Typology of the understanding of female students and their mothers about premarital relationships and relationship management strategies

Objective: Today, premarital relationships and their meaning for young people on the verge of marriage significantly differ from previous generations. In the meantime, considering the sensitivity of the role of girls in the family and society, it seems necessary to understand their understanding of premarital relationships over time and in two generations. Therefore, the current research aimed to identify the knowledge of female students and their mothers about premarital relationships. Method: This is an applied and qualitative research with a phenomenological approach. The study sample included 17 female Ferdowsi University of Mashhad students and their mothers, who were selected purposefully. A semi-structured interview was conducted with the participants. In order to analyze the data, the phenomenological method and MAXQDA software was used. Results: In this study, five main themes were identified, including 1. love in premarital relationships, 2. requirements of a healthy premarital relationship, 3. advantages of premarital relationship, 4. disadvantages of premarital relationship, and 5. premarital relationship management strategies. Conclusion: The daughter's view of premarital relationships seems more based on emotions, and the mother's view is based on logic and realism; this difference was noticeable in the reported sub-themes. However, both emphasize the necessity of family supervision and marriage counseling.