شمارۀ جدید فصلنامه (بهار 1405) منتشر شد
Volume 16, Issue 4 (12-2025)
Social Problems of Iran 2025, 16(4): 91-129 |
Back to browse issues page
Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
sabzehei M T, Afshar Kohan J, Ghodsi A M, Roshanpour A. (2025). Celibacy among Single Urban Middle-Class Men: (Case of Study of Men Living in Four Iranian Metropolis). Social Problems of Iran. 16(4), 91-129. doi:10.61882/jspi.16.4.91
URL: http://jspi.khu.ac.ir/article-1-3849-en.html
URL: http://jspi.khu.ac.ir/article-1-3849-en.html
1- Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamadan, Iran , m.sabzehei@basu.ac.ir
2- Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
2- Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
Abstract: (752 Views)
Abstract
This qualitative study, conducted in the grounded theory approach, offers an in-depth exploration of the attitudes and lived experiences of never-married men over the age of 30 residing in four major Iranian cities: Tehran, Tabriz, Mashhad, and Isfahan, in relation to the phenomenon of voluntary singleness. A total of 24 participants, all of whom had experienced prolonged singlehood, were selected through purposive and theoretical sampling. Data were collected via in-depth interviews and analyzed using Strauss and Corbin’s three-stage coding process, allowing for a comprehensive examination of the issue. Findings indicate that the tendency toward remaining single stems from a complex interplay of causal factors, including intellectual maturity, a preference for premarital relationships over permanent marriage, fear of commitment and the uncertain future of marriage, and the perceived loss of personal freedom. Contextual conditions—such as modern lifestyles and shifting perceptions of marriage—further reinforce this tendency. Meanwhile, social institutions such as the family and the state act as intervening forces by imposing customary and legal constraints that hinder the path to marriage. Consequences of this condition include the continuation of single living, increased loneliness, and a growing inclination toward relationships outside the formal framework of marriage. Overall, singleness in this study is conceptualized as a conscious choice and a strategy for preserving personal autonomy and self-actualization within the context of contemporary social transformations.
Extended Abstract:
As the research findings show, singlehood aligns with a set of modern cultural values within the urban middle class; values such as free choice, pleasure-based relationships, relative freedom from customary, religious, and legal constraints, and fluidity in marital relationships. These results are also in line with studies like that by Habibpour Gatabi and Ghafari (2016), which showed that educated women marry later because they base their decisions more on post-materialist values.
The results also signify the transition of the Iranian family from a traditional structure towards modern and postmodern forms. In this transition, new forms of cohabitation, such as cohabitation (albeit limited), are emerging in metropolises. However, traditional institutions like religion, family, and the state continue to resist these changes. Contrary to perspectives such as those of Beck and Castells, which observe reduced control over marriage in modernity, in Iran, the paternalistic religious state, with its strict laws (such as setting dowry and opposing informal relationships), still constitutes a barrier to family transformations.
These multilayered constraints not only fail to strengthen the family foundation but, by increasing the costs and risks of marriage, have contributed to the formation and reinforcement of the tendency toward singlehood. One possible strategy to facilitate marriage is the reduction and moderation of strict laws, including those concerning dowry, and the simplification of marriage traditions. Furthermore, re-evaluating traditional gender roles, especially in the economic provision for the family, and accepting shared responsibilities by both women and men, could lead to a rebalancing of the family system and a reduction in marriage obstacles.
Despite the relative prevalence of this lifestyle, single living is still not a desirable or universal substitute for the nuclear family, as it entails significant individual and social consequences. According to the findings of this research and other studies (such as Shahriari and Motiee-Tabar, 2022; Talebpour and Biramond, 2021), the individual consequences of singlehood include loneliness, feelings of rejection, isolation, and social alienation (especially for girls bearing cultural stigma). Its social consequences include a decline in marriage rates and the spread of relationships outside of marriage (cohabitation, sigheh [temporary marriage], prostitution, and patterns like sugar daddy/sugar baby arrangements and shower-bandi).
In conclusion, this research demonstrated that structural transformations in Iranian society, particularly within the urban middle class, have altered values, norms, lifestyles, and marriage patterns. Marriage can no longer be interpreted solely within a traditional framework. Singlehood is not an absolute social pathology, but rather a social, multifaceted, and to some extent natural phenomenon linked to urban living conditions. It should be viewed with an analytical and multi-layered perspective, not merely a normative or value-laden one.
