Document Type : Original Article
Author
Assistance Professor, Department of Counseling and Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Hazrat-e Masoumeh University, Qom, Iran
Abstract
Objective: Early marriage among girls is a complex, multi-layered, and intertwined phenomenon shaped by the interaction amomg individual, familial, cultural, social, and structural factors. The aim of the present study was to identify the factors influencing early marriage among girls in rural areas of Zanjan Province, Iran.
Methods: This qualitative study employed a descriptive phenomenological approach and used thematic analysis based on Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-phase framework, guided by the Socio-Ecological Model. Participants included 13 girls with a history of early marriage and 13 key informants (school counselors and principals), selected purposively using snowball sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis method.
Results: The analysis identified 9 main themes and 26 sub-themes, categorized across four levels of the socio-ecological model: at the individual level, psychological-emotional needs and cognitive-emotional immaturity in decision-making; at the interpersonal/family level, reproduction of family patterns and patriarchal family dominance; at the community level, social norms and traditions and stereotypical media representations of women's roles; and at the structural/policy level, educational limitations and inadequate awareness, absence of legal and social protection, and economic poverty and pressures.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that early marriage is not merely the outcome of girls' individual choices, but rather the product of intertwined interaction of cultural, economic, and institutional structures in the rural areas of Zanjan. By providing a localized portrayal of this phenomenon, the study can inform the design of multilevel preventive interventions for policymakers, health professionals, educators, and counselors.
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