Document Type : Research/Original/Regular

Authors

• Hossein Afrasiabi ¹
• Negin Malja ²
• Nasrin Babaeian ³

¹ Department of social sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.

² Department of Social Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.

³ Department of Social sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.

Abstract

One of the main reasons for divorce is the interference of extended family in a couple's marriage. This qualitative study aims to look into how couples seeking a divorce understand family-related interference. The study involved semi-structured interviews with 20 Yazdi couples on the brink of divorcing and who experienced serious marital difficulties, utilizing grounded theory approaches. Data were collected until saturation using convenient and purposeful sampling. Seven categories—continuity of dependency, parents' desire for happiness, multi-faceted differences, susceptibility of couples to interference, biased consultation, passive arousal, and imbalanced commitment—were extracted from the data. The central category has been defined as "erosive transition," denoting how the young couple comprehends and construes family-related intervention. Young couples experience a challenging transition as they establish an independent marital relationship, and their response to this transition significantly impacts their future outcomes and overall well-being. Examining the experiences of couples on the brink of divorce may raise the awareness and focus of specialists and helping professionals in the field of counseling, aiming to provide support and assistance to couples. Additionally, this can enhance the comprehension of couples and families regarding the impacts and contexts of interferences.

Highlights

Background and Purpose

  The marital adjustment holds significant importance in evaluating the stability and longevity of a marital relationship. Marital adjustment serves as the fundamental pillar of family dynamics, fostering a sense of happiness, satisfaction, and mutual fulfilment of needs among couples. This idea holds significant importance as a foundational element in marriage for several couples (Jardavi et al., 2022). Marital adjustment may be influenced by many factors, including the personality traits of the individuals involved, the educational status and environments they are living in, the meaning they attribute to the institution of marriage, as well as their educational background, views, and tendencies (Yavuz & Yıkmış, 2022). The level of adjustment between individuals in a relationship directly influences the quality of their relationship and the degree of closeness experienced by the couple. Hence, the level of marital adjustment could have a strong correlation with the degree of closeness between couples (Davood Vandi et al., 2018; Wagner et al., 2020; Farhadi et al., 2020).

To elucidate, the presence of strong marital intimacy serves as a positive component that has the potential to enhance emotional stability for both spouses while also serving as a safeguard within their relationship (Lee et al., 2021). The regulation of emotions within a romantic partnership is a significant aspect associated with the development of intimacy.Couples that can effectively manage their emotions tend to experience greater levels of marital satisfaction and adjustment, fostering a sense of intimacy between partners (Mazzuca et al., 2019). Mirgain and Cordova (2007) propose that the satisfaction of couples can be influenced by emotion regulation skills, which in turn impact marital intimacy. Given the significance of couples' relationships in the establishment of both the family unit and society at large, along with the dearth of comprehensive research on the factors influencing marital adjustment, intimacy, and emotional control, the primary objective of this study is to examine the association between emotional control and marital adjustment, while considering the mediating influence of intimacy.

Method

The present study employed the qualitative-interpretive approach and the constructive grounded theory method (Charmez, 2014) for its implementation. Newman (1997:234) posits that grounded theory is a method of inductive inquiry utilized to comprehend a given phenomenon. Strauss and Corbin (1990) describe grounded theory as the study of micro-level phenomena from everyday life. The site of the study is the city of Yazd, and the participants were divorce-seeking couples. The samples were selected using a purposeful and convenient method. Twenty participants between the ages of 20 and 40 with a diploma or doctoral degree and personal experience with family participation were interviewed. After each interview, the researchers carefully read and coded the transcriptions. During the initial coding phase, the participants' statements were systematically analyzed on a line-by-line basis, with each relevant and meaningful segment being assigned a corresponding conceptual label. After preliminary examination, comparable and closely related concepts were combined, and the initial classifications were established. The process of focused coding involved the grouping of primary categories, resulting in the identification of seven main categories that were deemed most significant based on the data analyzed.

Results

In the process of data analysis, seven main categories emerged: continuity of dependency, parents' desire for happiness, multi-faceted differences, susceptibility of couples to interference, biased consultation, passive arousal, and unbalanced commitment. We also considered the erosive transition as a central category.

During the data analysis process, seven primary categories were identified: continuity of dependency, parental desire for happiness, multi-faceted differences, susceptibility of couples to interference, bias in consultation, passive arousal, and uneven commitment. The erosive transition was also regarded as a central category.

Continuity of dependency: Certain individuals may struggle to detach from their familial ties even after years of marriage and may seek support when encountering challenges within their marital relationship. This dependency impedes an individual's ability to form a satisfactory relationship with their partner.

Parents' desire for happiness: The majority of the participants indicate that the parents are preoccupied with ensuring a high quality of life for their children. Parents typically do not perceive their conduct and opinions regarding their children's life as intrusive but rather as a means of aiding the child in enhancing their quality of life.

Multi-faceted difference: The difference between couples in different dimensions is one of the most important areas for forming family interference in the couple's life. The difference is natural, but when it expands significantly, it provides the ground for intense interference and conflict.

Susceptibility of couples to interference: the analysis of the lived experience of the participating couples suggests that the qualities and ways of communication of young couples significantly influence the contexts under which parents and families intervene in their affairs. The interference of third parties in the marital affairs of couples is often instigated by the couples themselves.

Biased consultation: The majority of couples got caught in the interference trap while seeking advice from those around them. Their intention was to consult, but the boundaries of the consultation were frequently violated, leading to interference.

Passive arousal: In certain instances, the objectionable behavior and actions of one member of a romantic relationship have elicited worry in their social circle. Deviant behavior within the family structure can lead to dissatisfaction among the involved parties, thereby creating a foundation for external intervention by individuals in the surrounding community.

Unbalanced commitment: Couples who were caught in the trap of interference and conflicts mostly considered their partner as a person who did not accept enough responsibility for their marital life. This non-acceptance of the commitment to living together has two main dimensions: the commitment to the privacy and issues that happen in the family and between couples and the commitment to the duties in the common life.

Discussion & Conclusion

Based on the research results, it can be suggested that young couples experience a form of being trapped and transition, coupled with burnout, in the context of interference and the consequent emergence of conflicts. The erosive transition refers to the period during which young couples are in the process of disengaging from their families and establishing their own autonomous families. This developmental phase is often accompanied by various challenges and obstacles.

It is challenging to differentiate them from their family of origin and establish a self-sufficient family entity. The act of getting married and establishing a new family unit involves the process of transitioning from an extended family structure to a nuclear family. Newlywed couples want to build a new social unit, and this is not an easy process. Separating from a family unit characterized by attachments and dependencies, and establishing a new family and sub-system, is known to present numerous challenges and issues for both young couples and families, as well as parents.

The challenge of finding one's place within the family and communication system is not easily navigated by both the younger couple and their parents. The aforementioned occurrence and process can be identified as an erosive transition. This refers to a circumstance that causes individuals to experience fatigue and exhaustion, which can be attributed to many factors.

Keywords

• Family interference
• Divorce
• Marriage
• Marital disputes
• Marital conflicts

Main Subjects

• divorce