Singleness, religiosity, and the implications for counselors: The Indonesian case

Abstract

This paper explores the unique role of religiosity in assisting Indonesian singles (extensively refer to those who are never married) and how it relates to the counseling and therapeutic practices with never-married clients. Whereas the role of religiosity has been drawn into scholarly attention for its effectiveness in dealing with many situations that are particularly related to social stigma, little is known regarding its role in assisting singles to overcoming stigma due to their singleness. Indonesian society regards marriage as a social achievement and this perception places singles in an undervalued position. On the contrary, the society regards positively those who demonstrate religious attributes. Therefore, religiosity is a potential factor that mediates social perception of singles who attach themselves to religious attributes (such as: religious symbols and rituals). Using database search methodology, this paper presents an overview of how religiosity assists singles in overcoming their challenges and discusses the implications of those dynamics in counseling settings.

The Single’s Struggle: Discovering Involuntary Singleness in Indonesia Through Gender and Religious Perspectives

“…Like marriage, religion is also an important aspect of social identity for most Indonesians (Himawan et al, 2018b). Religious interpretations are commonly involved in understanding nearly all aspects of life including marriage.…”

The Asian Single Profiles: Discovering Many Faces of Never Married Adults in Asia

“…It is worth exploring singlehood in Malaysia and Indonesia together because of certain shared characteristics in both countries. First, marriage is universal within both these societies and singles face strong family and social intimidation that threatens their well-being (Endut, Azmawati, & Hashim, 2015; Himawan et al, 2017, 2018; Situmorang, 2007). Second, perhaps because singlehood is a matter of taboo, the sociopsychological impact of being single requires mains further study in both countries.…”

“…Religion appears to be a strong influence in shaping the attitude of singles toward marriage (Himawan et al, 2018; Ibrahim & Hassan, 2009). In a survey conducted among 200 single women in Sabah and Sarawak, most of the participants considered their attitude toward marriage was based on the premise that marriage was required by their religion (Azmawati et al, 2015).…”

“…Among singles in the society that positively favors religious values, attaching themselves with religious attributes and getting involved in religious rituals and communities may be promising ways to cope with their singleness (Himawan et al, 2018). Not only that they may be benefitted socially through their religious attributes, they will also gain the more accepting social support from their religious communities.…”

“…In addition to that, the stereotyping of singles in Western countries is often subtler compared with what is experienced by singles in the Eastern population. Although DePaulo and Morris (2011) have comprehensively documented stereotypes and stigma toward singles in the United States, the local customs in many Asian societies consider it to be a normal practice to not only ask about ones’ age, marital status, and other private information in a casual discussion but also to pity, deride, and even blame singles as being too self-centered (Himawan, Bambling, & Edirippulige, 2018; Situmorang, 2007). For people living in Asian countries, marriage is regarded to be of immense importance and symbolizes an individual’s achievement in society (To, 2015).…”