How Strategy of Strengthening Family Function Through
Community Empowerment?
I. Nawawi, D. Budimansyah and Y. Ruyadi
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Jl. Dr. Setiabudhi No. 229, Bandung, Indonesia.
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Keywords: Family Function, Community Empowerment, Family Empowerment.
Abstract: Community empowerment through family approach is very important in encouraging community
development because the family has a strategic role and function. Nowadays, the effect of modernization
alters the structure change and weaken the family function, so that the family is considered as an insecurity
institution. Whereas in the context of community development, the family has the important function in
developing empowered and independent society. This study aims to figure out the family empowerment
through strengthening its function in establishing a society. This study uses a qualitative method with
phenomenological strategy. Data collection uses interview to the people who are active and passive in the
empowerment program. A qualitative analysis uses data reduction, data display, and data verification. The
result of this study shows that the community empowerment by focusing on the family through various
aspects such as education, health, economy, religion, and art and culture can increase the family functioned
and also strengthen the family function can persuade the community empowerment.
1 INTRODUCTION
The family is a miniature institution and the most
essential in a society (Newman and Grauerholz,
2002). However, as a miniature institution, the
family has an important role and function in pushing
for developing empowered and independent society.
Its function is part of the family in establishing
society prosperity (Fahrudin, 2012) because one of
the indicators of family prosperity can be detected
from the function of a family (Ishak, 2012). As a
social institution, a family has the primary and social
function. The primary function of a family is the
hardest to alter and replace by one or other
institutions (Fatimaningsih, 2015).
As the time flies which affects people, it same
goes to the family. The change is causing alteration
of family structure and function. Sociology views
half of the alteration of a modern and postmodern
family is pushed by industrialization and economic
change (Jacobsen, 2004). With a change of the
structure and function of family, rendering a family
considered as insecurity institution that could no
longer apply the family function very well, while the
family needs to the role in planning and providing a
protection for the children and the family member
(McCammon, 2008). If these things let it happen
then will lead to another impact, due to as we have
known that a family is a miniature institution that
has the vital role in society. The family roles to
identify an earlier problem on a child who has
emotional issue or behavior issue (McCammon,
2008), most of the problems are rendered by the
family that could not deliver an intimacy (Friesen
and Stephens, 1998).
The change of family function becomes a
primary concern for sociology because it will lead to
socialization failure that allows an impact on the
development of a child (Ambert, 2001). Nowadays,
the forming of a family has altered, it is no longer a
partnership as a result of parent interest, relatives, or
community that are tied by emotional bound (Stone,
1977). For example, domestic violence caused by
the parents on their children, parent-child sexual
abuse, even with a change of family structure and
function will appear a family run by the same sex.
This thing is naturally not recommended
biologically and for the marriage itself (Weston,
1991).
Besides the alteration of structure and function,
the family faces a lot of challenges such as economic
weakness, poor family, the height of unemployment
rate, and criminalization (Elliot, 2010), but, the
family is still a vital institution in a society. Even
Nawawi, I., Budimansyah, D. and Ruyadi, Y.
How Strategy of Strengthening Family Function Through Community Empowerment?.
In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Sociology Education (ICSE 2017) - Volume 2, pages 291-296
ISBN: 978-989-758-316-2
Copyright © 2018 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
291

though a family is facing the same problem, it is still
a fortress for the society (Zabriskie and McCormick,
2003). Therefore, the family plays the important role
for development in the near future (Petterson, 2002)
if the family is empowered because the family also
plays to create social empowering and individual
economic (Mokomane, 2012). The people
empowering can contribute simultaneously to the
development of psychology, individual, people and a
positive social change (Maton, 2008).
The development of people is identical with a
concept of people empowering (Christens, 2012).
Therefore, to establish a family requires an
empowering. One of the attempts to improve the
weakness of family function can be performed by
family empowering. The family empowering is an
importance because through information and science
empowering program which is a determinant for the
progress of people can be transmitted to the next
generation (Muljono, 2011). The family
empowerment center is one of the forums that have a
goal and focus on developing people by empowering
a family (Muljono, 2013).
2 METHODS
This study uses a qualitative method with
phenomenological strategy. This strategy was
chosen with the aim to identify the experiences of
communities about the existence of community
empowerment through the family, in this study the
researchers involved directly in the process of
community empowerment activities (Creswell,
2013).
Data collection of this study consists of
observation and interview. The respondent of this
study consists of 10 respondents for interview. The
qualitative data analysis in this study uses analysis
from Miles and Huberman which is data reduction,
data display, and conclusion drawing verification
(Milles and Huberman, 2009). The variable of
community empowerment measurement utilizes the
indicator from the evaluation of community
empowerment model Fujikake, which consists of
some indicators: (1) participation, (2) opinion, (3)
awareness alteration, (4) taking action, (5) concern
and cooperation, (6) creativity, (7) new goal
arrangement, (8) negotiation, (9) satisfy, (10)
confident, (11) managerial skills, and (12) decision-
making.
