Mate Selection Criteria among Single Female Teachers: A Qualitative Study

This research set out to find out the mate selection criteria among single female teachers. This qualitative study was carried out via thematic analysis approach. Using purposive sampling method, 15 single female teachers aged 18 to 30 years old were identified in Tehran and fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and then were analyzed using the thematic analysis method. Data analysis resulted in identifying two main categories of individual criteria with six subcategories (personality, appearance, age, education, religious and economic criteria) and background criteria with four subcategories (cultural and political criteria, values, criteria related to the spousechr('39')s family). The findings of the study can improve the insight of single female teachers into marriage criteria and pave the way for accelerating the process of marriage.