Pathology of Erotic Marriage (Case Study: Women Applying for Divorce in Tehran City)

Erotic courtship and marriage as a type of mate selection increasing due to social changes and change in family functions. In this type of mate selection attention focused on body and physical capital and accordingly spouses enter to marriage market. Statistical data indicates parents’ role decrease in mate selection processes. It seems that socio- cultural changes and diffusion of new marriage patterns, as well as individualism caused such variation. The main objective of present article is to pathology of erotic courtship and marriage on family instability with emphasis on socio- cultural elements. The structural functionalism theory, Gidden’s pure relationship and modernization theory explain the theoretical model of research. Survey method applied for data collection. A sample of 180 female divorce applicants whom had erotic mate selection referring to Family Judicial Complex No. 2 in Tehran in the fourth quarter of the year 1400 (2021-2022) interviewed. Finding indicate 86% of respondents, realized that they could not continue it as soon as first three years of common life. 41.7% without consulting parents or any other person and based on individual decision get married. The findings show that the most important factors of family instability are nature of erotic marriage along with increasing individualism and decreasing parental authority as well as modernity. It seems that with the continuation of social and individual changes, Iranian society will face an increase in family instability in the future.