An Ethnographic Research on the Phenomenon of Early Marriage Among Afghan Immigrants (Hazara ethnic group) in Hamburg (Germany) and Tehran (Iran)

Early marriage or child marriage has several reasons, including poverty, gender inequality, traditional cultural practices that govern human societies, illiteracy and insecurity which impacts upon lack of proper training of future generations, rising divorce rates, increasing mortality rates and maternal and child health problems. This article seeks to evaluate and compare changes in the pattern of early marriage among Afghan immigrants in rural areas of Iran (Tehran) and Germany (Hamburg) as main destinations for Afghans in both Asia and Europe over the past decades. With an ethnographic approach and intensive fieldwork as the main key to communicate with the Afghan community, various variables such as international immigration, education and legal structure in both host societies were examined in terms of their possible impact upon early marriage within the Afghan migrant community (Hazara ethnic group).
The research has been carried out the qualitative research method. It is followed with 34 semi-structured interviews, 5 expert interviews and participant observation with Afghan immigrants in refugee camps and the wider city in Hamburg (Germany), and for conducting data in Iranian side, secondary sources, expert interview and 24 semi-structured interviews, 7 expert interviews and fieldwork in Basic Education Centers in rural area in Tehran are used. Findings are analyzed with the content analysis with the help of open coding and axial coding within the framework of Gordon’s model (1964).