While to measure the family function, this study
used indicators Family Assessment Device (FAD)
according to Epstein et al. (1983), which consist of
the indicators: (1) problem-solving, (2)
communication, (3) roles, (4) affective
responsiveness, (5) affective involvement, (6)
behavior control, and (7) general functioning
(Epstein et al., 1983). The reason why the researcher
uses Family Assessment Device to measure the
family function because it can be adapted and fit
with the context of social culture system of
Indonesia (Fahrudin, 2012).
3 COMMUNITY
EMPOWERMENT
Empowerment is a concept that relates to power or
in other words empowerment means allow or
provide a power for somebody else (Pigg, 2009).
The power is identic with ability to measure
individual to do something what he/she wishes for.
Empowerment is a power transmitting process to the
weakness one and reduce the power from the
strength one to create a balance (Anwas, 2013).
Empowerment is a multi-dimension concept
where the effort is to aim to transform an individual
or a group of people in facing oppression (Kaiser
and Rusch, 2015). Community empowerment can be
performed by increasing the efficient and
productivity by improving human resource,
technology skills, and strengthening institution, also
establishing infrastructure and social economic
facility (Karsidi, 2011). Empowerment could be
performed by utilizing human resource, and local
potency, so that through empowerment, people
could have been able and independent also no longer
a burden for others.
Empowerment has two means that consist of a
power transmitting process to the weakness and for
being independent. But globally, there are three
empowerment dimensions which is: (1) self
empowerment which is empowering by taking
action individually (2) mutual empowerment is an
interpersonal empowerment and the last one is (3)
social empowerment or empowerment as a result of
social action (Pigg, 2009). Farther more,
empowerment means an education process in
developing individual ability, or a group of people
for being empowered and liberty in organization,
politic, social, economic, and spiritual (Rappaport,
1987).
The direction of these empowerment resulting a
progress people and invent a social change. First,
empowerment persuades in increasing the rate of
people empowered, so that one of them can live
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prosperity in local community or social events.
Second, empowerment shows that the member who
has empowered can influence others in wide area, by
developing a program in an organization or
government policy, and the third is forming an
organization as a way to influence other areas, such
as in education, service, natural resource, and
advocacy policy (Fedi et al., 2015).
4 COMMUNITY
EMPOWERMENT ORIENTED
ON THE FAMILY
Community empowerment could be more effective
if it is started from narrow and important scoop
which is family by focusing on family function
because if it works well then will influence the
people development. The family empowerment
center is a local institution to empower people with a
family approach by strengthening family functions.
The family empowerment center aims to empower
the family, it is a forum for communication,
information, advocacy, and activity to strengthen
family functions integrated (Sumarto and Setiadi,
2014).
The means of family empowerment center is to
help the poor family in applying family function.
The common aim is to embody an independent
family, encourage family to develop, improve the
family quality, also maintain social infrastructure
based on local culture integrated (Sumarto and
Setiadi, 2014).
The family empowerment center gives such a
positive impact on people such as increasing
awareness change of people for better society. The
awareness can embody a positive participation and
ability to access information (Prasetiyo et a., 2016).
Besides the increase of awareness change, concern
and cooperation of people are far better to empower,
people creativity escalates by utilizing local potency,
and the people confident is looking good because of
family empowerment center.
The results and the findings of this study by
observing, interviewing in the field, showed that
community empowerment has been well, detected
from the efforts of people to welcome the program
enthusiast. The family empowerment programs are
saluted by the people, the participation is various,
begin with a direct participation in the program, or
fund some money for the program or provide ideas
for the progress and family empowerment interest.
The attempt of people in empowering can be
applied by personal action and taking participation
in this family empowerment program. The efforts of
empowerment require a guidance and assistance
from the mentor or agent of empowerment for the
successful. One of the job descriptions from the
agent of empowerment is to encourage and invent an
individual and people to be able to create behavior
change for being independent. The behavior change
involves knowledge, behavior, or supported skills
and increasing prosperity and quality life (Anwas,
2013, pg. 55). So that the role of empowerment
agent is very important in backing up the people
development by empowering people or agent of
empowerment.
The agent of empowerment is demanded to have
competency that supports empowerment, the
competency consists of: (1) competency of
comprehending the target, (2) competency of
awareness, (3) competency of innovation
communicating, (4) competency of managing the
change, (5) competency of managing the learning,
(6) competency of training, (7) competency of
developing the entrepreneurship, (8) competency of
leading social network, (9) competency of
establishing institution, (10) competency of
assisting, (11) competency of technological skill,
(12) competency of finding the sponsorship, and
(13) competency of persuading mass media (Anwas,
2013).
The four important roles that the agent needs to
have in empowering is (1) facilitative roles and
skills, (2) educational roles and skills, (3)
representational roles and skills and (4) technical
role and skills (Maspaitella & Rahakbauwi, 2014).
Besides competency and role that the agent needs to
have, it will be optimal if the agent is charismatic.
Even though charisma is impossible for ordinary
people because it is a gift from God (Ruyadi, 2010).
