A Qualitative Study Exploring the Experiences of Early Married Women

Year 2022, , 207 - 233, 28.02.2022

Büşra Aslan Cevheroğlu , Şennur Kışlak

https://doi.org/10.31682/ayna.910951

Cited By: 7

Abstract

Child marriage or early marriage, commonly encountered in underdeveloped or developing countries, is an important woman and child public health problem. Since early marriages usually take place through religious practices without formal documentation, it is challenging to estimate the exact numbers. According to the statistics, approximately one in four women in Turkey is married before the age of eighteen. Early marriage is one of the most common forms of child abuse and it is a risk factor not only for physical and psychological disorders, but also for domestic violence. Although there have been some studies about early marriage in psychology recently, majority of them employed quantitative methods. The current study focused on understanding the experience of early marriage. For this purpose, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six early married women between the ages of 30 and 41. The analysis of the interviews was carried out by the Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). IPA was preferred because it attaches importance to the understanding of participants’ subjective experiences and also considers the cultural context in which the phenomenon was experienced and expressed. As a result of the analyses, four themes were obtained: “Negative experiences with the spouse,” “Experiences with in-laws,” “'Challenges and inabilities associated with the new role” and “Marital knowledge.” Obtained themes were discussed in the light of the relevant literature.

Keywords

early marriage, child marriage, Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis

Erken Evlilik Yapan Kadınların Evli Kadın Rolünü Deneyimleme Sürecine İlişkin Nitel Bir Araştırma

Abstract

Çocuk evliliği ya da erken evlilik, gelişmemiş ya da gelişmekte olan ülkelerde yaygın olarak karşılaşılan  nemli bir kadın ve çocuk sağlığı sorunudur. Erken evlilikler genellikle resmi nikah olmaksızın, dini nikahla gerçekleştiği için kesin sayılara ulaşmak oldukça zordur. İstatistiklere bakıldığında ise, Türkiye’de yaklaşık olarak her dört kadından birinin on sekiz yaşından önce evlendirildiği görülmektedir. Çocukların erken yaşta evlendirilmeleri çocuk istismarının en yaygın görülen biçimlerinden biridir; fizyolojik ve psikolojik hastalıkların yanı sıra, aile içi şiddet konusunda da risk faktörüdür. Psikoloji alan yazınında erken evlilik olgusu ile ilgili son yıllarda çalışmalar yapılmaya başlanmış olsa da, bu çalışmalarda çoğunlukla nicel yöntemler kullanıldığı görülmektedir. Mevcut çalışmada ise erken evlilik deneyiminin anlaşılmasına odaklanılmıştır. Bu amaçla, çalışma kapsamında on sekiz yaşından önce evlendirilmiş, yaşları 30 ile 41 arasında değişen altı evli kadın ile yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler yapılmıştır. Görüşmelerin analizi Yorumlayıcı Fenomenolojik Analiz (YFA) yöntemi ile yapılmıştır. YFA katılımcıların yaşadıkları deneyimlere yükledikleri anlama önem verdiği ve deneyimin yaşandığı ve ifade edildiği kültürel bağlamı da göz  önüne aldığı için tercih edilmiştir. Analizler sonucunda “Eşle yaşanan olumsuz deneyimler”, “Eşin ailesi ile yaşanan deneyimler”, “Yeni rolle ilişkili zorluklar ve yetersizlikler” ve “Evlilik bilgisi” olmak üzere dört tema ve bu temalara bağlı alt temalar elde edilmiştir. Elde edilen temalar ilgili literatür eşliğinde tartışılmıştır.

