Abstract
While getting married and starting a family are still widely regarded as important life events toward adulthood, young adults nowadays are delaying getting married and establishing their own families. The study incorporated a qualitative research design with a phenomenological approach to understanding how young adults formed meanings based on their experiences with parental separation. A semi-structured interview was conducted to freely express their thoughts, views, and beliefs, as their responses were not confined to a simple yes or no. Through purposive sampling, fifteen (15) participants, aged between 18 and 25 years old, who have experienced parental separation from the City of Bacoor, Cavite, were interviewed face-to-face or online platforms, depending on the availability of the participants. All recorded responses were carefully analyzed using Collaizi’s procedure. Responses were grouped according to the interview transcripts; hence, the range of outlooks was uncovered. The findings of the study revealed three (3) main themes: Perception of Marriage, General Prerequisites of Marriage, and Effects of Parental Separation on Views of Marriage. The study obtained views on marriage from people who had gone through parental separation. Some participants had negative emotions like anxiety and trust issues, which shows that they needed support. On the other hand, some people kept a positive attitude, and they were able to tolerate the situation. This shows the different ways people deal with the separation of their parents and how it affects their attitude towards marriage. The findings of this study contribute to the existing knowledge about young adults who experienced parental separation, which can be used to create effective interventions that would help young adults who experienced parental separation with their difficulties.
