Abstrak
Penelitian ini membahas pengalaman kekalahan kandidat pemilihan kepala desa (pilkades), dampak kekalahan, dan coping strategy atas permasalahan yang menyertainya. Dua calon pilkades tak terpilih di Desa Makmur, Sidoarjo bertindak sebagai responden penelitian. Setelah mengumpulkan data melalui wawancara semi-terstruktur, peneliti mengolah data dengan teknik analisis tematik. Ditemukan dua dampak utama kekalahan pilkades, yaitu kekecewaan pribadi dan kerugian finansial. Kekecewaan pribadi membuat responden mengalami stress berat dan penurunan kesehatan, sedangkan kerugian finansial membuat keluarga mereka menderita kekecewaan kolektif. Namun, kedua responden berhasil mengatasi problem pasca-kekalahan pilkades itu dengan sekaligus mengerahkan problem-focused coping dan emotion-focused coping. Emotion-focused coping mereka berupa rekreasi, intensifikasi ibadah, sosialisasi bersama tetangga, bersibuk diri dalam kerja, dan berbesar hari menerima kekalahan. Ada pun problem-focused coping mereka berwujud persiapan psikis menerima kekalahan, memberikan keluarga mereka pemahaman dan rasionaliasi tentang alasan mereka mengikuti pilkades dan kerugian finansial akibat kekalahan di dalamnya.
Kata kunci: stress, coping strategy, calon kepala desa gagal
Abstract
This research is a study of how unsuccessful village head candidates experienced their defeat and coped with the impact of their failure. Having conducted semi-structured interviews with two unsuccessful candidates from the village of Makmur, Sidoarjo, the researcher interpreted the data using a thematic analysis. The study discovered that the defeat caused the respondents to suffer post-election stress disorder, which undermined their physical and mental health. The failure also caused the respondents’ family to sustain a huge financial loss, plunging them into a deep frustration. After a while, however, the responded managed to cope with their problems using two strategies: emotion-focused coping and problem-focused coping. The former took the form of recreational activities, socializing with neighbors, increased piety, keeping busy with work, and coming to terms with their failure. The latter took the form of pre-election mental preparation, explanation to family members why they ran for village head, and rationalization of the financial loss arising from the defeat.
Keywords: stress, coping strategy, unsuccessful village head  
