INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION OF MULTIPLE ROLES SINGLE MOTHER

Abstract

This research is motivated by the fact that the number of single mothers in Indonesia is increasing. The position of single mothers becomes a dilemma. First, because being a single mother is not a desire. Second, single mothers have a burden, having to meet economic needs in addition to running the daily household. The burden will be lifted if single mothers carry out multiple roles, the public role as breadwinner, as well as the domestic role as the head of the household as well as taking care of the household and raising children. On the other hand, the dominance of patriarchal culture causes multiple roles to be carried out, often facing obstacles, starting from access to economic resources to stigma from the environment. On that basis, the urgency of this research is to dismantle the social construction that marginalizes single mothers who play a dual role behind the restrictive patriarchal culture. To answer the urgency of this research, this research uses a critical paradigm, a qualitative approach with a single instrumental case study design. A total of four single mothers shared their experiences of multiple roles through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and document searches. The results showed that interpersonal communication is an option to reveal the dual role position of single mothers with family, friends and the environment in their communication practice. Interpersonal communication is an option as an afrmation of the single mother’s position in daily social interactions. In a more intimate atmosphere, heart-to-heart communication becomes an option to communicate dual roles: polite messages with family, persuasive messages with single mothers, supportive messages with women, frm messages and focus on avoiding confict but not being patronizing with men and the surrounding community