Rural Women&#039;s Lived Experience of Early Marriage  (A Study in the Villages of the Central District of Farsan County, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province)

BABAEI, OMID

doi:10.30465/scs.2025.51306.2982

Rural Women's Lived Experience of Early Marriage (A Study in the Villages of the Central District of Farsan County, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province)

Articles in Press

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Author

OMID BABAEI

Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran

10.30465/scs.2025.51306.2982

Abstract

Early marriage is a social and cultural phenomenon that occurs as a common reality in women's lives in less developed societies, especially in rural areas. The present study, using a qualitative and phenomenological approach, examines the lived experiences of rural women who married at a young age (under 18 years). The aim of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of the feelings, attitudes, and challenges that these women face. The participants in this study are fourteen rural women from the central part of Farsan County, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, who were selected through purposive sampling based on theoretical saturation. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Colaizzi's method was used for data analysis, and peer feedback and member checking were employed to ensure research validity. After compiling a list of women’s key statements about early marriage, the main themes of the study – “Early marriage as forced marriage”, “Early marriage as a social value”, “Early marriage as a form of structural violence”, “Early marriage as a strategy”, “Pressure of social roles” and “Identity challenges” – were extracted and described.

Keywords

Lived Experience

Early Marriage

Phenomenology

Child Marriage

Farsan County

Subjects