Factors Affecting Formation of Spouse Selection Criteria among Educated Young People In Ilam; A Grounded Theory

The aim of the current study was to present a grounded theory based on the factors affecting formation of spouse selection criteria. The study was conducted using a qualitative approach. Participants in the study included 24 young people seeking marriage in Ilam city who had referred to a premarital counseling center in 2020. These individuals were selected through purposive sampling method. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews. To analyze the data, the three-stage coding and classification method of grounded theory (Strauss and Corbin) were utilized. The results of the study showed that the categories self-concept and individual values as causal conditions, cultural factors, familial factors, and economic conditions of society as contextual conditions, media, marital experiences of significant others, direct and indirect personal experiences in social interactions, one’s social status and job requirements as intervening conditions, consulting with experienced people, receiving counseling and psychological services, and studying about psychology and counseling as strategies, and self-knowledge and awareness of the factors leading to successful marriage were identified as consequences of this model. Given the multiplicity and breadth of categories affecting the formation of the criteria, planners and policymakers in the field should provide the necessary facilities for holding educational programs and providing counseling services so as to pave the way for increasing the awareness and insight of young people in order to improve the quality of marriage.