Criminological Analysis of Forced Marriage in Afghanistan in the Light of Social Structuralism Theory
Subject Areas : Research on Iranian social issues
Hamidreza Danesh Nari
1
*
,
Abdolmalek Parsa
2
1 - Assistant Professor, Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
2 - Ph.D. Student in Criminal Law and Criminology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
Keywords: Forced marriage, Patriarchy, Afghanistan, Violence against women, Values.,
Abstract :
Criminological Analysis of Forced Marriage in Afghanistan in the Light of Social Structuralism Theory
Hamidreza Danesh nari*
Abolmalek Parsa**
Forced marriage is a marriage that takes place without the genuine consent of one or both parties to the marriage. As one of the significant forms of violence against women. Forced marriage has harmful and long-term consequences for its victims and for society. Despite the criminalization of forced marriage and the provision of criminal protection for the right to freedom of marriage under the Law on the Elimination of Violence against Women within the Afghan criminal justice system, the widespread prevalence of this crime indicates the failure of the punitive approach. Therefore, the present study seeks to provide an etiological explanation of the effect of social structure on forced marriage. This study is qualitative using a thematic analysis approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with six local elders and community leaders in Nijrab County of Afghanestan. Data analysis resulted in the identification of three main categories that explain the concept of the "social structure of forced marriage." These categories included gendered cultural institutions, pressure from social norms, and the economic dependence of girls on their families. The findings indicate a context-dependent relationship between social structure and forced marriage. The definition of unequal social status and standing for women and men through gendered cultural institutions, such as patriarchy, paternalism, the construction of women as helpless, pressure from social norms, girls' economic dependence, and unequal power within the family, deprives women and girls of decision-making power and increases the prevalence of forced marriage.
Keywords: Forced marriage, Patriarchy, Afghanistan, Violence against women, Values.
Introduction
Forced marriage is one of the socially harmful issues rooted in both individual factors and social structural factors. As an explicit violation of the fundamental rights of women and girls, forced marriage has far-reaching consequences at the individual, family, and societal levels. This type of marriage is not limited to particular community and occurs in various countries, both traditional and modern. For example, research conducted in Spain has demonstrated the existence of forced marriage in that country (Torres & Carolina Villacampa, 2021: 2). However, the prevalence of forced marriage is higher in multicultural and traditional societies than in modern societies (Moghaddasi & Ameri, 2016: 171).
In Afghan society, particularly in rural areas, ancient traditions that conflict with Islamic principles have resulted in the consent of the parties to a marriage contract being disregarded, and families exercising control over their fate. Despite extensive efforts by domestic and international institutions to improve the status of women, a considerable number of Afghan girls, particularly in rural areas, continue to become victims of forced marriages. In response to the widespread occurrence of forced marriages, the Afghan legislature criminalized forced marriage through the enactment of the Law on the Elimination of Violence against Women in 2009. The purpose of this article is to explain the effect of social structure on forced marriage in Najran, Afghanistan.
Theoretical Foundations
The Concept of Forced Marriage
Forced marriage refers to a marriage in which the marital union is entered without the full and free consent of both parties, often because of some form of unlawful coercion (Askola, 2018: 4). In other words, forced marriage is a marriage that takes place without the consent of one or both parties to the marriage (Torres & Carolina Villacampa, 2021: 1). Coercion may range from physical force to various forms of psychological, financial, and emotional pressure, often exerted by close or extended family members (Askola, 2018: 4).
Social Structure
The idea of social structure derives from the biological metaphor of the organism, first introduced by Herbert Spencer. At that time, the term "structure" in biology referred to what is now called an organ, namely, a set of interconnected tissues that performs a specific function for the organism (Martin & Lee, 2015: 713). Drawing on biology and comparing society to a living organism, Spencer regarded society as a set of interconnected units whose functions give life to society (Delaney, 2021: 81).
