Perceived Barriers to Childbearing: A Qualitative Study of Cultural, Social, and Familial Factors Among Religiously Observant Women Active in Virtual Spaces
Subject Areas : Research on Iranian social issues
1 - Ph.D. Student in Demography, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
Keywords: Interpretive phenomenology, Lived experience, Religious women, Childbearing, Structural barriers, Family dynamics.,
Abstract :
Perceived Barriers to Childbearing: A Qualitative Study of Cultural, Social, and Familial Factors Among Religiously Observant Women
Active in Virtual Spaces
Mohammad Salimi*
In the context of the demographic and social transformations of contemporary Iran, developing a deep understanding of women’s lived experiences of childbearing has become increasingly significant. This study aimed to explore and interpret the lived experiences of religious women active on social media regarding the factors, barriers, and consequences shaping their decisions about childbearing. Employing a qualitative research design with an interpretive phenomenological approach, the study used purposive and snowball sampling to recruit 32 religiously observant women who were active on social media platforms. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews until theoretical saturation was achieved. Thematic analysis, following Braun and Clarke’s multi-stage procedure, was applied to the data encompassing initial coding, theme extraction, and the development of final themes. The analysis revealed three core themes derived from participants’ lived experiences: (1) perceptions of inadequate social support within their relational networks; (2) structural, economic, and social barriers to childbearing; and (3) uncertainty about the future and sense of lack of control over it. The lived experiences of highly religious women regarding childbearing emerged as a complex and multifaceted phenomenon, situated within the tension between traditional-religious values and the contemporary social and economic realities of modern life. Despite their strong commitment to the maternal role, participants reported postponing or avoiding childbearing due to insufficient supportive structures, economic insecurities, and anxiety about the future. These findings underscore the importance of integrating structural and supportive dimensions of childbearing with women’s lived experiences in the formulation of effective population and family policies.
Keyword: Interpretive phenomenology; Lived experience; Religious women; Childbearing; Structural barriers; Family dynamics.
Introduction
Over the past four decades, Iran has experienced two distinct approaches to demographic policy: first, fertility-limiting policies following the 1986 census, and second, a shift toward pro-natalist policies from the early 2010s in response to declining fertility and the accelerating aging of the population. Despite the enactment of high-level policy documents, supportive laws, and practical incentives, the country’s fertility rate has remained below replacement level, reaching 1.44 children per woman in 2024. This is in contrast to the higher reported ideal number of children in Iranian society, and the mean age at first childbirth has increased significantly over the past three decades. This situation highlights the gap between policy objectives and the lived fertility practices of individuals. From the perspective of the sociology of religion and family, it is expected that religiously observant women, due to cultural and religious values that support motherhood and generational continuity, would show greater alignment with pro-natalist policies. However, existing evidence points to a behavioral paradox: some highly religious women, despite their beliefs and value-based inclinations, delay or forgo childbearing in practice. This study, by focusing on the concept of “perceived barriers” and adopting a phenomenological approach, problematizes the disjunction between religious belief and fertility behavior within the lifeworld of religious women, situated in the context of contemporary social, cultural, and discursive transformations in Iran
Literature Review
The review of existing literature indicates that religiosity, as a significant socio-cultural factor, is generally associated with higher fertility attitudes and intentions. Both domestic and international studies suggest that religious beliefs, spiritual experiences, and participation in religious practices can enhance the desire for childbearing by reinforcing family-centered values, imbuing parenthood with meaning, and reducing the perceived costs and challenges of childrearing. Empirical evidence from Iran similarly demonstrates that religiosity, in many instances even more than gendered attitudes, is positively correlated with fertility intentions, with women holding stronger religious convictions reporting higher ideal numbers of children. However, the scholarly literature emphasizes that the relationship between religiosity and fertility is neither simple nor linear. Meta-analyses, qualitative, and quantitative studies show that the influence of religiosity often operates within a complex interplay with economic, structural, social, and psychological barriers, and in many cases, these barriers can diminish or neutralize the effect of religiosity. Within this context, the concept of “perceived barriers” assumes particular significance; that is, women’s subjective interpretations of conditions such as economic insecurity, concerns about their child’s future, perceived inadequacy in fulfilling maternal roles, social pressures, and role conflicts can have a greater impact on fertility decisions than the objective presence of these challenges. Studies grounded in rational choice and planned behavior theories further indicate that religiosity primarily shapes fertility intentions by influencing attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, yet the translation of these intentions into actual childbearing depends on contextual conditions and the actors’ phenomenological interpretations. Moreover, recent research highlights the role of cyberspaces and exposure to conflicting discourses in redefining women’s attitudes and priorities, particularly among religious women. According to the conceptual framework of the present study is anchored in the interaction among religiosity, perceived barriers, and the lifeworld of religious women. It posits that the “behavioral silence or suspension in fertility” is not the result of an absence of religious values, but rather emerges from women’s meaning-making processes regarding economic, social, cultural, and discursive obstacles within contemporary life—especially in the context of digital activism and engagement in virtual spaces.
