Timing of Marriage: A Social Problem?

Under the influence of various change factors, individuals and societies encounter or worry about certain problems. However, there are difficulties in distinguishing problems as ‘individual’ or ‘social’, in other words, determining what constitutes a ‘social problem’. Focusing on the timing of marriage, which closely concerns the institution of family; this article discusses why early or delayed marriages are or are not perceived as ‘social problems’. The discussion is carried out by examining the existing literature with a critical perspective. The main finding is that the existing literature, which is almost unanimous, treats early marriage as a social problem, whereas late marriage is treated more as an individual choice resulting from the prioritization of education and career. Based on three arguments, the article argues that late marriage is a serious social problem and proposes a solution to this problem in the context of Turkish/Islamic culture.