Inter-generational differences in partner selection criteria among women in Pakistan

Abstract

Partner selection and marriage choices have become interesting research topics in societies experiencing transition due to technological advancements and modernisation. This qualitative study was envisaged to identify the differences in partner selection criteria among three generations of Pakistani women. Three independent age groups were selected to analyse the difference among them due to social and technological transition. The participants were recruited purposefully for semi-structured interviews from six different families, three women of subsequent age groups (grandmothers, mothers, and their marriageable grand/daughters) were chosen (N=18). The interview transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Line-by-line coding was done to extract the relevant and repetitive codes that comprised sub and main themes. Findings show that the social background and compatibility between potential families remained the most important aspects in general. Internal attributes such as religiousness and morality, and external attributes, specifically good financial status, decent occupation and job, were considered significant partner selection criteria as well. The factors that affect the partner selection choices directly included collectivist beliefs and disempowerment of women. Inter-generational differences and transitions in the desirability of partner selection criteria were evident as an expected outcome of the questions posed by the current study. The implications include extending knowledge for marriage and relationship counsellors.

Changing priorities for choosing life partner in present era

“…Rajpoot colony from Rath city and Shivaji Nagar from Jhansi city. A self structured interview schedule was prepared which includes 31 statements, twenty eight statements (1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,31) were scored positive and three statements (4,10 and 30) were scored negative. In positive scoring, Agree scores two marks, Neutral scores one mark and Disagree scores zero.…”

“…Education and personality attributes gained more importance. Khalid and Hassan (2019) [6] unveiled that the basic criteria to choose a partner, i.e. physical appearance and social background, slightly overlap across the generations.…”