Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 1. Ph.D. Candidate in Counseling Psychology, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Aras International Campus, University of Tehran, Jolfa, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
3 Associate Professor, Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, Center for Research and Development in Humanities (SAMT), Tehran, Iran
4 Associate Professor, Department of Educational Administration and Planning, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Iran's Statistical Center reports that the marriage-to-divorce ratio in 2021 was 3 to 1. It mentions that most divorces occur between 1 and 5 years of marriage. The social and cultural implications of these reports and the emphasis of most existing studies on divorce risk factors necessitate an in-depth analysis of the process and factors contributing to the sustainability of cohabitation of Iranian couples concerning the Family Protection and Young Population Act. Accordingly, the paper explores life stability among Iranian couples. So, 11 Iranian couples were selected using the criteria and snowball sampling methods. Semistructured interviews were conducted based on Strauss and Corbin's grounded theory and systematic design. Following the sequential review and data comparison, 350 primary codes, 25 subcategories, and eight categories were extracted from causal, contextual, interventional-environmental, and strategy and outcome conditions. Among the categories, assigning agency to the eligibilities concerning marriage durability was the main category. Sustainable life is a multi-level and multi-dimensional phenomenon influenced by various pre- and post-marriage factors. Sustainable life is not an event but a trend and a process forged under the influence of psychological-personality factors, ethics, and values, joined by the individual, paired contexts, employment, and income; one that, with favorable and essential areas can assist couples to adopt effective strategies in different real-world scenarios through interactive and sociocultural factors and family conditions, and thrive individually and socially. If couples take a route through interaction, they will experience a lasting marriage life in quantity (over 20 years) and quality.
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