This qualitative study, conducted in the grounded theory approach, offers an in-depth exploration of the attitudes and lived experiences of never-married men over the age of 30 residing in four major Iranian cities: Tehran, Tabriz, Mashhad, and Isfahan, in relation to the phenomenon of voluntary singleness. A total of 24 participants, all of whom had experienced prolonged singlehood, were selected through purposive and theoretical sampling. Data were collected via in-depth interviews and analyzed using Strauss and Corbin’s three-stage coding process, allowing for a comprehensive examination of the issue. Findings indicate that the tendency toward remaining single stems from a complex interplay of causal factors, including intellectual maturity, a preference for premarital relationships over permanent marriage, fear of commitment and the uncertain future of marriage, and the perceived loss of personal freedom. Contextual conditions—such as modern lifestyles and shifting perceptions of marriage—further reinforce this tendency. Meanwhile, social institutions such as the family and the state act as intervening forces by imposing customary and legal constraints that hinder the path to marriage. Consequences of this condition include the continuation of single living, increased loneliness, and a growing inclination toward relationships outside the formal framework of marriage. Overall, singleness in this study is conceptualized as a conscious choice and a strategy for preserving personal autonomy and self-actualization within the context of contemporary social transformations.
Extended Abstract:
- Introduction
- Methodology
- Findings
- Conclusion
As the research findings show, singlehood aligns with a set of modern cultural values within the urban middle class; values such as free choice, pleasure-based relationships, relative freedom from customary, religious, and legal constraints, and fluidity in marital relationships. These results are also in line with studies like that by Habibpour Gatabi and Ghafari (2016), which showed that educated women marry later because they base their decisions more on post-materialist values.
The results also signify the transition of the Iranian family from a traditional structure towards modern and postmodern forms. In this transition, new forms of cohabitation, such as cohabitation (albeit limited), are emerging in metropolises. However, traditional institutions like religion, family, and the state continue to resist these changes. Contrary to perspectives such as those of Beck and Castells, which observe reduced control over marriage in modernity, in Iran, the paternalistic religious state, with its strict laws (such as setting dowry and opposing informal relationships), still constitutes a barrier to family transformations.
These multilayered constraints not only fail to strengthen the family foundation but, by increasing the costs and risks of marriage, have contributed to the formation and reinforcement of the tendency toward singlehood. One possible strategy to facilitate marriage is the reduction and moderation of strict laws, including those concerning dowry, and the simplification of marriage traditions. Furthermore, re-evaluating traditional gender roles, especially in the economic provision for the family, and accepting shared responsibilities by both women and men, could lead to a rebalancing of the family system and a reduction in marriage obstacles.
Despite the relative prevalence of this lifestyle, single living is still not a desirable or universal substitute for the nuclear family, as it entails significant individual and social consequences. According to the findings of this research and other studies (such as Shahriari and Motiee-Tabar, 2022; Talebpour and Biramond, 2021), the individual consequences of singlehood include loneliness, feelings of rejection, isolation, and social alienation (especially for girls bearing cultural stigma). Its social consequences include a decline in marriage rates and the spread of relationships outside of marriage (cohabitation, sigheh [temporary marriage], prostitution, and patterns like sugar daddy/sugar baby arrangements and shower-bandi).
In conclusion, this research demonstrated that structural transformations in Iranian society, particularly within the urban middle class, have altered values, norms, lifestyles, and marriage patterns. Marriage can no longer be interpreted solely within a traditional framework. Singlehood is not an absolute social pathology, but rather a social, multifaceted, and to some extent natural phenomenon linked to urban living conditions. It should be viewed with an analytical and multi-layered perspective, not merely a normative or value-laden one.
Type of Article: Original Research |
Subject:
Family & Marriage
Received: 2025/03/4 | Accepted: 2025/08/4 | Published: 2026/01/28
Received: 2025/03/4 | Accepted: 2025/08/4 | Published: 2026/01/28
References
1. Apostolou, M., O, J. & Esposito, G. (2020). Singles’ reasons for being single: Empirical evidence from an evolutionary perspective. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00746.
2. Chunkai Zhao A., Boou Chen B, Xing Li (2023). Rising housing prices and marriage delays in China: Evidence from the urban land transaction policy. Cities Volume 135, 10421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2023.104214
3. Good, W., J. (1963) World Revolution and Family Pattern. New York: FreePress.
4. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26912113.
5. Lesthaeghe, R. & Neels, K. (2002), “From the First to the Second Demographic Transition: An Interpretation of the Spatial Continuity of Demographic Innovation in France, Belgium and Switzerland”, European Journal of Population, Vol. 18 (2002), 325–360.
6. Maharaj, P., & Shangase, T. (2020). Reasons for Delaying Marriage: Attitudes of Young, Educated Women in South Africa. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 51(1), 3-17.
