Psychosocial Variables Influencing Divorce in Marriages Involving Swedish Immigrants and Native Swedes

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the perceptions and experiences of divorced Swedish immigrants previously married to Swedish natives through the lenses of their cultural beliefs. Literature in thematic areas was reviewed. For the methodology, the grounded theory was adopted to provide the theoretical underpinning for the study, and the researcher used a qualitative research approach with a semi-structured interview with open-ended questions. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to identify and recruit the participants. The research was conducted in three Swedish cities: Lund, Malmö, and Karlstad. The participants consisted of ten different immigrant men and women. The ages of participants ranged from 26 to 58 years. The participants were limited to immigrants who were married to Swedish natives but are now divorced. They were married for more than 2 years and divorced for more than 5 years. The result revealed that attitude change, communication, abuse, controlling behavior, ‘studying each other,’ cultural acceptance, accommodating each other, and traumatic experiences are associated with the high divorce rates in marriages between Swedish immigrants and native Swedes, as opposed to the comparatively lower divorce rates found in marriages between Swedish-born citizens. It can be challenging when immigrants and native Swedes who are married hold on to their cultural norms and beliefs. The findings will help enlighten would-be spouses on the need to familiarize themselves with the cultural values of their would-be partners before they get into marriage and adds insight into the pattern of divorce commonly experienced among immigrants in Sweden.