However, charisma can push for the agent of
empowerment in doing his job.
5 STRENGTHENING THE
FAMILY FUNCTION
THROUGH FAMILY
EMPOWERMENT CENTER
The family as a miniature society has vital role and
status in supporting people’s live for prosperity and
peace. One before takes a part of society, naturally,
he/she is taught a moral, value and norm by the
family. Therefore, the family has a particular
function that cannot be played by other institutions.
The indicator of roles and general function of the
family is at the low level because the indicator of
roles generally only measures fairness, prestige, and
How Strategy of Strengthening Family Function Through Community Empowerment?
293

the job description of household (Dai and Wang,
2015), it only shows a little role of a family. Besides
that, the result of the study from an interview that
generally a family has worked in a good shape.
While general function is at the low level because
the indicator of general function only measures the
liberty of the maximum member of the family
activity (Dai and Wang, 2015). However, the
findings in the field show that the family function
generally has worked as it is supposed to.
The findings of the study show that the
functional family around the family empowerment
center has applied and run the eight family
functions. As we have known that the eight family
functions are a primary concern of the family
empowerment center in strengthening the family
function. The strengthening of the eight family
function consists of: (1) religion function or
monotheism, (2) cultural function, (3) compassion
function, (4) protection function, (5) reproduction
function, (6) education function, (7) economic
function, and (8) environment function. The
institution of the family empowerment center is
integrated with the increasing of the family
functional cannot be replaced by the early function
before, but, it will strengthen all functions
integrated.
The strengthening that’s performed by the family
empowerment center can be viewed in Table 1:
Table 1. The Role of The Family Empowerment Center in
Increasing The Family Functional.
Field and Program
Target of
Family
Function
Education
a. Kindergarten
b. BKB (Program For Family With Young
Children)
c. BKR (Program For Family With Teenage)
d. BKL (Program For Family With Elderly)
e. Reading House
f. Training Family Empowerment Center
g
. Jeruk Lemban
g
Trainin
g
Cente
r
Education
Function
Healthy
a. Integrated Service Post
b. Ministry Integrated Post
c. Stimulation Detection of Early Intervention
Developmental
d. Birthing Class
e. Neighborhood
f. G
y
manstic
Reproduction
and Healthy
Function
Protection
Function
Economy
a. Loan
b. Warung binaan
c. The Making Chips Cutting Tools
d. Home industry (Foods)
e. People savings
f. Marketing The Products “Bazar”
g. Training and Coaching Clinic of
Entrepreneurship
Economic
Function
Environment
a. Nutritious Garden
b. Garbage Bank
c. Biopore
d. Friday Clean
e. Utilization of Land
f. The Nursery Center of cavendish banana
and lembang orange
g
. Environment Counselin
g
Environmental
Function
Religion
a. Recitation for mothers & fathers
b
. Teena
g
e Santri
Religion
Function
Cultural Art and Skill
a. Choir
b. Nasyid
c. Reog
d. Gondang
e. Rec
y
clin
g
Garba
g
e Skill
Cultural
Function
Concern
a. Renovating an uninhabitable home
b. Trading garbage with rice (Raskin)
c. Financing Children Care PAUD
d. PMT (Supplemental Feedings) for toddlers
and pregnant women
e. Care of Famil
y
Em
p
owerment Cente
r
Compassion
Function
Protection
Function
Source: calculation result from the researcher, 2017
The programs of the family empowerment center
aim to strengthen family function integrated where
the program covers all social structure from the
toddlers until elderly. So that in increasing the
family functional, the family empowerment center
not only focuses on the parents. To strengthen a
family through the family empowerment center is
urgent because a family is a key factor in
establishing social development for the child,
teenage, and young adult. The family has a role and
responsibility for the early effect and the sustainable
of the child in associating, threat, education and
making a friend (Latimer, 2001; Henggeler, 1989;
Loeber and Dishion, 1983; Loeber and Stouthamer–
Loeber, 1986; Barnes, 2006; Knoester and Haynie,
2005). So that with this strengthening, it is expected
that the program will be generating a prosperity and
advantage family.
6 CONCLUSIONS
Community empowerment by focusing on family
empowerment is an effective community
empowered approach. The family empowerment
center is the right place for people to self developed
and empowers the family.
The good program of family empowerment is a
program that can comprise all social structures
beginning with the toddler until elderly. This
institution improves the family functional through
some programs in education, healthy, economic,
environment, religion, cultural art, and skill and
concern. The role of family empowerment center in
increasing the family functional is applied not with
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substituting the early family functions but by
strengthening the family functions before.
The empowerment needs to fit in people’s needs,
without oppression, sustainable, continually, started
from the family, so that right on the target. The key
success of community empowerment is people’s
participation and the role of empowerment agent.
The agent of empowerment needs to have an
advantage and dynamic competency in following the
change as the empowerment target requires. Besides
that, agent of empowerment must work and serve
well and use his/her philosophy, because it will lead
to the better result.
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