Meneroka Strategi Daya Tindak Ibu Tunggal Dalam Menangani Tekanan Kewangan (Exploring Single Mothers’ Coping Strategies in Dealing with Financial Stress)

Abstract

Ibu tunggal berpendapatan rendah di Malaysia menghadapi tekanan kewangan berterusan akibat keterbatasan sumber ekonomi, yang menjejaskan kesejahteraan diri serta kestabilan sosioekonomi keluarga. Tekanan ini merangkumi kesukaran memenuhi keperluan asas seperti makanan, tempat tinggal, pendidikan anak, serta tanggungjawab berganda sebagai pencari nafkah dan penjaga. Justeru, kajian ini dijalankan bagi meneroka strategi daya tindak yang digunakan oleh ibu tunggal berpendapatan rendah dalam menangani tekanan kewangan. Kerangka konseptual kajian berasaskan lima teori utama iaitu Model Tekanan Keluarga, Teori Pemuliharaan Sumber, Teori Stres dan Daya Tindak, Teori Tingkah Laku Terancang, dan Teori Ketahanan, yang secara kolektif menjelaskan kesan tekanan ekonomi, kehilangan sumber, mekanisme penilaian kognitif, pembentukan tingkah laku kewangan, serta keupayaan bangkit semula. Reka bentuk kajian menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan temu bual separa berstruktur melibatkan 19 informan dari Pulau Pinang dan Perak, disokong oleh penggunaan Skala InCharge Financial Distress/Financial Well-Being (IFDFW) untuk menilai tahap kesejahteraan kewangan. Data dianalisis melalui analisis tematik menggunakan perisian NVivo 12/14. Dapatan kajian mengenal pasti tiga strategi utama iaitu sokongan formal (agensi kerajaan, NGO, zakat), sokongan tidak formal (keluarga, rakan, komuniti), dan usaha kendiri/ kerohanian (pengurusan bajet, kerja tambahan, kekuatan kerohanian). Implikasi kajian menekankan keperluan dasar sosial yang responsif, intervensi komuniti yang inklusif, literasi kewangan, serta sokongan psikososial bagi meningkatkan daya tahan kewangan ibu tunggal di Malaysia.Abstract: Low-income single mothers in Malaysia experience persistent financial stress due to limited resources, which directly affects personal well-being and family stability. This stress encompasses challenges in meeting basic needs, including food, housing, children’s education, and balancing dual responsibilities as both breadwinner and caregiver. Hence, this study explores the coping strategies employed by low-income single mothers in dealing with financial stress. The conceptual framework integrates five theories namely the Family Stress Model, Conservation of Resources Theory, Stress and Coping Theory, Theory of Planned Behavior, and Resilience Theory. Together, these frameworks explain the effects of economic hardship, resource loss, cognitive appraisal, financial behavior formation, and resilience in overcoming adversity. A qualitative design was adopted using semi-structured interviews with 19 informants from Penang and Perak, supported by the use of the InCharge Financial Distress/Financial Well-Being (IFDFW) Scale to assess financial well-being. Data were analysed thematically using NVivo 12/14 software to identify patterns and thematic categories. The study’s findings revealed three primary coping strategies, namely formal support (government agencies, NGOs, zakat institutions), informal support (family, friends, community), and self-driven/spiritual efforts (budgeting, supplementary work, spiritual strength). The study underscores the need for responsive social policies, inclusive community interventions, financial literacy initiatives, and psychosocial support to strengthen financial resilience among low-income single mothers in Malaysia.ReferencesAbdullah, N. (2021). Stigma sosial terhadap ibu tunggal dan implikasinya terhadap kesejahteraan psikologi. Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.Ahmad, S. Y., Sabri, M. F., Rahim, H. A., & Osman, S. (2016). Mediating effect of self-coping mechanisms on associations between financial practices and financial security of female headed households. 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