Investigating Afghan Women's Lived Experiences of Husbands' Marital Infidelity

Document Type : Original

Authors

1 PhD candidate, Department of Counseling, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

2 Professor Department of counseling, faculty of education and psychology, University of Isfahan, Iran

3 University of Isfahan Azadi square Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

Background: Marital infidelity is a traumatic interpersonal incident that can lead to cognitive, emotional, and behavioral symptoms in the injured spouse. Objective: The current study is to investigate the lived experiences of Afghan women of marital infidelity and how they interact with this phenomenon. Method: The current research is applied in terms of purpose and qualitative in terms of execution method. The studied population includes women living in Herat City (Afghanistan) who had experienced marital infidelity by their husbands and had been referred to counseling centers in the year 1400, from which 18 people were selected as a sample using the purposeful sampling method. They were interviewed using a semi-structured method. The interviews were conducted using the thematic analysis approach proposed by Braun and Clarke (Braun & Clarke, 2021) and information was presented in three primary code categories, categories, and themes. Findings: From the analysis of the interviews, three themes (reaction to infidelity, facing infidelity, and factors to stay in the relationship), also 11 categories, and 114 primary codes were extracted. The methods Hollway and Freshwater were used to validate the developed model (Thematic network). Conclusion: Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the decision-making and reaction of women in patriarchal and traditional societies towards the phenomenon of marital infidelity is unique to the cultural-social context of the society. Almost all women in this study have decided to stay in the relationship, albeit against their wishes. At the practical level, the findings of this research can be used by counselors who work with Afghan couples in the field of marital infidelity.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Family Counseling and Psychotherapy
Volume 13, Issue 1 - Serial Number 35
September 2023
Pages 185-196

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 04 August 2023
  • Revise Date: 14 August 2023
  • Accept Date: 06 September 2023

Share

How to cite

Statistics