7. Matsuda, S., Sasaki, T., Shin, J., & Bae, J. (2023). Deterioration in youth employment, social contexts, and marriage decline in Japan and South Korea. Asian Population Studies, 20(2), 203–221. https://doi.org/10.1080/17441730.2023.2211402
8. Parsons, J., Edmeades, J., Kes, A., Petroni, S., Sexton, M and Woden, Q. (2015), “Economic impacts of child marriage: A review of the literature”. Review of Faith & international Affairs, 13 (3), 12-22
9. Raymo, J. M. Uchikoshi, F. & Yoda, S. (2021). Marriage intentions, desires, and pathways to later and less marriage in Japan. Demographic Research, 44, 67-98.
10. Sultana, A., Zeeshan, M., & Ahmed, F. (2021). Dilemmas of singlehood in contemporary Pakistani culture: A qualitative study of unheard voices. Pakistan Journal of Gender Studies, 21(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.46568/pjgs.v21i1.509
11. Azad Aramaki, Taghi (2016). Changes, Challenges and the Future of the Iranian Family, Tehran: Tisa Publications. (in Persian)
12. Banarizadeh, Masoud; Meltafat, Hossein; Rezadoost, Karim; Arabi, Ali (2023). Exploring the social processes of the formation of single life; Case study: single men in Ahvaz city, Sociology of Culture and Art, 6(3): 130-145. https://doi.org/10.22034/scart.2024.140226.1426 (in Persian)
13. Bauman, Zygmunt (2005). Fluid Love: On the Instability of Human Bonds, translated by Erfan Sabeti, Tehran: Qoqnoos. (in Persian)
14. Beck, Al-Rish (2009). Society in Global Danger, translated by Mohammad Reza Mehdizadeh, Tehran: Kavir Publications. (in Persian)
15. Dehghan Hesar, Mahnaz; Hajj Hosseini, Mansoureh; Gholamali Lavasani, Masoud (2012). Biological celibacy in single girls: a phenomenological study of challenges and solutions, Rooyesh-e-Raashshani, 11(12): 13-24. https://dor.isc.ac/dor/20.1001.1.2383353.1401.11.12.2.1 (in Persian)
16. Flick, OH. (2008). An Introduction to Qualitative Research. Translated by Hadi Jalili. Tehran: Nay Publishing House. (in Persian)
17. Ganji, Mohammad; Piri, Hassan; Vahedian, Morteza (2021). Typology of Elamite unmarried girls according to reasons for celibacy, Women and Family Studies, 9(1): 189-212. (in Persian)
18. Gardner, William (2008). The War on the Family, the United States and Iran, 2nd edition, Women's Studies and Research Office, translated by Masoumeh Mohammadi. (in Persian)
19. Giddens, Anthony (2005). Global Perspectives, translated by Mohammad Reza Jalalipour, Tehran: Second edition, Tarh No Publications. https://dor.isc.ac/dor/20.1001.1.2383353.1399.9.5.13.4 (in Persian)
20. Kalaleh Sadati, Ahmad; Sadeghieh, Sara; Jafari Naeimi, Fatemeh; Sadeghian Moghadam, Zahra (2023). The interaction of culture and celibacy: An analysis of the individual and socio-cultural dimensions of the lengthening of girls' celibacy in Yazd city, Iranian Sociological Association Letters, 18(36): 51-91. https://doi.org/10.22034/jpai.2024.2023561.1333 (in Persian)
21. Mohammadpour, Ahmad (2013). Qualitative Research Method: Anti-Method, Scientific Stages and Procedures in Qualitative Methodology, Tehran: Sociologists. (in Persian)
22. Talebpour, Akbar, & Beiranvand, Masoumeh (2021). Qualitative study of the consequences of girls' permanent celibacy, Quarterly Journal of Women and Family Studies, 10(1): 10-35.Tang, Rosemary (2008). Criticism and Commentary, An Introduction to Feminist Theories, translated by Manijeh Najm-e-Iraqi, Tehran: First Edition, Publishing House. (in Persian)
23. Wazini Afzal, Mojtaba; Firouzi, Manijeh; Keshavarz, Mohammad (2019). The Politics of Abstractionism:AQualitativeStudy,PsychologyDevelopment,9(5):95-104. (in Persian)
24. Zare, Bijan; Serajzadeh, Seyed Hossein; Habib Pourgetabi, Karam; Madadhi, Javad (2019). Single life of youth: A socio-cultural issue (an analytical approach based on the views of Jean Baudrillard and Richard Sennett), Iranian Social Issues, 11(2): 97-123. http://dorl.net/dor/20.1001.1.24766933.1399.11.2.20. (in Persian)
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC-BY-NC).
