Social Context of Iranian Parents with Adolescents: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Abstract

The social context where parents live on affects their behaviors and interactions with their children. The social changes of the Iranian society in recent years have complicated the issues of families with adolescents. Discovering the experiences of parents by considering the cultural and Islamic context of Iran is an important step for the mental health of adolescents. The aim of this study was to specify the social context of parents with adolescents. This qualitative study was a conventional content analysis that was conducted in Tabriz in 2016. Participants included 13 mothers and 10 fathers with adolescent who were included in the study by purposive sampling. Data collection was done through in-depth interviews and continued until data saturation. Data analysis was carried out using the Graneheim&Lundman approach. Four criteria of Lincoln&Guba were used to provide trustworthiness of the study. The three theme reflect the social context of parents: (1)"Living in the future frame" with the categories, concerns on the child future and empowering the child regarding future, (2)"Challenges of now days", with the categories, social hazards and gap between generations, and (3)"Parental Religiosity" with the categories, Parents' religious affects, guiding the child toward religion emphasis on the doing religious teachings. Conclusion: Identifying the social context of parents has shown that tree factors of occupational-educational policies, universal advances, and superior beliefs can affect the health of families. So clarifying these issues makes simplify design micro and macro interventions.