A Critical Study of Gender Differences in Premarital Intimate Relationships among Youths in Tehran

This paper aims to study and analyze the intimate premarital relationships comparatively among boys and girls 15-29 in Tehran. To do so، Gender Socialization Theory and some research reports were employed to distribute 254 questionnaires in three areas of Tehran and assessed using the method of survey and cluster multi-stage sampling. Results showed that boys and girls were similar in some variables such as way of acquaintance، degree of intimacy with the opposite sex، reasons behind ending friendly relationships، and the outcomes of breaking up. Meaningful differences indicated that men had a more positive attitude towards such relationships and were engaged in them more than women. The observed similarities in the relationships of the two sexes was different to what was expected based on the classical patterns of socialization and therefore، the Gender Socialization Theory was not adequate for analyzing the gender differences of the society of this study and in due turn، Merton’s Theory of Sociological Ambivalence was suggested. Furthermore، premarital relationship which is considered as a kind of deviance in Iranian culture and sexual liberalism in western countries indicates the lack of theorizing in this field and shows the great need for further in-depth qualitative studies using grounded theory، and applying Islamic principles for conducting theories and theorizing.