Understanding the social processes underpinning child marriage: Impact of protracted displacement in Jordan

This study aims to better understand the social processes underpinning child marriage from the perspective of Syrian refugees and to examine the nature and impact of decision-making processes related to child marriage, taking into account the drivers and negative outcomes of child marriage. As a matter of fact, this research focuses on exploring the private and public social processes, values and decision-making processes underpinning child marriage among displaced Syrian community. It uses an in-depth narrative approach with Syrian girls and their families in order to improve knowledge and develop a relevant framework of risk and protective factors associated with child marriage within Syrian refugee communities. This paper finds that the significant increase in child marriage does not reflect a huge resurgence of “traditional” Syrian culture; rather it is linked to the current context of displacement and uncertainty in which Syrian community live.