Formas De Familia

Families in Iran: Changes, Challenges and Future

Taghi Azadarmaki
and
Mehri Bahar

INTRODUCTION

Family, as an institute, together with religion and politics, has always been a building block
of Iranian society. Even considering the institutional development in Iran since the beginning
of the 20* century, the three mentioned institutions have always shaped Iranian society
structureand social relationships. Throughout the past two centuries, Iranian families have
undergone significant changes due to the cultural, social, and political regeneration processes.
These changes in the family have not only been reflected on day-by -day lives but have also
been quite effective in relationship strategies among various institutions. Family has neither
only changed its extensive formnor found a nuclear shape but it has also included emotional
relationships. However, such families are facing major challenges such as increase in divorce
rate, delayed age of marriage, distress of marriage and intergenerational challenges. Thus,
this present essay focuses on the following issues: Research methods for studying families;
the history of families and historical changes that havetaken place through different periods;
characteristics of Iranian families; changes in families; generation and family; marriage and
changes associated with it; challenges and problems that families may encounter including
divorce, destruction and the future of the family in Iran.
STUDY ON FAMILY

A social study on family is of a substantially high significance compared to other socialissues and institutions, both due to the status of this institution among humanistic and
Iranian societies and also because of the role it plays in modernizing individuals in Iran.
Identification of history, changes and all problems in a complexity are associated with family.
Thus various approaches have been introduced in studies on Iranian Family.
1.

The first approach is more cultural andethical. It results from a vulnerable atmosphere
prevailing over the society has forced many people to defend the Islamic Iranian family
against various critical conditions. Thus numerous text books on families in Iran cover
subjects such as "Family and secrets of happiness" "Islamic view on family", "Youth
and family formation", "Women and men's problems", "Youth and family", "Problems
ofmarriage", which have been prepared and published since 1951. These books adopt
an advisory and ethical approach in reflecting positive aspects of family relationships
and its harms (BAHAR, 2005);

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Journal of Comparative Family Studies

2.

The second approach may be referred according to Salon Sociology. In Salon Sociology
or market Sociology, issues cover wide topics and allparticipants are regarded as
experts and authorities. However, in professional sociology only individuals with
necessary skills and who are expertises on related fields have authority and opportunity
to offer their opinion on families. In this approach, most obvious matters are taken for
granted and there is no need for research and inspection. Taking for granted — issues
such as family crisis,perversion from women and girls, disobedience from girls and
boys against their families, increase in divorce rate... on one hiand and faniily health,
mutual respect between parents and children and ( ?)... On the other hand, it comprises
two differing judgments about Salon Sociology point of view related to family, those
with bitter and unsuccessful experiences, talking about problems associatedwith family
and those with pleasant experiences on marriage and family regarding it as healthy. In
the year 2002, public media and newspapers reflected that society is facing a new
phenomenon called street women and girls and it was so reflected that all women and
girls living in cities were seen as perverted;

3.

The third is a professional and scientific approach. Systematic and...