Iranian Journal of Sociology

Abstract Due to the structural and attitudinal changes in Iran, marriage age has been documented in various research studies, but so far, the determinants of the intended age of marriage have not been studied. This study aimed to investigate the determinants of the intended age of marriage of unmarried youths in Isfahan. The sample includes 400 young people aged 18-35 years who were collected using a sampling method. To gather the data, we interviewed the subjects in 2021. Analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple regression were used to test the hypotheses. The results showed that the average intended age of marriage for boys and girls are 28.2 and 26.6 years respectively. However, the optimal age of marriage for men and women is lower than the intended age of marriage. The gap indicates that marriage is affected by many factors. According to the findings, the variables of religious commitment, work experience, and guidance of friends have a significant relationship with the intended age of marriage of girls. Also, the intended age of marriage of boys has a significant relationship with the variables of education, religious commitment, and socio-economic status. In general, according to this study, in addition to economic factors, values and attitudinal change are also important at the intended age of marriage, and due to the high age of intended marriage, facilitating youth marriage and encouraging them to marry at the appropriate age is very important.

Abstract During the recent years, suicide has increased dramatically among the Abdanani youths. To describing the experience and understanding suicide and phenomenal world and the consequences of this action is of great importance in gaining full knowledge of the world-life of the youths. This research is conducted based on qualitative method and existentialist phenomenology is used to carry out the field research; the data are analyzed using colaizzi method. The findings indicate that those who committed suicide have seen it as a facilitation, breaking with tradition, and escaping reality .Therefore, different feelings and understandings of suicide have developed among the subjects under study, ranging from accepting to rejecting suicide. The participants’ experience and understanding of phenomenal world, implies despair and continuity of calamities. Suicide has different consequences and effects on the organic body of those committing it which can be categorized under two main topics: “fragility of the physical body” and “phenomenal isolation of the body”. Semantic constructs suggest that those committing suicide are experiencing a complicated, unsafe and problematic world-life.

Abstract The main goal of this research paper is to study the voting behavior of the youth between 18 to 29 years of age in the city of Mashhad, to describe the characteristics of their networks and to determine how these characteristics affect youths voting behavior. This study attempts to show that not only the voting behavior of network members but also the characteristics of personal networks have effects on youths voting behavior.  To achieve this end, data was collected using the survey method. Thus, 262 structured, face-to-face interviews with young people were conducted. The young were randomly chosen from different districts of the city of Mashhad. The analysis of this study was carried out using the network dataset containing information regarding the respondents and their ego-centered networks, and the tie dataset which included information about network members (1360 ties). Our final analysis is based on the aggregation of these two datasets. The findings show that functional characteristics of respondents’ networks and voting behavior of their network members are significant predictors of youths voting behavior.  In an overall view, the results approve the role and importance of network in describing and appointing the voting behavior.

Abstract The youth defined as persons of 15 to 29 years of age, account for about 35 percent of Iran’s population. Such significant percentage may be considered a comparative advantage for the country. However, if this opportunity is not used properly it can become a serious threat. Thus, developing policies and plans for this age group is a major priority. Social capital alongside other forms of capital can facilitate envisaged planning processes and help realize planning objectives. In this article, we present a multidimensional scale developed to measure social capital among the Iranian youth.  Using this scale, a survey of 4,500 persons in the age bracket of 15-29 (drawn from across the Iranian provinces) has been conducted. Results indicate weak social capital among the surveyed youth, in particular in terms of relations with associations and trust placed on non-acquaintances and officials. The effect of social and individual characteristics on social capital is found to be significant. In light of the significance of the aforementioned relations as well as the dominance of traditional social capital among the youth, enhancing the social milieu, strengthening civil institutions, and improving attitudes and actions of individuals are seen as necessary.