EXPLORING THE EXPERIENCE OF PERCEIVED SUPPORT SYSTEMS AMONG HOUSEWIVES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJEPC.1162047Keywords:
Community, Housewives, Support, Family, Well-BeingAbstract
Society often perceives housewives as a group with complex emotional and social demands, especially when societal expectations and economic pressures shape their daily experiences. Although they are central to family stability, limited attention has been given to understanding how they manage these challenges through the support systems available to them. The study aims to explore the perceived support systems of housewives and how these networks influence their daily functioning and overall well-being. Using a qualitative case study design, this study collected data from 20 full-time housewives in the Klang Valley through semi-structured interviews and analysed the findings using thematic analysis, supported by member checking and peer debriefing techniques. The results indicate that housewives’ support systems comprise three key components, namely as nuclear family networks, extended family networks, and community networks. Support from spouses, children, and parents emerged as the most immediate and crucial source of emotional stability, while extended family members provided valuable assistance, particularly in childcare. Community relationships, including friendships and neighbour interactions, offered additional emotional and social resources, although some housewives reported experiencing isolation due to limited social engagement. Overall, the findings demonstrate that strong support systems help housewives navigate domestic responsibilities, enhance resilience, and maintain healthier psychological well-being. This study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of housewives lived experiences and underscores the importance of strengthening social support structures within families and communities. Future research is recommended to expand the geographical scope and further explore differences across diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Downloads
References
Adnan, S. M. M., & Sukor, N. M. (2023). Life Satisfaction, Depression and Marital Satisfaction among Housewives in Malaysia. International Journal for Studies on Children, Women, Elderly and Disabled, 18: 19-28.
Ali, I. M., Jaris, N. H., Samsudin, E. Z., Razali, S., Hashim, N. A., Mohamed, S., ... & Persatuan Suri Rumah Rahmah Malaysia. (2025). Depression, anxiety, and coping strategies before and after a mental health programmex for housewives in Malaysia: a pre-and post-intervention study. Middle East Current Psychiatry, 32(1), 73.
Amran, I. N. A., Falsafah, C. D., Islam, A. T., Saari, Z. B., Elias, Z. A., Rosli, N. A. M., & Islam, C. S. A. T. (2021). Cabaran kesejahteraan suri rumah berpendidikan tinggi. International Journal for Studies on Children, Women, Elderly and Disabled, 143-151.
Choudhury, P., Foroughi, C., & Larson, B. (2021). Work‐from‐anywhere: The Productivity effects of geographic flexibility. Strategic Management Journal, 42(4): 655-683.
Dibaji, S. M., Durak, M., Senol-Durak, E., & Karakose, S. (2023). Psychological distress and anxiety among housewives: The mediational role of perceived stress, loneliness, and housewife burnout. Current Psychology, 42(17): 14517-14528.
Hamid, N. A., Rashid, S. M., Ishak, M. S., & Wulan, R. R. (2022). Effects of social media usage: The well-being and flourishing of housewives. Jurnal Komunikasi, 38(1): 284-304
Ismail, N. S. A., Hassan, K., & Ma'adan, M. (2022). Halangan untuk mencapai keseimbangan antara kerjaya dan kehidupan wanita bekerja di sektor awam. Jurnal Pembangunan Sosial, 25: 169-190.
Karakose, S., & Ulusoy, A. N. (2022). Housewife burnout and somatization: Predictors of depression. Cyprus Turkish Journal Of Psychiatry & Psychology, 4(1): 94-10.
Kaplan, V. (2021). The burnout and loneliness levels of housewives in home-quarantine during Covid-19 pandemic. Kıbrıs Türk Psikiyatri Ve Psikoloji Dergisi, 3(2): 115-122.
Kopsov, I. (2019). A new model of subjective well-being. The Open Psychology Journal, 12(1): 104-118.
Lu, Z., Yan, S., Jones, J., He, Y., & She, Q. (2023). From Housewives to employees, the mental benefits of employment across women with different gender role attitudes and parenthood status. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(5): 1-13
Luo, M., Ding, D., Bauman, A., Negin, J., & Phongsavan, P. (2020). Social engagement pattern, health behaviors and subjective well-being of older adults: an international perspective using WHO-SAGE survey data. BMC Public Health, 20(1): 99.
Marchesi, M. (2021). ‘I volunteer at home too!’ Gendering affective citizenship. Critique of Anthropology, 41(1): 21-42.
Mas’udah, S. (2022). Familial relationships and efforts in retention of marriage among atomistic families in Indonesia. Cogent Social Sciences, 8(1): 1-16
Priya, M., & Ahmad, A. (2021). A Study of Subjective well-being among housewives and working women of Khagaria District, North Bihar, India. East African Scholars Journal of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, 80-86
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2020). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and future directions. Contemporary educational psychology, 61, 101860.
Sulaiman, S., Bakar, N. A., Ismail, W. N. A. T., Pauzi, H. M., & Sembok, T. M. Z. T. (2023). Poverty and well-being: The subjective well-being status of poor children in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Planning Malaysia, 21: 266-281.
Voukelatou, V., Gabrielli, L., Miliou, I., Cresci, S., Sharma, R., Tesconi, M., & Pappalardo, L. (2021). Measuring objective and subjective well-being: dimensions and data sources. International Journal of Data Science and Analytics, 11: 279-309.
Zaimah, N. A., Abdullah, A., & Sukimi, M. F. (2021). Isu dan Cabaran Keluarga Sebagai Agen Kawalan Sosial dalam kalangan Remaja. Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (MJSSH), 6(8): 207-214.
