Konflik Perkahwinan dan Strategi Daya Tindak Individu yang Kehilangan Pekerjaan Semasa Pandemik Covid-19: Impak kepada Kualiti Perkahwinan

(Marital Conflict and Coping Strategies of Individuals Who Lose Their Jobs During the Covid-19 Pandemic: Impact Towards Marital Quality)

Abstract

Kemunculan pandemik Covid-19 telah memberi impak yang besar kepada penduduk dunia akibat krisis ekonomi. Berikutan itu, terdapat ramai individu kehilangan pekerjaan semasa pandemik ini. Secara tidak langsung, masalah ini mempengaruhi institusi kekeluargaan terutamanya bagi pasangan yang telah berkahwin. Oleh itu, kajian ini dijalankan untuk mengetahui dengan lebih mendalam berkenaan konflik yang telah dihadapi, strategi daya tindak yang digunakan untuk mengatasi konflik perkahwinan dan kesannya terhadap kualiti perkahwinan individu yang kehilangan pekerjaan semasa pandemik Covid-19. Kajian ini dilakukan dengan menggunakan teknik kualitatif iaitu temubual secara mendalam berdasarkan pendekatan fenomenologi. Seramai lapan orang informan dipilih bagi mengambil bahagian dalam kajian ini melalui teknik persampelan bertujuan. Informan terdiri daripada individu yang telah berkahwin selama tiga tahun dan keatas serta dari sekitar Negeri Selangor. Temubual dilakukan secara mendalam melalui temubual separa berstuktur untuk mengumpul data kajian. Analisis kajian dijalankan dengan menggunakan prosedur Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis untuk mengekstrak tema. Hasil kajian mendapati bahawa konflik perkahwinan berpunca daripada konflik kewangan, krisis penyesuaian dan tekanan luaran. Informan menggunakan perancangan kewangan, komunikasi yang efektif dan sokongan sosial sebagai strategi daya tindak bagi mengatasi konflik perkahwinan. Kualiti perkahwinan semasa pandemik diekstrasi ke dalam tiga domain iaitu keharmonian, kebahagiaan dan toleransi. Diharapkan kajian ini dapat memberi manfaat kepada pihak berkepentingan untuk menyokong keluarga yang terjejas secara ekonomi akibat pandemik Covid-19.

ABSTRACT

The emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic has created such a huge impact on the world population to the economic crisis. As a result, there have been many individuals losing their jobs during this pandemic. Indirectly, this issue affects the family institution, especially for married couples. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore in-depth the marital conflicts that have been faced, coping strategies used to address marital conflicts, as well as their impact on the marital quality of individuals who lost their jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic. The study was conducted by using a qualitative technique which is in-depth interview based on phenomenological approach. A total of eight informants were selected to participate in this study by purposive sampling. Informants consist of individuals who have been married for three years or above and from the State of Selangor. Interviews were conducted in-depth through semi-structured interviews to collect research data. The analysis of the study was performed by using the Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis procedure to extract the themes. The results of the study found that marital conflict stems from financial conflict, adjustment crisis, and external pressures. Informants used financial planning, effective communication, and social support as coping strategies to deal with marital conflict. Marital quality during the pandemic was extracted into three domains which were harmony, happiness, and tolerance. It is hoped that this study can benefit stakeholders to support families that have been affected economically due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Keywords: marital conflict, marital quality, coping strategies, job loss, Covid-19 pandemic