Children as a source of happiness within the Iranian families: Profiles and challenges

Abstract

The broad intention of the present paper is to reflect a picture of children within families in Iran in so far as their value
is concerned. We will find out how inspite of all the existing social and economic hardships and disorders, children try
to maintain adequate synergy within their families and the society as a whole. Further, the paper is intended to
provide a detailed overview of children lives in Iran in multiple dimensions. The paper mainly explores the attitudes
and perceptions of the families towards the value of children! optimistically and positively as a source of happiness.
The emerging modernity indicators and desire to improve quality of life is contributing to controversies towards
having children. That is, the whole process needs appropriate policies to impede the possible consequences.
Similarly, the increasing costs of raising children in modern time, is indeed affecting the traditional positive value of
having children in the country. In assessing children as a source of happiness, their positive and negative values are
searched out. The methodology used in this research is based on consulting relevant theories as well as conducting
interviews. The paper explores and finds out that children experience difficult circumstances for a number of reasons,
but in most cases the root problem is an uderlying context of acute vulnerability. In many cases, it is the livelihood
strategies that place children in difficult circumstances. These difficult circumstances are also often interrelated.
Some of the factors like wars, economic stagnation, overpopulation and density of urban population affect children.
However, the scenario of children as a source of both happiness and social problem is a new issue emerging not only
in Iran, but in many other developing societies. The paper concludes that living in harmony within family depends on
the quality and quantity of children in Iran as in any other developing country. It is argued that we need to consider
the family as a controversial issue because of the differences between ideology of the family and the reality of the
variety of various ways in which men, women, boys and girls, live together and interact. The paper aims to explore
how families changed in the past half century, why people marry and/or have children and how synergy and solidarity
in the family are achieved. The scope and scale of happiness in the family in terms of values (Croll, 2000) and whether
the family is in a state of crisis are also investigated. Providing answers to such questions and many more, are some
of the aims of the paper. The paper will reflect a synthesis of families in the ever-changing world with special
reference to Tehran. Similarly, Iran’s current state of children and families need such investigation in terms of
economic, social and cultural perspectives. Analysis of the dynamics of families in society is also a part of the aims of
the paper.