Journal of Woman and Family Studies
The Tradition of Marriage Meditation: from Problem Identification to Educational Empowerment (Case Study: Marriage Meditation in Mashhad)
Document Type : Research/Original/Regular
Authors
1 Faculty member of Razavi University of Islamic Sciences,Mashhad,Iran
2 Bachelor's degree, Master of Educational Management, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
3 Bachelor's degree, Master of Educational Management, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
Abstract
Marriage mediation is one of the traditional processes in starting a family. Revival and strengthening of marriage meditation through educational empowerment of mediators has an effective role in facilitating marriage and preventing the harm of divorce. Accurate understanding of marriage mediation problem and needs is a one of the main prerequisites of the effective educational empowerment. Therefore, this study by using a mixed method seeks to identify problems and needs of marriage mediation in Mashhad and its relationship with educational empowerment from the perspective of family experts. At the first, the focus group was conducted and then a researcher-made questionnaire was designed and was distributed between 600 of 996 marriage meditators. According to the results, needs such as "the ideological awareness and commitment of the marriage mediator, the ability to assess the readiness of the girl and the boy for marriage in terms of social and emotional maturity, effective communication, the issue of verification, etc." were most prevalent. Also, interview to experts in order to more accurate examination of educational needs and its relationship to educational empowerment highlighted priorities such as "the skill of detecting the readiness and maturity of the individual for marriage, being in the same level, the patterns of introducing the girl and the boy in the marriage mediation, the skills of effective communication, art of expression, etc." Finally, according to the obtained information, an initial model for empowerment of marriage mediators in three level introductory, semi-specialized and specialized were suggested by the present study researchers.
Highlights
Results
In relation to Question 1, findings showed that the most mentioned educational needs of marriage mediators are as follows: (1) The ideological awareness and commitment of the mediator, (2) The ability to assess the couple's readiness for marriage in terms of social and emotional maturity, (3) the skill of verifying and obtaining reliable information from families, (4) effective communication skills, (5) Psychological knowledge and personality appraisal of a couple. On the other hand, the least mentioned educational needs of marriage mediators are as follows: (1) Knowledge Acquisition about doing mediation in cyberspace, (2) Knowledge about characteristics of a good mediator, (3) Familiarity with misleading ideologies, (4) knowledge about with traditional medicine, and (5) Knowledge about laws and potential risks of marrying immigrant citizens.
In Question 2, we studied its relevance to educational empowerment from the specialist perspective of marriage and divorce experts. The extracted themes are as follows: ''Criteria and principles of an easy and successful marriage'', models of introducing candidates in mediation process'', ''the skill of recognizing individual' readiness and maturity for marriage'', ''basic knowledge of candidates' psychological and personality problems to help and refer high-risk cases to a counselor'', ''mental health of a mediator'', the do's and don'ts of courtship'', and ''the principles and rules of teamwork and networking in facilitating youth marriage''.
Conclusion
Finally, researchers proposed, based on the summarization of this information, "the model of mediator empowerment in Mashhad in three levels of introductory, semi-professional and professional." It is worth mentioning that this initial model is based on the collecting experiences and repeated reviewing of data obtained from the mediation study in Mashhad. Therefore, it is entirely context-dependent and can not be generalized to other contexts. It must be adapted to the cultural context of different cities and regions based on the influential variables (gender, history, and duration of mediation. Gray, education, etc.)
Keywords
Main Subjects
Extended Abstract
Background and purpose
With the arrival of modernity and its subsequent changes in technology, culture, and lifestyle, the ways of mate selection have been changed, and the traditional patterns gradually lost their efficiency and effectiveness, and in parallel with the diversity and breadth of human social life and the facilitation of communication at various levels, older patterns were replaced by new patterns in accordance with new requirements (Shahnavaz and Azamzadeh, 2019).
In addition, studies show that at this time, various social problems, especially in metropolises, have made the phenomenon of marriage a complex and ambiguous phenomenon. On the one hand, this situation has led to delays in marriage, which have various negative social consequences. On the other hand, the problematic state of marriage has weakened the family's foundation and has resulted in the spread of divorce (Kazemipour and Jafari, 2009).
