Investigating the Challenges of Intercultural Marriages and Coping Strategies in Iran: A Qualitative Study

Abstract :

In intercultural marriages, couples face numerous challenges due to differences in beliefs, values, customs, and communication styles. This study aimed to investigate the challenges of intercultural marriages and the coping strategies employed by Iranian couples. The research strategy was qualitative, employing inductive qualitative content analysis as the method. The study population consisted of all couples who had married someone from outside their own city and culture and were residing in one of the cities of Iran. Interviews with these couples continued until theoretical saturation was achieved, and a total of 27 male participants were interviewed throughout the research process. After analyzing the interviews, six main themes were identified regarding the challenges of intercultural marriage, including challenges related to religious beliefs, communication challenges, challenges related to families, differences in customs and traditions, challenges arising from long distance, and challenges arising from regional and geographical differences. Additionally, five main themes were identified regarding coping strategies: passive/avoidant strategies, cognitive strategies, interactive strategies, religious/spiritual strategies, and problem-focused/solution-oriented strategies. To reduce the challenges faced by intercultural couples and help improve their quality of life, this study recommends that family counselors and couple therapists adopt a comprehensive approach and implement the following measures: teaching intercultural communication skills, strengthening social support networks, utilizing the capacity of religious coping strategies in dealing with conflicts, and facilitating the process of creating a "third culture" by couples.

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