International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) ISSN: 2319-7064 Index Copernicus Value (2016): 79.57 | Impact Factor (2017): 7.296 Volume 7 Issue 11, November 2018 www.ijsr.net Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY Description of Family Communication Patterns in Decision-Making on Interfaith Marriages : A Case Study in Indonesia Alexander Pramono 1 , Maria Priska 2 Postgraduate Student on Faculty of Communication, Persada Indonesia University YAI, Jakarta Indonesia Abstract: Every human being has a social urge to seek and form an association, to communicate and build a commitment with other human beings. That encouragement is the reason why every humans form a family. In the family there is a common belief and becomes the basis for marriage. A marriage that is justified according to religion and marriage law. Based on this background, the focus of this research is the religious norms, communication pattern, interpersonal relations, and social penetration. This research uses the qualitative method with descriptive research methods. The data collection techniques, are obtained through the interviews, observations, and literature studies. The unit of analysis is the informant who is the source of information and considered as a key informant. With the criteria, couples who are interfaith married, the couples who do interfaith marriages not because they get coercion from anyone, have a long marriage and the couples who do interfaith marriages based on their own desires. The key informant is the married couples who do interfaith marriages (the three of couples who are interfaith married) and from the parents side, the informants is the fathers of each married couple who are interfaith married, and as additional informants, the informant who are considered to understand religious views on the phenomenon of interfaith marriage, and the informant consists of someone who is a Priest for Catholic religion and a Chaplain for Islam religion. So, the total number of informants who will be the source of the data in this research was 14 people. The research locations in Kujan Village, Lamandau District, Central Borneo Indonesia. The results of the study, it was obtained from the both of parents and the married couples. The main factor why the decision to marry interfaith is taken by both parties based on an effective system of interpersonal communication that has been established between of the two sides of the family. In every religious teaching and according to marriage law, interfaith marriages are not justified. This was initially contradicted by both sides of the family, firm belief in the faith of every parent in embracing their respective religions and concerns about the conflicts that will arise later, from the surrounding environment and the conflicts that will arise in the future when the couple has a children, this was felt by every couple who are interfaith marriage. But, with the establishment of good interpersonal communication between each family and married couples, so the description of family communication patterns in decision-making on interfaith marriages is formed. Keywords: communication pattern, family, interfaith marriage 1. Introduction There have been many interfaith marriages in various places in Indonesia, some people call that marriages as the same thing as mixed marriages, and some argue that interfaith marriages are not included in mixed marriages. The term mixed marriage which has been known by the general public, is a marriage that occurs because of the differences in customs/ethnicity, not because of religious differences between the two people who are married. Article 57 of Law No. 1/1974 concerning of marriage, what is means by marriage between two people who in Indonesia are subject to different laws, due to differences in citizenship and one of the Indonesian citizenship. The quotation of the article in the marriage law explains the provisions of mixed marriages. Based on the marriage law, interfaith marriage is not included in mixed marriages, but it have their own understanding. Interfaith marriage is a marriage carried out by the people who have different religions from one another. From the explanation above, what is meant by interfaith marriage is a marriage between two people who have different religions and they still defend the religion they believe in. Marriage law No. 1/1974 article 8 concerning of marriage, does not regulate interfaith marriages. Then the thing that often happens in society if there is two people of different religions who want to get married will find obstacles caused by marriage executives and religious leaders consider that such marriages are prohibited by religion and this is contrary to marriage law. This also relates to the conflicts that occur in surrounding environment and the consequences that will be caused later when the couple who are interfaith married have children, there will be a debate in determining the religion that will be believed by the child of the couple who are interfaith married. The results of research observations show that many interfaith marriages occur without conflicts occurring in the family and society. According to population data, more than a thousand villagers, almost half of them are families who have interfaith marriages (DISDUKCAPIL Lamandau/ Lamandau Regency Population and Civil Registration Service, 2014). Based on the results of observations made, this was due to a lack of public understanding of religious rules regarding marital regulations and marrieges law. This is due to the slow pace of development at the district level, the lack of places of worship and legal institutions that regulate marriage, this is the reason why there are many interfaith marriages occur. The local village head also argued the interfaith marriage occurred, because it was supported with good and effective communication from both parties, both internally and externally. An effective communication is communication that is characterized by understanding, and can cause the pleasure, influence attitudes, improve good social relations, and ultimately lead to an action. Jalaluddin (2008). Paper ID: ART20192888 DOI: 10.21275/ART20192888 1010