Study of the Role of Family Factors in the Return Anxiety of Female Students Living in a Dormitory

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the effective familial factors in the anxiety of going home of female college students living in dormitories. In order to understand the familial factors, the study was qualitative and used a phenomenological approach. The statistical population of the study consists of single female students living in a dormitory who were pursuing a master's degree at Allameh Tabatabaei University in Tehran Province and graduated at the end of the academic year 2017-2018. Among these female students, 10 samples were selected by purposive sampling method, snowball sampling method and their perceptions of effective factors related to family in anxiety of going home were investigated through semi-structured interviews. The results were examined. The seven-step method was used to analyze the results. Data analysis resulted in the identification of 24 primary concepts that were classified into 12 subthemes. From the reclassification of these themes, 4 major themes or topics emerged such as dysfunctional family communication style, confused family boundaries, and lack of effective decision making. Inefficient parenting styles were identified and the research results were classified and tabulated. The results show that ineffective parenting styles in each of the areas of communication style, family boundaries, decision making, and kindness styles lead to anxiety about going home among female dormitory students. Therefore, by informing families, especially in the context of family education in public media and children's schools, it is possible to increase the likelihood of female college students going home and lay the foundation for the stability of the family institution.

Keywords

• family factors
• anxiety
• homecoming
• students living in a dormitory