Yunizar, Cahya2020-09-082020-09-082020-05https://hdl.handle.net/11299/216066University of Minnesota M.A. thesis. May 2020. Major: Family Social Science. Advisor: Zha Xiong. 1 computer file (PDF); 105 pages.Early marriage prevalence in Indonesia is the second-highest in Southeast Asia. Despite the fact that married at an early age can bring a lot of disadvantages to women, it still emerges in some areas in Indonesia, especially in rural areas. The aim of this study is to explore the meaning of marriage in the eyes of women who were married at an early age. The research was conducted in Sumbermalang, Situbondo, East Java, Indonesia, focusing on the Madurese ethnic community. A phenomenological approach was used to explore the lived experiences of early married Madurese women. Thirty Madurese women, aged 18-45, participated in a 30-60 minutes semi-structured interview in the Indonesian national language. The data were transcribed and analyzed based on the content analysis technique. The results showed that young women decide to get married for reasons such as love, arranged married, economic benefits, and community pressure. Some social norms and values reported include sexual purity, the importance of marriage, and gender inequality. These social norms and values tend to make early marriage practice exist through generations. Lastly, the study found that women who married early tend to drop out of school, bear children early, experience mood swings, and forced to mature quickly. Some implications and future research directions are also discussed.enchild marriagecross-culture researchearly marriagelived experienceMadurese communityphenomenologyThesis or Dissertation