The Duality of Satisfaction and Loneliness: A Sociological Analysis of the Lifestyle of Employed Women with Definitive Singlehood
Keywords:
lifestyle, employed women, singlehood, grounded theory, definitive singlehoodAbstract
The present study was conducted with the aim of providing a sociological analysis of the lifestyle of employed women with definitive singlehood in the city of Tehran. The research adopted a qualitative methodology based on the grounded theory approach. The study population consisted of 25 employed single women aged between 40 and 50 years who had never married. Sampling was carried out using theoretical and purposive techniques. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was performed based on the three-stage coding process and the five-dimensional paradigmatic model proposed by Strauss and Corbin. Upon completion of the coding process, the final research model—entitled The Modern Single Lifestyle of Employed Women Based on the Dual Feeling of Satisfaction and Loneliness—was developed. This model was organized into five dimensions: causal conditions (economic and occupational satisfaction, life satisfaction, marriage criteria, barriers to marriage, and inclination toward singlehood), contextual conditions (deep social and familial bonds, a supportive family, self-sufficiency, independence, and personal conduct), intervening conditions (economic dissatisfaction, marriage conditions, and social status), strategies (fluid leisure patterns, individual-centered religiosity, relationship management, social lifestyle, criteria-based social interaction, leisure-oriented practices, and time-oriented leisure), and consequences (the advantages and benefits of singlehood, as well as its challenges and limitations).
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Copyright (c) 2026 Delaram Naghdi (Author); Asmeh Ghasemi; Parvin Savadian (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