Keywords

erken evlilik, çocuk evliliği, Yorumlaycı Fenomenolojik Analiz

References

• Acar, F. ve Arıner, H. O. (2009). Kadınların insan hakları ve toplumsal cinsiyet eşitliği. Ankara: İ işleri Bakanlığı Genel Yayın, (656).
• Acemoğlu, H., Ceylan, A., Saka, G. ve Ertem, M. (2005). Diyarbakır'da Erken Yaş Evlilikleri. Sosyal Politika  alışmaları Dergisi, 8(8).
• Altman, I., Brown, B. B., Staples, B. ve Werner, C. M. (1992). A transactional approach to close relationships: Courtship, weddings, and placemaking. İ inde W. B. Walsh, K. H. Craik, & R. H. Price (Eds.), Person-environment psychology: Models and perspectives (ss. 193-242). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
• Aslan, B. (2019). Psikoloji Penceresinden Erken Yaşta Evlendirilen Kız Çocukları. Türk Psikoloji Yazıları, 22(43), 43-55.
• Belhorma, S. (2016). ‘Two months of marriage were sufficient to turn my life upside down’: early marriage as a form of gender-based violence. Gender & Development, 24(2), 219-230.
• Boğucu, M. (2018). Çocuk yaşta evliliklerin ihmal ve istismar bağlamında değerlendirilmesi: 2016 yılı Ağrı  Örneği (Yayımlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi). Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi, İstanbul, Türkiye.
• Bryant, C. M., Conger, R. D. ve Meehan, J. M. (2001). The influence of in‐laws on change in marital success. Journal of Marriage and Family, 63(3), 614-626.
• Bunting, A. (2005). Stages of development: marriage of girls and teens as an international human rights issue. Social & Legal Studies, 14(1), 17-38.
• Burcu, E., Yıldırım, F., Sırma, S. ve Sanıyaman, S. (2015). Çiçeklerin kaderi: Türkiye’de kadınların erken evliliği üzerine nitel bir araştırma. Bilig, 73, 63–98.
• Burger, E. ve Milardo, R. M. (1995). Marital interdependence and social networks. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 12, 403–415.
• Çakır, H. (2013). Sosyo-kültürel ve ekonomik faktörler  çerçevesinde erken evlilikler: Ankara Pursaklar Örneği. (Yayımlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi). Gazi  niversitesi, Ankara.  OBAN, A. İ. (2009). Adölesan evlilikleri. Sosyal Politika Çalışmaları Dergisi, 16(16), 37 50.
• Das Gupta, M., Engelman, R., Levy, J., Luchsinger, G., Merrick, T. ve Rosen, J. E. (2014). State of World population 2014: The power of 1.8 billion adolescents, youth and transformation of the future (UNFPA report). New York, NY: United Nations Population Fund.
• Durğut, S. ve Kısa, S. (2018). Predictors of Marital Adjustment among Child Brides. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 32(5), 670-676.
• Ergöçmen, B., Keskin, F. ve Yüksel-Kaptanoğlu, İ. (2020). Türkiye’de çocuk yaşta erken ve zorla evlilikler. UNFPA Türkiye’den alınmıştır: https://turkey.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/tr_tnsa_ceze_bulgular_tematik_raporu.pdf
• Ertem, M., Saka, G., Ceylan, A., Değer, V. ve Çiftçi, S. (2008). The factors associated with adolescent marriages and outcomes of adolescent pregnancies in Mardin Turkey. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 229-239.
• Erulkar, A. (2013). Early marriage, marital relations and intimate partner violence in Ethiopia. International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 39(1), 6-13.
• Eyüboğlu, D. ve Eyüboğlu, M. (2018). Kü ük yaşta evlendirilmek istenen çocuklarda psikiyatrik bozukluklar ve sosyodemografik özellikler. Klinik Psikiyatri, 21, 122-129.
• Gage, A. J. (2013). Association of child marriage with suicidal thoughts and attempts among adolescent girls in Ethiopia. Journal of Adolescent Health, 52(5), 654-656.
• Gezer Tuğrul, Y. (2018). Erken yaşta evlendirilen kadınların evlilik süreçleri, deneyimleri ve sonraki yaşamları üzerine nitel bir çalışma. Sosyoloji Notları, 1(2).
• Güler, ve Küçüker, H. (2010). Early Marriages Among Adolesencent Girls in Afyonkarahisar, Turkey. European Journal of General Medicine, 7(4): 365-371.
• Güneş, M., Selcuk, H., Demir, S., İbiloğlu, A. O., Bulut, M., Kaya, M. C., ... ve Sır, A. (2016). Marital harmony and childhood psychological trauma in child marriage. Journal of Mood Disorders, 6(2), 63-70.
• Hossain, M. G., Mahumud, R. A. ve Saw, A. (2016). Prevalence of child marriage among Bangladeshi women and trend of change over time. Journal of Biosocial Science, 48(04), 530-538.
• Howitt, D. (2016). Introduction to qualitative research methods in psychology (3. basım). United Kingdom: Pearson.
