STRENGTHENING FAMILY RESILIENCE TO ENHANCE WELLBEING: A CASE STUDY IN KRIYAN BARAT RW 17, CIREBON CITY

Abstract

Urbanization in Indonesia has significantly reshaped family dynamics, increasing psychological and social stressors, particularly in economically vulnerable communities. This study explores how families in Kriyan Barat RW 17, Cirebon City, understand and practice resilience, and how such resilience relates to their subjective wellbeing. Employing a qualitative phenomenological design, we conducted in-depth interviews with 12 participants from six families purposively categorized as resilient or non-resilient based on community assessments and indicators of coping capacity. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s method, guided by Walsh’s Family Resilience Framework, with a focus on belief systems, communication, and adaptive functioning. Results reveal that resilient families emphasize shared spirituality, flexible role negotiation, and emotionally open communication, which contribute to greater psychological stability. In contrast, non-resilient families struggle with rigid roles, emotional suppression, and poor communication. By focusing on urban families in Cirebon, this research enriches the global discourse on family resilience with culturally grounded insights from Southeast Asia, a context that remains limited in current resilience literature. These findings offer practical implications for designing context-sensitive interventions to strengthen family well-being in urban Indonesian settings.