ABSTRACT
Objective
To comprehend the experience of cohabitation and the attractions of this lifestyle within a context of experiential limitations and the possibility of its rupture in the short term.
Background
Cohabitation’s significance lies in its contradiction with the cultural values of society and its singularity in the particularities of the Iranian family. The conceptual framework of this study is formulated based on the institutional conditions of the family in relation to the reflexive subject with an emphasis on individuality, sexuality, and embodiment.
Method
This study was conducted through thematic analysis using semi-structured in-depth interviews with 15 Iranian women and men from the urban middle class. Strict ethical considerations were maintained, with a strong emphasis on the anonymity of the participants.
Result
Five dominant semantic patterns emerged: unplanned beginning, cohabitation as a transition-period lifestyle, escape from rituals and resistance self-distortion, ennui and flight from conjugal malaise, and sexuality and the centrality of the erotic body.
Conclusion
Iranian-style cohabitation remains influenced by the conception of the Iranian family in its institutional status.
Implications
First, a legal framework could be developed based on endogenous and culturally accepted forms of short-term or temporary unions, such as the registration of private or civil contracts aimed at providing legal protection for the partners. Second, economic and cultural support for formal marriage and family formation should be strengthened. Third, dialog-based educational and cultural programs should be designed within a non-ideological framework to promote interpersonal communication skills and informed decision-making.