• Hoye, D. D. (1971). Mother-in-law adjustment of young marrieds. (Yayımlanmamış doktora tezi). University of North Carolina.
• Hung, C.-H. (2005). Women’s postpartum stress, social support and health status. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 27, 148–159.
• Jensen, R. ve Thornton, R. (2003). Early female marriage in the developing world. Gender & Development, 11(2), 9-19.
• John, N. A., Edmeades, J. ve Murithi, L. (2019). Child marriage and psychological well-being in Niger and Ethiopia. BMC public health, 19(1), 1-12.
• Kadir, M. M., Fikree, F. F., Khan, A. ve Sajan, F. (2003). Do mothers-in-law matter? Family dynamics and fertility decision-making in urban squatter settlements of Karachi, Pakistan. Journal of Biosocial Science, 35(4), 545-558.
• Kahraman, A.B ve Şenateş, T (2018). Çocuk gelinler (Siverek Örneği). Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 5(29), 380-392 Kidman, R. (2016). Child marriage and intimate partner violence: a comparative study of 34 countries. International Journal of Epidemiology, 46(2), 662-675.
• Kopelman, L. M. (2016). The forced marriage of minors: a neglected form of child abuse. The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 44(1), 173-181.
• Kurdek, L. A. (1999). The nature and predictors of the trajectory of change in marital quality for husbands and wives over the first 10 years of marriage. Development Psychology, 35, 1283–1296.
• Labi Ades, L. (2003). Predictors of the quality of the relationship between daughter- in-law and mother-in-law. (Yayımlanmamış doktora tezi), Adelphi University, NY.
• Le Strat, Y., Dubertret, C. ve Le Foll, B. (2011). Child marriage in the United States and its association with mental health in women. Pediatrics. 128:524-30
• Linn, R. ve Breslerman, S. (1996). Women in conflict: On the moral knowledge of daughters-in-law and mothers-in-law. Journal of Moral Education, 25(3), 291–307.
• Mahavarkar, S. H., Madhu, C. K. ve Mule, V. D. (2008). A comparative study of teenage pregnancy. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 28(6), 604-607.
• Mathur, S., Green, M. ve Malhotra, A. (2006). Too Young to Wed: The Lives, Rights and Health of Young Married Girls. International Center for Research on Women (ICRW): Washington, D.C.
• McFarlane, J., Nava, A., Gilroy, H. ve Maddoux, J. (2016). Child brides, forced marriage, and partner violence in America: tip of an iceberg revealed. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 127(4), 706-713.
• Mikhail, S. L. B. (2002). Child marriage and child prostitution: Two forms of sexual exploitation. Gender & Development, 10(1), 43-49.
• Morrow, S. L. (2005). Quality and trustworthiness in qualitative research in counseling psychology. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52(1), 250-260.
• Muthengi, E. N. (2010). Early Marriage and Early Childbearing in Ethiopia: Determinants and Consequences. (Yayımlanmamış doktora tezi). University of California, Los Angeles.
• Nasrullah, M., Zakar, R. ve Zakar, M. Z. (2014). Child marriage and its associations with controlling behaviors and spousal violence against adolescent and young women in Pakistan. Journal of Adolescent Health, 55(6), 804-809.
• Nour, N. M. (2009). Child marriage: a silent health and human rights issue. Reviews in Obstetrics & Gynecology, 2(1), 51-56.
• Oshiro, A., Poudyal, A. K., Poudel, K. C., Jimba, M. ve Hokama, T. (2011). Intimate partner violence among general and urban poor populations in Kathmandu, Nepal. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 26(10), 2073-2092.
• Parsons, J., Edmeades, J., Kes, A., Petroni, S., Sexton, M. ve Wodon, Q. (2015). Economic impacts of child marriage: a review of the literature. The Review of Faith & International Affairs, 13(3), 12-22.
• Prakash, R., Singh, A., Pathak, P. K. ve Parasuraman, S. (2011). Early marriage, poor reproductive health status of mother and child well-being in India. Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care, 37,136–145
• Raj, A. ve Boehmer, U. (2013). Girl child marriage and its association with national rates of HIV, maternal health, and infant mortality across 97 countries. Violence Against Women, 19(4), 536-551.
• Rajeswari, E ve Maheswari, K. K. (2018). Mental health among early married women. International Journal of Applied Research, 4(4), 249-251.
