The Relationship between Educational Level, Employment Status, and the Decision to Delay Marriage among Saudi Women: " An Applied Study on a Sample of Saudi Women in Riyadh."

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate the relationship between educational attainment and employment status with the decision to delay marriage among Saudi women (a study conducted on a sample of Saudi women in Riyadh). It sought to identify the key social, economic, psychological, and personal factors contributing to the delayed marriage decisions among Saudi women, as well as the impact of educational attainment and employment status on these factors. The study employed a social survey methodology using a random sample of 402 unmarried adult Saudi women in Riyadh, using questionnaires to collect data. The study found several key findings, including the presence of several social factors contributing to the delayed marriage decisions among Saudi women. These factors include the desire for independence and self-fulfillment, social anxieties and challenges, negative perceptions of marriage, and social and cultural changes. It also found several economic factors, including the pursuit of financial independence and a better standard of living, economic challenges facing young people, high marriage costs, and the family's reliance on the woman's income. In addition to these social and economic factors, the study found several psychological and personal factors, including the fear of commitment and change, fear of failure, anxiety about social integration and change, and social and cultural pressures. While the findings did not show any statistically significant differences in responses to social factors based on educational attainment, they did show statistically significant differences in responses to economic and psychological factors. The findings also showed statistically significant differences in responses to social, economic, and psychological factors attributed to the employment status of the participants. The study recommends changing societal perceptions, supporting women in achieving independence, creating favorable conditions for successful marriages, mitigating economic factors, increasing marriage opportunities, and highlighting the role of educational institutions.