Fenomena Marriage is Scary di Kalangan Mahasiswi FISIP Universitas Sumatera Utara

Abstract

The phenomenon of 'marriage is scary' represents a form of fear towards the institution of marriage that is prevalent among female students. This fear arises as a response to gender role imbalances, domestic burdens, loss of personal freedom, and the threat of losing one's identity after marriage. This study aims to understand how female students at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Political Science of Universitas Sumatera Utara interpret marriage amidst the discourse of 'marriage is scary', and to analyze this phenomenon through Betty Friedan's liberal feminism theory. The research method used is descriptive qualitative with data collection techniques involving in-depth interviews with 10 student informants. The research results show that the informants have a critical awareness of gender injustice in marriage and reject traditional domestic roles that limit women's self-actualization space. Factors affecting the informants' fear of marriage include patriarchal culture, fear of losing freedom and personal identity, domestic violence (DV) and infidelity, social pressure, negative experiences in family and social environments, as well as the influence of social media. Betty Friedan's theory of the domesticity trap is key to understanding how the social construction of marriage actually becomes a source of psychological and structural pressure for young women. This phenomenon marks a paradigm shift where marriage is no longer seen as an obligation, but as a rational choice based on readiness, equality, and individual freedom.