CHANGING EXPECTATIONS IN MARRIAGE: A STUDY OF YOUNG COUPLES’ PERCEPTIONS OF DIVORCE IN URBAN PAKISTAN
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/cz698135Keywords:
Divorce, Gender Roles, Marriage Expectations, Religion, Social Norms, Urban Pakistan, Young CouplesAbstract
Changing expectations in marriage among young urban couples in Pakistan create tensions between idealized marital roles, evolving individual aspirations, and the social stigma attached to divorce. This study aims to explore how young couples define their expectations of marriage, how they perceive divorce as an option, and what social, cultural, and religious factors shape these perceptions. Using a qualitative design, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with married men and women living in major urban centers of Pakistan. The study is significant because it highlights how shifting gender roles, economic pressures, extended family dynamics, and media discourses intersect with religious understandings of marriage and divorce. Findings suggest that young couples increasingly value emotional companionship, mutual respect, and personal growth, while still feeling bound by family honour and communal judgement. Divorce is viewed as a last resort—religiously permissible yet socially stigmatized—more acceptable in cases of abuse or persistent incompatibility. The study concludes that young couples negotiate between tradition and modernity, seeking more equitable and emotionally supportive marriages while navigating strong cultural and religious expectations.
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Copyright (c) 2025 M.Umer Attique, Fatima Tul Zohra , Amna Ishaque, Dr Abid Ali (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
