| dc.description.abstract | This study analyses the social conditions of students receiving the Kartu Indonesia Pintar (KIP) Kuliah Programme at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), University of Sumatera Utara (USU), from Erving Goffman's dramaturgical perspective. The KIP Kuliah Programme, as a form of social welfare in education, aims to address inequalities in access to higher education for students from underprivileged families. However, beyond financial assistance, students often face complex social dynamics, including stigma and environmental expectations. This research aims to understand how students manage their social roles on the campus's front stage and in their back stage private spaces, as well as to identify the social challenges they encounter.
Employing a qualitative approach with a descriptive-analytic type and an interpretive paradigm, this study involved five student informants receiving KIP Kuliah at FISIP USU, selected through purposive sampling until data saturation was achieved. Data collection was conducted through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and documentation studies. Data analysis utilised Miles, Huberman, and Saldana's interactive model, while data trustworthiness was ensured through source triangulation, member checks, peer debriefing, and an audit trail.
The findings indicate that KIP Kuliah recipient students actively engage in complex social "performances". On the front stage, they present themselves as independent, high-achieving, and "normal" individuals to avoid stigma and meet social expectations, often through impression management strategies such as disguising their economic status and highlighting academic achievements. Conversely, on the back stage, they reveal more vulnerable economic and psychological realities, such as difficulties in managing funds and pressure to maintain their Grade Point Average (GPA) to prevent scholarship revocation. Social stigma, though not always directly experienced, remains a concern influencing their behaviour, including caution in their social media presence. Nevertheless, solidarity and informal communities were also found to be sources of support.
This research concludes that KIP Kuliah, while financially very helpful, creates a psychosocial burden that requires more attention. The implications of these findings highlight the need for improved programme selection and oversight, comprehensive psychosocial support, anti-stigma education within the campus environment, and enhanced transparency and privacy protection for recipients. Theoretically, this study enriches the application of Goffman's dramaturgical theory in the context of social policy, demonstrating that students are not merely passive recipients but reflective social actors who exhibit remarkable resilience in navigating complex social realities. | en_US |