The first dimension of social structure consists of collective relations Social relationships that are divided into distinctive patterns as constituent elements of society. Another dimension of social structure consists of collective manifestations, including opinions, beliefs, values, symbols, and expectations. Although these phenomena are subjective in nature, they are transmitted from one individual to another. Through transmission from one individual to another, these mental phenomena become shared and assume a regulatory and supervisory role in shaping individuals' behavior (Hosseini-Sirat, 2017: 184). Durkheim's perspective on the material and non-material dimensions of reality social structure, namely collective relations and collective manifestations inspired different approaches within structural sociology (Delaney, 2021: 149). On one side of this approach is the idea of institutional structure, which encompasses cultural or normative patterns that determine actors' expectations regarding one another's behavior and organize their relationships. On the other side is the idea of relational structure, according to which social structure encompasses social relations and interactions and functions as a pattern of reciprocal relationships and interdependencies among actors and actions, as well as the positions and statuses they occupy (Lopez & John Scott, 2006: 13).
Methodology
The present study is applied qualitative method. The aim of this research was to examine and explain the effect of social structure on forced marriage. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. Given the sensitive nature of the research problem and its relationship to individuals' privacy, as well as victims' reluctance to participate directly in the research, the study population consisted of six local elders and community leaders from Nijrab County. Nijrab is one of the counties of Kapisa Province and is located 90 kilometers northeast of Kabul. The people of Nijrab are ethnically Tajik and Persian speaking. Because of their social status and their direct involvement in resolving conflicts in the county, including family disputes, these individuals possess a sound understanding of the culture, customs, and social structure of the local community.
The data collection instrument was a semi-structured interview designed based on the theoretical framework of the study. The interview questions focused on issues such as the concept of forced marriage, the cultural roots of forced marriage, the role of local traditions and beliefs in forced marriage, the distribution of power within the family, and women's economic dependence. Each interview lasted approximately 30 to 45 minutes and was conducted with the informed consent of the participants.
Results
Qualitative content analysis of the in-depth interviews with local community leaders resulted in the extraction of three main categories organized around the concept of the "social structure of forced marriage." These findings are not merely descriptive; they also support the theoretical foundations of social structure.
The first and most important factor underlying forced marriage in this study is a “gendered perception of women”. The interview data indicate that forced marriage is rooted in a gendered perception of women. The findings show that the community leaders' understanding of gender is based on a hierarchy of power. Within this paradigm, a woman is viewed as an individual whose identity is always defined in relation to a "man" (father, brother, or husband). This category can be analyzed through two specific subcategories.
From the perspective of local community leaders, “men possess superior rationality and experience” because of their involvement in affairs outside the home and their participation in social matters. This attribution of greater competence, in customary and moral terms, legitimizes men's authority to make decisions on behalf of weaker family members (women). In this context, male authority is represented as a form of responsibility.
The construction of “women as weak” is another manifestation of the gendered perception of women and, in contrast to male authority, portrays women as weak. Analysis of the codes extracted from the statements of local community leaders, such as "intellectually deficient" and "vulnerable to emotions," indicates the construction of women as weak within the context of Afghan society. The community leaders believe that, because of women's "intellectual weakness" and "emotional nature," they lack the competence necessary to make the most consequential decision of their lives marriage. Consequently, forced marriage is not represented as an oppressive and coercive act but rather as a "protective measure."
Disscusion and Conclusion
This article provides an explanation of the relationship between social structure and forced marriage. Based on previous studies, social structure, as an important variable, has a direct effect on individuals' actions, relationships, and social interactions. Given that marriage constitutes one of the principal arenas of gender relations between women and men, analyzing and examining the relationship between social structure and forced marriage requires the study of the fundamental values and beliefs that define the gendered status and social standing of women and men.
According to the findings of the study, men's cultural and economic hegemony within the social structure contributes to women's victimization. Through the construction of gendered institutions, society, on the one hand, assigns women a lower status and value than men and, on the other hand, gendered institutions define behavioral expectations that forced women to obey men. Based on gender-stereotypical beliefs within the context of social relations and interactions, men perceive themselves as the superior and first-class gender, while women are regarded as the weaker and second-class gender. Viewing women as a symbol of men's honor and social standing reflects a sense of ownership and a hierarchical, top-down perception of women by men.
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* Corresponding Author: Assistant Professor, Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2676-0422
** Ph.D. Student in Criminal Law and Criminology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
abolmalekparsa@um.ac.ir
https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0046-3755
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