Singleness, Religiosity, and the Implications for Counselors: The Indonesian Case
Authors
Karel Karsten Himawan
Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Pelita Harapan, Tangerang, Indonesia
Matthew Bambling
Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Sisira Edirippulige
Centre for Online Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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.
