Abstract
Background & Objectives: Divorce rates are notably high in many regions worldwide, including Iran. It is crucial to understand the underlying factors driving these rates, as divorce has far–reaching effects beyond the couple, affecting children, extended family members, and the community. The social and emotional ramifications of divorce can resonate through generations, making it an important subject for investigation. The lived experience framework focuses on understanding individuals' subjective realities. In the case of couples seeking divorce, this approach aims to delve into their emotions, thoughts, and the circumstances that led to their decision to separate. By analyzing their stories and personal backgrounds, researchers can uncover common patterns and unique situations that contribute to the dissolution of marriages. Analyzing the connection between a couple's personal experiences and their family backgrounds is crucial for creating effective counseling and family therapy interventions. Understanding how family dynamics influence individual behaviors and perspectives within a marriage allows therapists and counselors to customize their strategies, address the underlying causes of marital discord, enhance communication skills, and promote healthier relationships.
Methods: This research is a qualitative study utilizing a phenomenological approach, conducted in 2023. The participants were couples seeking divorce who visited justice counseling centers in Yazd Province, Iran. A total of 12 couples were selected for interviews through purposive sampling from this group. The sample selection process involved conducting in–depth, semi–structured interviews until theoretical saturation was reached. Each interview, lasting 33–51 minutes per participant, was recorded and subsequently transcribed by the researcher. The inclusion criteria for participants in the study were as follows: having completed at least a third–grade education, being in their first marriage, having a desire to participate in the study, not having severe mental disorders, lacking significant physical illnesses, and not having addictions or infertility problems. The open–ended interview questions explored the anticipated consequences of divorce for various parties involved, including: A) the individual's own expected consequences; B) the expected consequences for their spouse; C) the expected consequences for their children; and D) the anticipated consequences for their extended family (parents and siblings), considering social, economic, familial, and psychological aspects. The participants in this interview answered two questions: "Based on your experience living with your spouse, what do you believe are the reasons for your divorce?" and "How much does your primary family's relationship with you or your spouse influence your decision to divorce?" The interviews aimed to delve deeply into the phenomenon, and the resulting data were analyzed using thematic analysis. To ensure the reliability of the codes and coding, the interview transcripts and coding results were provided to experts, and to examine the transferability of the data, participants with maximum diversity in demographic characteristics were selected.
Results: The female participants ranged in age from 23 to 57 years, with an average age of 36.51 years. The male participants ranged in age from 19 to 79 years, with an average age of 45.75 years. Overall, women tended to have higher educational backgrounds than men, with all participants having at least completed middle school and some having attained doctoral degrees. From the analysis of interview codes and themes related to couples seeking divorce, three main categories emerged: a) economic class and financial dependence, b) understanding cultural structures and roles in the primary family, and c) emotional and communication conflicts. One prominent theme identified was the financial and economic concerns that couples face when considering divorce. These included various issues such as disparities in economic backgrounds, financial dependence on family, and complications arising from remarriages.
Conclusion: According to the research findings, in the lived experiences of couples, the family of origin is involved in the formation of the divorce phenomenon across economic, cultural, social, and psychological dimensions and can be considered a solution for understanding and reducing it.