Abstract:
Nowadays, one of the choices that adults face is whether to get married. As a result, the number
of never-married adults has increased dramatically, reflecting changing social conditions and
attitudes. So, the purpose of this study was to uncover lived experiences of unmarried adults on
being single in Debre Tabor town administration. To this end, a qualitative research approach
compounded by the phenomenological design was employed. The sampling technique utilized in
this study was the purposive sampling technique. Using this sampling technique seventeen
participants were selected. In-depth interview as a data gathering method and semi-structured
interview guide as a data collection instrument were used. Cross-checking questions were
employed throughout the data gathering process to guarantee data trustworthiness. Furthermore,
the collected data analyzed using thematic content analysis method. The study revealed out that;
there are ten possible reasons that well experienced by unmarried adults delayed their marriage
and stayed on being single, challenges on being single is an existing reality in unmarried adults,
major coping mechanisms of unmarried adults on being single were identified, and three different
aspiration of their future life of unmarried adults were reflected. Based on the basic findings of
this study; advocating the importance of establishing marriage in the expected matrimonial age,
lower down set of partner selection criteria and be active to find partner, the process and length
of the will be couple’s life span of knowing one another ought to be within appropriate range of
time, finding economic collaborative couples and economic empowerment of the dependent family
members, different forms of premarital sex should be avoided, and finally, there is a need to carry
out further researches so as to verify the existing knowledge about lived experiences of unmarried
adults’ delayed to establish their marriage in the usual matrimonial age and stayed on being
single.