Analysis of Common Sub-Discourses Among Spouses Aimed at Maintaining Homeostasis: Based on the "Fairclough" discourse analysis approach

The present study aimed to examine and analyze common sub-discourses within spouses that are employed to maintain homeostasis. Method: This qualitative research was conducted within the framework of Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis. The study population consisted of married men aged 25 to 45 residing in Tehran in 2023. Participants were purposefully sampled to ensure maximum variation in terms of discourse style regarding the research topic—family balance and individuals’ preferred mechanisms. In accordance with the principle of theoretical saturation, eleven participants were recruited for the study. To enrich the study and obtain relevant data, semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the data were analyzed using Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis method. The results indicate that couples’ discourses regarding the maintenance of homeostasis can generally be classified into two groups: balancing discourses, which include sub-discourses such as tolerance, compromise, consulting specialists or competent individuals, logical negotiation, reassessment of equilibrium situations, and compensation; and deviant discourses, encompassing sub-discourses such as threats of divorce, feigned infidelity, physical withdrawal, emotional withdrawal, physical aggression, excessive control, reversed behavior, making false promises, and triangulation. Additionally, three dominant societal discourses—traditionalism, modernism, and religious fundamentalism—were analyzed. Among these, the discourse of religious fundamentalism was identified as the most beneficial and applicable within the context of family relations. Given their prevalence, dominant discourses can inject an ontology aligned with their central signifiers into social interactions, thereby influencing values, structures, norms, family rules, and ultimately the balance of the family