ANALISIS KONDISI SOSIAL MAHASISWA PENERIMA PROGRAM KIP KULIAH DALAM PERSPEKTIF DRAMATURGI DI FISIP USU

Abstrak

Penelitian ini menganalisis kondisi sosial mahasiswa penerima Program Kartu Indonesia Pintar (KIP) Kuliah di Fakultas Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik (FISIP) Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) dalam perspektif dramaturgi Erving Goffman. Program KIP Kuliah, sebagai bentuk jaminan sosial pendidikan, bertujuan untuk mengatasi ketimpangan akses pendidikan tinggi bagi mahasiswa dari keluarga kurang mampu. Namun, di balik bantuan finansial, mahasiswa seringkali menghadapi dinamika sosial yang kompleks, termasuk stigma dan ekspektasi lingkungan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memahami bagaimana mahasiswa mengelola peran sosial mereka di ruang publik kampus (front stage) dan di ruang privat (back stage), serta mengidentifikasi tantangan sosial yang mereka hadapi. Menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan jenis deskriptif-analitik dan paradigma interpretatif, penelitian ini melibatkan lima informan mahasiswa penerima KIP Kuliah di FISIP USU yang dipilih melalui purposive sampling hingga mencapai saturasi data. Pengumpulan data dilakukan melalui wawancara mendalam, observasi partisipatif, dan studi dokumentasi. Analisis data menggunakan model interaktif Miles, Huberman, dan Saldana, sementara keabsahan data dijamin melalui triangulasi sumber, member check, peer debriefing, dan audit trail. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa mahasiswa penerima KIP Kuliah secara aktif terlibat dalam "pertunjukan" sosial yang kompleks. Di front stage, mereka menampilkan citra mandiri, berprestasi, dan "normal" untuk menghindari stigma dan memenuhi ekspektasi sosial, seringkali melalui strategi impression management seperti penyamaran status ekonomi dan penonjolan prestasi akademik. Sebaliknya, di back stage, mereka mengungkapkan realitas ekonomi dan psikologis yang lebih rentan, seperti kesulitan pengelolaan dana dan tekanan untuk mempertahankan Indeks Prestasi Kumulatif (IPK) agar beasiswa tidak dicabut. Stigma sosial, meskipun tidak selalu dialami secara langsung, tetap menjadi kekhawatiran yang mempengaruhi perilaku mereka, termasuk kehati-hatian dalam penampilan di media sosial. Meskipun demikian, ditemukan pula adanya solidaritas dan komunitas informal yang menjadi sumber dukungan. Penelitian ini menyimpulkan bahwa KIP Kuliah, meskipun sangat membantu secara finansial, menciptakan beban sosial-psikologis yang memerlukan perhatian lebih. Implikasi temuan ini menekankan perlunya peningkatan seleksi dan pengawasan program, penyediaan dukungan psikososial yang komprehensif, pendidikan anti-stigma di lingkungan kampus, serta peningkatan transparansi dan perlindungan privasi bagi penerima. Secara teoritis, penelitian ini memperkaya penerapan dramaturgi Goffman dalam konteks kebijakan sosial, menunjukkan bahwa mahasiswa bukan hanya penerima pasif, melainkan aktor sosial reflektif yang menunjukkan ketahanan luar biasa dalam menavigasi realitas sosial yang kompleks.

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.