Understanding Marriage and Family Among Working Single Women: A Qualitative Study

This study aims to explore, from both individual and social perspectives, the views of single women working in the public sector regarding their integration into the institution of the family and their attitudes toward marriage. To this end, the qualitative research method was employed, utilizing the techniques of interviews and in-depth interviews, with participants being asked a set of pre-prepared semi-structured interview questions. The study was conducted with 25 participants, including two pilot interviews selected through purposeful sampling. The data collected from the field were audio-recorded with the participants’ consent and subsequently transcribed. The transcribed data were analyzed using the MAXQDA24 program, resulting in the identification of five themes and 30 categories, which were used to present the participants’ views. The findings of the research indicate that working single women's attitudes toward marriage and the institution of the family are not one-dimensional; whilst on the one hand they associate the family with positive concepts such as wholeness, togetherness, love, unconditional love and a sense of belonging, on the other hand, factors such as the domestic and childcare responsibilities expected to increase with marriage, negative childhood experiences, fear of marriage and insecurity lead them to postpone their decision to marry. Furthermore, it is considered that the research findings may contribute to future studies aimed at understanding working women's experiences of marriage and family life, as well as to institutions developing policies and practices in this field.