زنان و پویش‌های هویت شخصی تجربه طلاق در شهرستان اسلام آباد غرب

Objective
The family unit, as the first and most fundamental social structure, plays a decisive role in organizing individual and collective life. However, in the modern era, this institution faces more serious challenges than ever before. One of the most significant is the phenomenon of divorce, which has been on a rising trend in Iran over recent decades. This study focuses on the city of Islamabad-e Gharb in Kermanshah province to explore women's lived experiences of divorce and the factors contributing to it. The importance of this research lies in its specific context: the study area, despite its traditional ethnic and cultural structures, is undergoing rapid transformations due to modernity and expanding global communication. These changes have directly impacted the institution of the family and marital relationships. Theoretically, this research is based on the ideas of Anthony Giddens, particularly his concept of the "pure relationship." Giddens argues that in modern societies, the continuity of marital life is no longer based on economic obligations or traditional pressures but on foundations like love, intimacy, and the realization of individuality. The main goal of this research is to explain how the absence of these foundations and the emergence of new demands for individual identity contribute to the rising divorce rate in a semi-traditional society like Islamabad-e Gharb.
Methodology
This study was conducted with a qualitative approach, using in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The research population included women and men who have experienced divorce or are on the verge of separation. Sampling was purposeful and continued until theoretical saturation was reached, with 16 individuals ultimately being studied. The collected data were analyzed through a process of primary and secondary coding, where key concepts were extracted from the interview transcripts, categorized, and finally transformed into main themes. The primary criterion for analysis was to understand the meanings and feelings of the participants regarding their divorce experiences and to represent them within Giddens' theoretical framework. This method allowed for the disclosure of the complex, multi-layered dimensions of divorce in a specific socio-cultural context.
Findings
The results of the research show that divorce in Islamabad-e Gharb is the product of the interaction of a set of conditions and lived experiences of women and men within a particular cultural and social environment.
One prominent factor was the structural dominance of men in the family and women's experience of suppressed individuality. In such structures, major decisions are in the hands of men, and women are often considered to lack agency or choice. This experience was accompanied by feelings of powerlessness, being ignored, and having their wishes and opinions disregarded, leading to tension and separation.
Another significant factor was the lack of love and intimacy in marital relationships. Unlike traditional models where marriage was defined by economic arrangements and social pressures, participants emphasized that in the current conditions, only a pure relationship based on love can guarantee the continuation of a shared life. Even couples with favorable economic status decided to separate due to the absence of emotional connection.
The desire for self-realization also played a key role in women's decisions to end their marriages. Many of them saw marriage as an opportunity to escape family constraints and develop their personal talents, but in practice, they faced even greater limitations imposed by their husbands. This dissatisfaction led to divorce as a way to regain identity and personal independence.
Other notable findings included the experience of early and child marriages. Women entered married life at a young age without psychological and social readiness, left their education unfinished, and faced challenges in fulfilling the roles of wife or mother due to a lack of necessary skills. This situation pushed them toward separation.
Domestic violence was also frequently mentioned in the narratives. Women spoke of verbal, psychological, and physical violence, emphasizing that this violence deprived them of a sense of security and peace. This abuse often had generational roots, and the experience of violence in their parents' families contributed to the continuation of this cycle.
Some women also spoke of forced marriages, which occurred under family or socio-economic pressure and lacked mutual consent and affection. This instability weakened the relationship from the very beginning and made divorce inevitable.
In some narratives, infidelity and extramarital relationships were raised as a consequence of the lack of love and intimacy. Women stated that in the absence of their husbands' affection, they gradually became inclined toward other relationships or faced their husbands' infidelity. The rise of social media also provided a suitable platform for the formation of these relationships, exacerbating the marital crisis.
Finally, differences in the socialization process for girls and boys were identified as another contributing factor to divorce. The different expectations of families and society regarding gender roles led to conflicting attitudes in married life, and these conflicts resulted in a rift and separation.
Overall, the findings indicate that divorce in Islamabad-e Gharb is the result of a confluence of multiple factors: from traditional and patriarchal structures to cultural changes brought by modernity, and from the experience of violence and unwanted marriages to the desire for independence and self-realization. Each of these factors, either alone or in interaction with one another, has brought the family institution into crisis.
Conclusion
The data analysis shows that divorce in Islamabad-e Gharb, beyond economic issues or institutional weaknesses, is rooted in cultural and identity transformations. The new generation of women, compared to previous generations, has more agency in defining their individual identity and is less willing to accept traditional roles. On the other hand, late modernity, with the expansion of communication, the emergence of media, and increased individual awareness, has created new expectations for marital life—expectations that quickly lead to a crisis if love, intimacy, and mutual respect are absent.
Based on Giddens' theory, it can be concluded that the continuation of marital life in today's society requires the realization of a pure relationship—a relationship that will only be sustainable with mutual consent and love. Therefore, forced marriages, child marriages, and relationships based on patriarchal structures are increasingly prone to collapse.
Ultimately, the present research shows that the rising divorce rate in Islamabad-e Gharb is in line with the major trends of modernity in Iran. The emergence of a generation that desires independence, self-realization, and the experience of pure love has meant that marriage is no longer accepted merely as an institution for survival or adherence to tradition. Therefore, divorce should be analyzed not only as a social pathology but as a manifestation of the struggle between tradition and modernity and between collective obligations and individual desires.
Accordingly, social policies in the family domain, if they aim to reduce the divorce rate, must focus on teaching life skills, strengthening dialogue between couples, supporting women in their pursuit of self-realization, and re-evaluating educational and socialization patterns. Only under such conditions can we expect the family institution to become more resilient to the pressures of late modernity and for a stable balance to be established between individual desires and collective obligations