| Popis: |
The research aimed to interpretthe perceptionsof early marriage, the union of two people in which one or both are under 18 years of age,through a phenomenologicalapproach. The analysiswas performed using observation techniquesalong with participation in in-depth interviewssupported with an inductive approach of documentation analysis. The results showed that the society in Bawean Island, Indonesia,perceived the need for early marriage of15-16 years old girls as matchmaking, avoidance ofthe social sanction of fornicationand out-of-wedlock pregnancy, and as an economical solution for parents to shift responsibility. The results further showed that matchmaking and the avoidance offornication are significant motivatorsfor early marriage. Also, it was found that early marriagescaused adverseeffectson the wife, husband, and children. The effectsare related to cases of pregnancy complication for the wife and psychological stress for the husband. The effecton children born of the early marriage is mainly neonatal infant mortality. The solutions offered to support the population development target and decrease early marriage numbersare toimproveaccess to health facilities and information for women, andovercomecultural and social norms by discussing the impacts of early marriage with social and religious figures and stakeholders. The research can be used by the National Population and Family Planning Board (Indonesia) to decreasethe number of early marriages in society. Keywords: Early marriage; fornication; Indonesia; interpretation;matchmaking |