Theoretical Considerations
This study employs an integrative, multilevel conceptual
framework to elucidate the barriers to childbearing among religious women, taking into account the interplay of macro-, meso-, and micro-level factors in the fertility decision-making process. At the macro level, value and cultural transformations conceptualized in the Second Demographic Transition theory, alongside economic conditions and rational calculations related to human capital, elucidate the structural and cultural contexts underpinning reduced fertility intentions. These transformations, interacting with the religious value system, create a complex decision-making field for religious women. At the meso level, social networks and norms—mediated through family, religious groups, peers, and particularly digital spaces—shape women’s perceptions of the benefits and barriers of childbearing. These networks, by generating norms, role models, and social support, can act as both facilitators and inhibitors in fertility-related decisions. In the micro level, cognitive and psychological processes—especially attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and parental self-efficacy—play a central role in shaping fertility intentions and behavioral suspension. Religious interpretations and the degree of practical adherence to beliefs directly influence these components. This framework, by emphasizing the dynamic interaction across different levels and the role of perceived uncertainty about the future, demonstrates that the shortcomings of demographic policies are less a consequence of insufficient incentives and more the result of neglecting this multidimensional, contextually grounded interplay
Method
This study was conducted using a qualitative approach, employing descriptive phenomenology. The aim of this approach is to understand and describe the lived experiences of religious women regarding their perceived barriers to childbearing within the context of contemporary life and digital spaces. The universe of study comprised married and unmarried women with overt religious beliefs who were active in virtual spaces and, despite a potential inclination toward childbearing, had postponed or abstained from it. Purposeful sampling followed by snowball sampling was employed, resulting in a total of 32 participants. Selection criteria included self-reported religiosity, active engagement on cyberspace (Instagram or Telegram) producing content & posts related to religious or Islamic lifestyle topics, and experience of postponing or forgoing childbearing. Variation in levels of religiosity and types of online engagement allowed for the representation of multiple voices. Data collection continued until theoretical saturation was reached. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis following the approach of Braun and Clarke.
Findings
The qualitative analysis of interview data led to the identification of three overarching themes that reflect the perceptions and lived experiences of religious women regarding barriers to childbearing. The first theme, “Perceived Lack of Social Support,” encompasses experiences such as fear of loneliness in performing parental roles, the embodied and psychological suffering associated with motherhood, and a sense of stagnation in personal and social growth. Participants perceived childbearing, in the absence of effective familial, institutional, and social support, as a draining and individualized experience. Second theme, “Childbearing-Inhibiting Ecosystem,” captures women’s lived experiences of the heavy costs and obligations of childbearing, perceptions of inadequate social backing, and concerns about environmental and societal risks. Within this framework, childbearing is not merely an individual choice but is experienced as a high-risk endeavor within an insecure and unsupportive structural context. Third theme, “Ambiguity and Lack of Control over the Future,” involves feelings of a lack of control over economic conditions and anxiety regarding normative and value-based ruptures in the next generation. This sense of ambiguity, as one of the most salient perceived barriers, plays a pivotal role in the postponement or suspension of childbearing decisions. Findings indicate that the silence or suspension of reproductive behavior among religious women is not a consequence of weakened religious beliefs, but rather emerges from their meaningful interpretation of a complex set of social, structural, and psychological barriers within the contemporary lifeworld.
Discussion
The findings of this study reveal a profound transformation in the identity and meaning-making patterns of highly religious women in Iranian society—a transformation that can be interpreted as a shift from “motherhood as destiny” to “motherhood as deliberate choice.” Phenomenological analysis indicates that, for contemporary religious women, the selection of maternal roles at younger ages is no longer a taken-for-granted or predetermined trajectory, as it was for previous generations; rather, it is a reflective act situated within structural uncertainties, existential calculations, and complex semantic evaluations. This condition signifies the emergence of a reflexive subject who continuously reinterprets motherhood even within the framework of religious beliefs. Findings also indicate the formation of a meaningful gap between traditional discourse on maternal responsibility and women’s lived experiences of role accumulation, lack of support, and structural incongruities. This gap has led to a kind of crisis of meaning at the intersubjective level, wherein traditional semantic structures lose their capacity to respond adequately to novel existential conditions. Within this framework, hesitation or suspension in childbearing is not an irrational act, but rather a hermeneutic and cautious response to economic, social, and embodied uncertainties. According to the study’s results, childbearing among religious women is not merely a demographic or economic issue, but an existential and phenomenological concern, shaped at the levels of meaning, identity, and lifeworld. Consequently, the failure of demographic policies is less a result of insufficient incentives and more a consequence of neglecting women’s lived experiences and the absence of a family-centered and intersubjective approach in policy-making. The findings underscore the necessity of shifting from unidimensional demographic policies to strategies that, by reconstructing a safe lifeworld, strengthening supportive networks, fostering active husband participation, and redefining the meaning of responsible motherhood, enable the translation of religious values into actual reproductive practice
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* Ph.D. Student in Demography, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
salimi.mohammad@ut.ac.ir
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9167-7177
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