Nathania Zerlina
Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jawa Timur

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Shaping Children’s Views on Life Partners through Communication Strategies in Multireligious Families Nathania Zerlina; Aulia Rahmawati
International Journal of Social, Economic, and Business Vol. 3 No. 1 (2026): September 2026
Publisher : Lavish Opulent Education

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.65688/ijseb.v3i1.229

Abstract

Multireligious families are important sites of value negotiation because religious difference is not only experienced by the married couple, but also by children who later form their own views about intimate relationships and marriage. This study aims to explain how family communication strategies in multireligious families shape young adults' perspectives on mate selection. A descriptive qualitative design was used. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with eight informants consisting of young adults from multireligious families and supporting parent informants. The data were analyzed through data reduction, data display, thematic coding, and conclusion drawing. The findings show that parents employ four main communication strategies: narrative strategies through life stories about interfaith marriage, argumentative strategies through rational and religious considerations, empathic-dialogic strategies through open discussion, and control or boundary-setting strategies through parental expectations. These strategies produce varied responses among young adults. Some participants prefer a partner of the same religion because they have observed the complexity of interfaith family life, while others remain open to religious difference because their family communication normalizes tolerance and dialogue. The study concludes that young adults' mate-selection perspectives are shaped not only by direct parental messages, but also by everyday observation of how religious difference is negotiated at home. The implication is that multireligious families need dialogic, reflective, and emotionally safe communication to help young adults make relational decisions without relational pressure or hidden conflict.