Family Social Support In Work-Life Balance For Working Mothers In The Mosalaki Culture Of Ende Regency, East Nusa Tenggara

Abstract

Working mothers in Ende Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, face significant challenges in achieving work-life balance. This problem arises from the conflict between the demands of formal employment and the patriarchal social structure of Mosalaki culture, where women's roles are limited to the domestic sphere through the concept of "Ngopo Api Ngata". This study aims to examine the role of family social support in work-life balance among working mothers in Mosalaki culture. Using a qualitative phenomenological design, data were collected through in-depth interviews with three working mothers in Ende. The data were analyzed thematically using ATLAS.ti software to ensure transparency and depth of findings. The results of the study show that the involvement of husbands in domestic roles and financial support are crucial in preventing maternal exhaustion. In addition, children who are trained to be independent help ease the burden of household chores. The study concludes that nuclear family support can mitigate the obstacles of rigid patriarchal culture. The limitation of this study lies in its specific geographical focus on one traditional area, so generalization to other cultural contexts needs to be done carefully. These findings provide practical contributions for local governments in formulating family-friendly workplace policies and family resilience programs based on local wisdom.