Having a harmonious and happy marriage is a life goal of every married couple. Nevertheless, how does the Yogyakarta community see the quality of a marriage? We know that local people in Yogyakarta are really close to Javanese culture, they even measure the quality of a marriage based on Javanese culture context. Currently, Doctoral student of Faculty of Psychology UGM conducted a research towards as many as 502 married couples who are local people in Yogyakarta with the minimum marriage age of 5 years.
The research shows that local people in Yogyakarta see the quality of a marriage from intrapersonal aspect because there is a quote which states that the glory of life is in the peace of the heart. This shows that peace is essential. “Harmony in a relationship is highly emphasized by local people in Yogyakarta,” said Siti Rohmah Nurhayati, S.Pi., M.Si. during her open examination for Doctoral promotion at Faculty of Psychology on Tuesday (18/7).
According to Siti, the quality of a marriage is illustrated by the society as a level of relation process quality between married couple in the form of closeness, warmth, respect, and cooperation as well as the result felt by the couple in the form of welfare that includes a harmonious condition and a sense of happiness. Therefore, the concept shows the measurement of marital quality includes interpersonal process that show the relationship between the married couple as well as each interpersonal condition.
“This research result shows the closeness of a relationship is a part of marital quality general parameters. On the other hand, respect and cooperation become dominant which is relatively unique in the local context of Yogyakarta community,” she added.
Although welfare becomes a marital quality parameter in many places, harmony and peace become peculiar characteristics of welfare in marriage according to Yogyakarta community. Welfare becomes the peak of a marriage but it only can be achieved through a process that has to be experienced by the married couple by being cooperative, respecting each other, as well as building closeness and warmth in their relationship. “They see marriage is a long period relationship. Therefore, the quality of that relationship has to be maintained in order to maintain their welfare,” said Siti Rohmah.
Cooperation becomes a starting point of the aspects of marital quality to work and it influences the respect and closeness as well as warmth parameters, finally leading to their welfare. Therefore, various efforts are done in building the relation between married couple through cooperation, communication, as well as respecting each other in order to achieve harmony. “A happy marriage life can be achieved by loving, trusting, and needing each other,” she added.
Siti Rohmah further said Yogyakarta community see the marital relationship is a unity of soul or life. Husband is the soul mate of the wife and vice versa.