Subjective Well-Being among Balinese Women Experiencing Sing Beling Sing Nganten: A Phenomenological Study of Fertility, Family Support, and Patrilineal Culture
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47679/jopp.8415272026Keywords:
Sing beling sing nganten, subjective well-being, perempuan Bali, Balinese women, premarital pregnancy, patrilineal culture, fertility, family support, descriptive phenomenologyAbstract
The phenomenon of sing beling sing nganten reflects the complex interplay among marital norms, fertility expectations, and the patrilineal kinship system in the lives of Balinese women. This study aimed to explore the subjective well-being of Balinese women who experienced sing beling sing nganten, particularly in relation to life satisfaction, positive affect, negative affect, and the contextual factors shaping their interpretations of these experiences. A qualitative approach with a descriptive phenomenological design was employed. Five married Balinese women with children were recruited through snowball sampling and participated in semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed six major themes underlying subjective well-being: pregnancy as proof of fertility and a pathway to marriage; life satisfaction as negotiated acceptance between expectations and reality; children as sources of meaning, self-worth, and familial legitimacy; uneven relational support; negative affect arising from stigma and postmarital life pressures; and strategies for adaptation and meaning-making. The participants’ subjective well-being was characterized by ambivalence, as gratitude, family acceptance, and happiness associated with having children coexisted with stigma, economic strain, disrupted life plans, and domestic role demands. These findings highlight that subjective well-being should be understood contextually as an ongoing negotiation among women’s agency, relational support, and patrilineal sociocultural structures. The study has implications for culturally sensitive psychological and family support.
Abstrak. Fenomena sing beling sing nganten merefleksikan kompleksitas relasi antara norma perkawinan, tuntutan kesuburan, dan sistem kekerabatan patrilineal dalam kehidupan perempuan Bali. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengeksplorasi subjective well-being perempuan Bali yang mengalami sing beling sing nganten, khususnya dalam kaitannya dengan kepuasan hidup, afek positif, afek negatif, serta faktor kontekstual yang membentuk pemaknaan mereka. Penelitian menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan desain fenomenologi deskriptif. Lima perempuan Bali yang telah menikah dan memiliki anak direkrut melalui snowball sampling dan diwawancarai secara semi-terstruktur. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa subjective well-being terbentuk melalui enam tema utama: kehamilan sebagai pembuktian kesuburan dan jalan menuju pernikahan; kepuasan hidup sebagai penerimaan yang dinegosiasikan antara harapan dan realitas; anak sebagai sumber makna, harga diri, dan legitimasi keluarga; dukungan relasional yang tidak seragam; afek negatif yang berasal dari stigma dan tekanan kehidupan setelah menikah; serta strategi adaptasi dan pemaknaan pengalaman. Temuan memperlihatkan bahwa kesejahteraan subjektif partisipan bersifat ambivalen, karena rasa syukur, penerimaan keluarga, dan kebahagiaan memiliki anak hadir bersamaan dengan stigma, tekanan ekonomi, perubahan rencana hidup, dan tuntutan peran domestik. Penelitian ini menegaskan bahwa subjective well-being perlu dipahami secara kontekstual sebagai hasil negosiasi antara agensi perempuan, dukungan relasional, dan struktur sosial-budaya patrilineal. Temuan ini memiliki implikasi bagi dukungan psikologis dan keluarga sensitif budaya.
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