Ru-dar-baysti-based phenomenal experiences of women with low intimacy in marital relationships

Abstract

Ru-dar-baysti is one of the cultural Iranian etiquette; a feeling of shyness and embarrassment related to saving face that occurs when individuals have respect for other party. The current study intended to identify the ru-dar-baysti-based phenomenal experiences of women with low intimacy in marital relationships. To conduct this research, a qualitative approach with a phenomenological method was employed. Participants included 14 women with low marital intimacy who were selected through purposive sampling method and snowball strategy with using Intimacy Scale (IS) developed by Walker and Thompson. Data collection was done through semi-structured interviews. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi's phenomenological analysis method. Analysis of rudarbaysti-based phenomenal experiences of women with low intimacy in marital relationships led to extraction of 11 main themes: Participants' perceptions of the concept, Areas of occurrence, Reasons for rudarbaysti from the perspective of subject, How of rudarbaysti occurrence, Cognitive, Emotional, Relational, Physical-psychological consequences of rudarbaystis, Positive consequences, Effective factors on quitting, and Consequences of quitting rudarbaysti. The findings of the present study showed that rudarbaysti occurs for different reasons and dimensions of the women's intimate relationships with their husbands and in various forms and the occurrence of this phenomenon and quitting it causes a range of positive and negative consequences. It is suggested that according to the results of this study, a plan be developed to acknowledge and assess the type of couples' interactions and to formulate appropriate interventions in the process of couple therapy in a cultural context.