• Santana, M. C., Raj, A., Decker, M. R., La Marche, A. ve Silverman, J. G. (2006). Masculine gender roles associated with increased sexual risk and intimate partner violence perpetration among young adult men. Journal of Urban Health, 83(4), 575-585.
• Santhya, K. G., Ram, U., Acharya, R., Jejeebhoy, S. J., Ram, F. ve Singh, A. (2010). Associations between early marriage and young women's marital and reproductive health outcomes: evidence from India. International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. 36(3), 132-139.
• Sarı, S. ve Gençöz, F. (2015). Shame experiences the underlying depression of adult Turkish women. Qualitative Health Research, 26(8) ,1102-1113.
• Saxton, L. (1982). Marriage: The nature of marriage; The individual. Marriage and the Family, 5, 216-224.
• Shih, K. Y. ve Pyke, K. (2010). Power, resistance, and emotional economies in women’s relationships with mothers-in-law in Chinese immigrant families. Journal of Family Issues, 31(3), 333-357.
• Smith, J. ve Osborn, M. (2003). Interpretative phenomenological analysis. Qualitative Psychology: A Practical Guide to Research Methods. London: Sage. Soylu, N. ve Ayaz, M. (2013). Adli değerlendirme için yönlendirilen küçük yaşta evlendirilmiş kız çocuklarının sosyodemografik özellikleri ve ruhsal değerlendirmesi. Anatolian Journal of Psychiatry/Anadolu Psikiyatri Dergisi, 14(2).
• Speizer, I. S. ve Pearson, E. (2011). Association between early marriage and intimate partner violence in India: a focus on youth from Bihar and Rajasthan. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 26(10), 1963-1981.
• Stroup, A. L. (1966). Marriage and family: A developmental approach. Appleton-Century Crofts.
• Taner, H. A., Çetin, F. H., İşeri, E. ve Işık, Y. (2016). On sekiz yaş altı evlilik olgularının psikiyatrik değerlendirmesi ve psikometrik, psikososyal  özellikleri: dört olgu sunumu. Türkiye Klinikleri Journal of Case Reports, 24(4), 352-357.
• TBMM Kadın Erkek Fırsat Eşitliği Komisyonu (2010). Erken Yaşta Evlilikler Hakkında İnceleme Yapılmasına Dair Rapor. http://www.tbmm.gov.tr/komisyon/kefe/docs/komisyon_rapor.pdf
• Thato, S., Rachukul, S. ve Sopajaree, C. (2007). Obstetrics and perinatal outcomes of Thai pregnant adolescents: a retrospective study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 44(7), 1158-1164.
• Timmer, S. G. ve Veroff, J. (2000). Family ties and the discontinuity of divorce in Black and White newlywed couples. Journal of Marriage and Family, 62(2), 349-361.
• United Nations Population Fund (2007). Ending child marriage. http://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/endchildmarriage.pdf
• United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (2001). Early Marriage: Child Spouses. https://www.unicef.org/childrenandislam/downloads/early_marriage_eng.pdf
• United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (2005). Early Marriage: A Harmful Traditional Practice. https://www.unicef.org/publications/files/Early_Marriage_12.lo.pdf
• United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (2014). Ending Child Marriage: Progress and Prospects. UNICEF, New York.
• Warner, E. (2004). Behind the wedding veil: Child marriage as a form of trafficking in girls. Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law,12 (2), 233
• Willig, C. (2008). Introducing Qualitative Methods in Psychology: Adventures in Theory and Method (2. Basım). London: Open University Press
• Wodon, Q. (2016). Early Childhood Development in the Context of the Family: The Case of Child Marriage. Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, 17(4), 590-598.
• World Vision (2008). Before She is Ready. http://www.wvi.org/sites/default/files/publications_Before%20Shes%20Ready.pdf
• Wringe, A., Yankah, E., Parks, T., Mohamed, O., Saleh, M., Speed, O., ... ve Scott, J. (2019). Altered social trajectories and risks of violence among young Syrian women seeking refuge in Turkey: a qualitative study. BMC Women's Health, 19(1), 1-8.
• Yakali-Çamoǧlu, D. (2007). Turkish family narratives: The relationships between mothers and daughters-in-law. Journal of Family History, 32(2), 161–178.
• Yount, K. M., Crandall, A., Cheong, Y. F., Osypuk, T. L., Bates, L. M., Naved, R. T. ve Schuler, S. R. (2016). Child marriage and intimate partner violence in rural Bangladesh: a longitudinal multilevel analysis. Demography, 53(6), 1821-1852.
• Yüksel-Kaptanoğlu, İ. ve Ergöçmen, B. A. (2012). Çocuk gelin olmaya giden yol. Sosyoloji Araştırmaları Dergisi, 15(2).