Marital Resilience Based on Indigenous Perspectives in Shariah-based Islamic Communities

Abstract

The aim of this study is to describe the resilience of spouse from indigenous perspective specially the spouse who live in the Islamic sharia area. Mixed method was used to analyze descriptive and open-ended categorization data. Participants of the study were 123 husband or wife who are originally Acehnese. The results of qualitative analysis about the meaning of resilience from the Indigenous perspective are dominantly external support (65%), followed by hardiness (17%), adjusting to repression(9%), the rest self-improvement dan gratitude. Furthermore, the categorization of external support aspects or things that help respondents bounce back from adversity in marriage are predominantly family members (30%), children (30%), followed by spouse (16%), and themselves (11%), the rest answered social environment and none (5%). The resilience of married couples in Aceh is not only determined by ability or resilience because of their own capability but is more emphasized on assistance from outside the individual, such as close relatives, extended family or friends. This finding slightly different from the approach of Bonanno (2004), which includes several aspects of resilience, including hardiness, self-enhancement and repressive adjustment. This research contributes a new aspect of resilience in specific aspects according to the perspective of Indigenous Psychology.