Meanwhile, the city of Mashhad, as the first religious metropolis of Iran, despite demographic, economic, and cultural changes, has not been seriously immune from the problems related to delays in marriage and the growing trend of divorce (Hassani et al., 2014: 34). In such a situation, one of the significant factors in resolving the delay in marriage and helping to increase timely and informed marriage (facilitating marriage) is the revival and strengthening of traditional marriage processes in contrast to modern methods.
Marriage mediation is one of the traditional processes in family formation that its revival and strengthening through the educational empowerment of mediators has an influential role in facilitating marriage and preventing divorce. Since a precise understanding of the problems and needs of mediation is the prerequisite for effective empowerment, needs are identified and prioritized during the needs assessment process. Because education requires a budget and is based on the learner's needs, what seems vague is what exactly are the problems and needs of marriage mediators in the city of Mashhad in terms of education? And as a sub-question, how can we formulate educational problems and needs concerning educational empowerment?
Method
In the present study, a mixed-method design for collecting and analyzing data has been used to answer the question posed in the problem identification/educational needs assessment of marriage mediators in Mashhad. The population of this study consisted of 996 identified mediators in the city of Mashhad. In the first step of the research, we tried to select mediators with more experience in mediation. Through purposive sampling, 30 high experienced mediators (working as a mediator for 15 years or more), with more successful marriages (number of marriages not leading to divorce) by mediation and educated in psychology and counseling, were selected. Then, a focus group was formed. In the second step, to prioritize the educational needs and benefit from the ideas and experiences of more marriage mediators as the target population in designing the educational system, we also used a survey. The Questionnaires were purposefully distributed among 600 marriage mediators. A total of 300 questionnaires were returned and analyzed through SPSS software to determine the problems and needs of intermediaries, especially in education based on mediators' ideas. In the third step, we conducted a semi-structured interview with experts to capture their specialized ideas and perspectives and examine educational needs, which are the basis for formulating programs and content of the educational empowerment of marriage meditators. The data analysis and categorization, and discovery of categories and subcategories were performed using qualitative content analysis.
Results
In relation to Question 1, findings showed that the most mentioned educational needs of marriage mediators are as follows: (1) The ideological awareness and commitment of the mediator, (2) The ability to assess the couple's readiness for marriage in terms of social and emotional maturity, (3) the skill of verifying and obtaining reliable information from families, (4) effective communication skills, (5) Psychological knowledge and personality appraisal of a couple. On the other hand, the least mentioned educational needs of marriage mediators are as follows: (1) Knowledge Acquisition about doing mediation in cyberspace, (2) Knowledge about characteristics of a good mediator, (3) Familiarity with misleading ideologies, (4) knowledge about with traditional medicine, and (5) Knowledge about laws and potential risks of marrying immigrant citizens.
In Question 2, we studied its relevance to educational empowerment from the specialist perspective of marriage and divorce experts. The extracted themes are as follows: ''Criteria and principles of an easy and successful marriage'', models of introducing candidates in mediation process'', ''the skill of recognizing individual' readiness and maturity for marriage'', ''basic knowledge of candidates' psychological and personality problems to help and refer high-risk cases to a counselor'', ''mental health of a mediator'', the do's and don'ts of courtship'', and ''the principles and rules of teamwork and networking in facilitating youth marriage''.
Conclusion
Finally, researchers proposed, based on the summarization of this information, "the model of mediator empowerment in Mashhad in three levels of introductory, semi-professional and professional." It is worth mentioning that this initial model is based on the collecting experiences and repeated reviewing of data obtained from the mediation study in Mashhad. Therefore, it is entirely context-dependent and can not be generalized to other contexts. It must be adapted to the cultural context of different cities and regions based on the influential variables (gender, history, and duration of mediation. Gray, education, etc.)
Ethical Considerations
Compliance with ethical guidelines
This study is carried out following human research ethics.
Funding: The present study received no financial support from any organization or institution.
Authors’ contribution: Hossein Mehrabanifar is the first and corresponding author, Mahdieh Dezbord is the second author and Kobra Emami is the third author.
Conflict of interest: This study is not directly or indirectly in conflict with the personal interests of a particular organization.
Acknowledgments: We would like to thanks Astan Quds Razavi Center for Women and Family Affairs for their support, whose essential and influential role in motivating the idea of marriage mediation studies and facilitating the implementation process of the study.
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