The Address Forms of Spouses in Different Social Strata in Iran and Its Sociolinguistic

Abstract

The current study aims to investigate different terms that spouses apply in order to address each other in different social strata in Iran and to discuss what these patterns reflect about the power and solidarity relationships of spouses in the present society of Iran. To this end, using a social class questionnaire, 97 participants were stratified to upper-middle, middle and lower-middle classes and then the patterns used by them were specified. Analysing the data suggests that Iran’s religious and patriarchal society play important roles in the way that spouses address each other. Furthermore, it suggests that with the increase of educated and working women, the relationship between spouses is moving towards solidarity; however, power has found new ways of manifestations.