The Meaning of Living Together: A Phenomenological Study of University Students in Bandung, Indonesia

Muhammad Raffi Raditya; Fajar Hariyanto; Rastri Kusumaningrum

doi:10.46576/ijsseh.v7i1.8006

The Meaning of Living Together: A Phenomenological Study of University Students in Bandung, Indonesia

Muhammad Raffi Raditya, Fajar Hariyanto, Rastri Kusumaningrum

Abstract

This study aims to explore the construction of meaning behind the phenomenon of living together (cohabitation) among students in Bandung City. Using Edmund Husserl's phenomenological approach, this qualitative research reveals the motives, meanings, and responses of students towards the practice of living with a partner without marriage ties. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with students and analyzed thematically. The findings reveal that the decision to engage in living together is driven by a complex interaction between pragmatic-external motives (such as economic and time efficiency) and personal-emotional motives (such as the need for closeness and compatibility testing). The meanings attributed to this practice vary, ranging from a pre-marital simulation, a violation of norms, an expression of freedom, to a means of developing emotional independence. Although aware of the negative impacts (social stigma, reputation risks, and gender inequality), students still consider the personal benefits of cohabitation. This study concludes that living together for students is a liminal space full of negotiation between traditional and modern values, where meaning is formed subjectively through their direct lived experience (lifeworld).

Keywords

Living Together, Cohabitation, Construction of Meaning, Phenomenology, Student, Socio Cultural Values.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.46576/ijsseh.v7i1.8006