the other hand, the traditional Iranian society does not recognize these cultural and value changes, which has caused problems for girls and has given them the experience of social pressure due to their delay in marriage. Keywords: Life Experience, Girls, Delayed Marriage, Iran, Thematic