Extended Abstract

Introduction

Recent economic and social changes in Iran have led to fundamental changes in the norms and values ​​related to marriage, especially the delay in the age of marriage and the transformation of the criteria for choosing a spouse. Marriage, as the most important institution of society, has biological, emotional, psychological, economic, and social dimensions, and its benefits and disadvantages encompass the entire society. The relative transition of Iranian society from tradition to modernity has changed this phenomenon. Based on the data of the civil registration (2013-2023) , the average age of marriage in the whole country and West Azerbaijan has increased by about one year. Also, the crude marriage rate and the ratio of marriage to divorce have decreased by almost half, which has been accompanied by a decrease in the crude fertility rate. The attitude towards marriage, which is shaped by socialization factors and surrounding conditions, has changed under the influence of modernization, increasing women's education, and their financial independence. Factors such as economic pressures, individualistic lifestyles, and increased emotional expectations have negatively affected people's attitudes and caused them to postpone marriage. The aim of the present study is to analyze the attitude of unmarried youth in Urmia city towards marriage and to identify the structural and cultural factors affecting their criteria for choosing a spouse. Because the decline of marriage will have serious demographic and psychological consequences such as reduced fertility, depression and reduced motivation in old age.

Methodology and Data

The present study, using a survey research method with a questionnaire, examined the attitude of youth aged 18 to 30 in Urmia city (a community of 150,000 people). Using the Cochran formula, the sample size of 384 people from 5 districts of the city was determined by cluster sampling. The main variables measured included attitude towards marriage, religiosity and individualism with a Likert scale and reliability coefficients of 0. 74 to 0. 81

Finding

The average age of the sample is 25 years. The appropriate age for marriage was estimated to be 24 for girls and 29 for boys. Girls tended to marry after education and boys after employment. In choosing a spouse, "I myself, after consulting my family" (57. 1%) played the main role. The most important criterion for choosing a spouse was being kind. Factor analysis showed that the factor “moral characteristics of the spouse” (with the highest factor loading for “being calm”) was the most important component, covering about 30% of the variance. In terms of young people’s attitudes towards marriage, 19% were negative, 66% were intermediate, and 15% were positive. Multivariate regression confirmed that individualism had a negative effect, and religious obligations and the spouse’s socioeconomic status had a positive effect on attitudes towards marriage.

Discussion and Conclusion

The phenomenon of delayed marriage among young people in Iran is a complex socio-demographic challenge rooted in profound structural changes in society. These changes include a significant increase in women’s education levels, the spread of urbanization, increased cultural diversity, and most importantly, economic problems and unemployment among graduates. Specifically, people with higher social statuses (education and modern job roles) tend to marry at an older age due to the importance they attach to individual freedom. In the theoretical framework, the transformation from family-centered values ​​to individual-centered values ​​and from the institution of marriage to relationship-centered values ​​leads to evasion of institutionalized marriage obligations. According to Tryandys' theory, the increase in individualism in unmarried young people negatively and strongly affects their attitude towards marriage. Because individualistic culture values ​​independence and considers marriage risky. On the contrary, young people who have a more collectivist value orientation show a more positive attitude towards this institution. The decision to marry is also considered a type of investment from the perspective of exchange theory. In this regard, the desired socio-economic status of the spouse (as a capital) is a strong positive driver on the attitude towards marriage. In the Iranian-Islamic cultural context, the level of religiosity is still an important explanatory factor after individualism, and religious-religious capital affects the criteria for choosing a spouse. In the criteria for choosing a spouse, young people emphasize moral characteristics (such as being calm and kind) more than anything else. To strengthen a positive attitude and reduce the rigors of economic criteria, the proposed solutions require a combined approach:

• Integration of planning: The Ministry of Sports and Youth should effectively include socio-cultural categories in its programs alongside economic incentives.

• Targeted employment creation: Providing a sustainable and effective employment platform is essential to improving the socio-economic base of the future spouse.

·  Strengthening socialization: The spirit of collectivism should be strengthened among young people through educational and family environments, as well as membership in non-governmental organizations (NGO) , in order to combat extreme individualism.