Document Type : Original Research Paper
Authors
1
PhD Student in Social Welfare, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran
2
Assistant Professor in Sociology, Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran
3
Assistant Professor in Sociology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran
Abstract
Despite the significant increase in the presence of women in Iran's higher education system, a large proportion of them assume the role of homemakers after graduation. This raises the fundamental question of what impact university education has on the quality of life of housewives. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to conduct a causal analysis of this impact and to compare the quality of life between two groups of married housewives in Tehran: those with and without university education. This research was designed based on the World Health Organization's theories of quality of life, social capital, and the relationship between education, empowerment, and the formation of expectations. This study was conducted using a survey method with a questionnaire administered to a sample of 400 housewives aged 25 to 59 in Tehran, selected through a multi-stage cluster sampling method. Data were analyzed using t-tests for mean comparison and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with AMOS software. The results of the Structural Equation Modeling indicated that university education has a direct negative effect (β = -0.175) on quality of life, but its indirect effect through mediating variables is positive and significant (β = 0.32). Consequently, the total effect of education on quality of life was found to be positive (β = 0.145). This positive impact is realized when education leads to an increase in decision-making power within the family, social capital, and socio-economic status. Furthermore, the results of the mean comparison test showed that the average quality of life was significantly higher in the group of women with a university education (84.14) compared to the other group (80.41). The findings suggest that university education, in itself, can negatively affect quality of life due to increased unmet expectations. However, when it leads to the genuine empowerment of women within the family and society, it becomes an effective factor in enhancing their quality of life.
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