From Obligations to Choice: Meanings of Marriage among Generation Z in Asia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30872/ebetjx48Keywords:
Asia, decision pathways, generation Z, marriage, readinessAbstract
This scoping review collects empirical studies exploring the conceptualization, perception, and decision-making of Generation Z regarding marriage in Asia. This study examined literature related to meaning-making as marriage constructs, readiness standards that introduce individual decision trajectories, and sociocultural factors such as socioeconomic context, gender norms, family systems of support or control, and language use in social media. Following PRISMA-ScR, 17 empirical studies were synthesized and included in the final screening stage. The review reveals the following common threads: (1) marriage is more often construed as a personal choice than a social obligation; (2) readiness is multifactorial and includes psychological maturity, economic conditions, career plans, and partner preferences; and (3) decision pathways demonstrate heterogeneity ranging from active postponement to passive drifting. This article recommends directions for future research, particularly through longitudinal and cross-regional designs that can more rigorously test these patterns, along with practical implications for relationship readiness education and marriage support policies responsive to young people’s psychological readiness and economic constraints.
Scoping review ini mengumpulkan sejumlah studi empiris yang mengeksplorasi konseptualisasi, persepsi, dan pengambilan keputusan Generasi Z terkait pernikahan di Asia. Studi ini menelaah literatur yang berkaitan dengan pembentukan makna pernikahan sebagai sebuah konstruk, standar kesiapan yang membentuk jalur keputusan individual, serta faktor sosiokultural seperti kondisi sosial ekonomi, norma gender, sistem dukungan atau kontrol keluarga, hingga penggunaan bahasa di media sosial. Mengacu pada panduan PRISMA-ScR, tinjauan ini mensintesis 17 studi empiris yang lolos tahap seleksi akhir Hasil tinjauan mengungkap beberapa benang merah yang konsisten: (1) pernikahan lebih banyak dipahami sebagai pilihan pribadi ketimbang kewajiban sosial; (2) kesiapan menikah bersifat multifaktorial, mencakup kematangan psikologis, kondisi ekonomi, rencana karier, dan preferensi terhadap pasangan; serta (3) jalur pengambilan keputusan menunjukkan keragaman yang cukup luas, mulai dari penundaan yang disengaja hingga sikap pasif yang mengalir begitu saja tanpa arah yang jelas. Artikel ini merekomendasikan untuk penelitian mendatang, khususnya melalui desain longitudinal dan lintas-regional yang dapat menguji pola tersebut secara lebih ketat, serta implikasi praktis bagi pendidikan kesiapan berelasi dan kebijakan dukungan pernikahan yang responsif terhadap kesiapan psikologis dan kendala ekonomi generasi muda
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