Dampak Migrasi terhadap Kesejahteraan Subjektif Migran di Indonesia (Analisis Data IFLS)

Nufi Alabshar, Prof. Dr. Sri Rum Giyarsih, S.Si., M.Si.;Dr. Agus Joko Pitoyo, S.Si., M.A.

2026 | Disertasi | S3 Kependudukan

Migrasi bukan hanya fenomena mobilitas spasial, tetapi juga proses sosial yang mengubah cara individu menilai dan memaknai kehidupannya. Selama ini, kajian migrasi cenderung berfokus pada kesejahteraan objektif—seperti pendapatan, aset, atau status pekerjaan—yang belum sepenuhnya mampu menangkap kompleksitas pengalaman migran. Disertasi ini menawarkan perspektif baru dengan memadukan teori nilai-harapan (value-expectancy theory) dan kerangka kesejahteraan subjektif untuk menjawab pertanyaan mendasar: bagaimana motif dan dinamika temporal migrasi berpengaruh terhadap kesejahteraan subjektif migran.

Analisis dilakukan dengan pendekatan kuasi-eksperimen Difference-in-Difference (DiD) menggunakan data panel longitudinal Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS) tahun 2000, 2007, dan 2014. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa migrasi secara umum berkontribusi positif terhadap kesejahteraan subjektif, namun dampaknya tidak homogen. Migran terpaksa cenderung lebih pesimistis secara ekonomi tetapi merasa bahagia karena mampu memenuhi kebutuhan keluarga; migran investasi justru optimis terhadap masa depan tetapi tidak merasakan kepuasan emosional; sementara migran keluarga menampilkan profil kesejahteraan yang relatif stabil baik secara ekonomi maupun emosional. Variasi waktu migrasi, intensitas perpindahan, serta konteks makroekonomi turut membentuk persepsi migran terhadap kesejahteraan.

Temuan penting dari disertasi ini adalah adanya pergeseran orientasi migrasi dari tujuan ekonomi semata menuju pencapaian kesejahteraan yang lebih holistik, mencakup dimensi emosional, sosial, dan relasional. Dengan demikian, migrasi tidak hanya memindahkan individu secara fisik, tetapi juga merekonfigurasi nilai, ekspektasi, dan makna kesejahteraan itu sendiri. Kontribusi utama studi ini terletak pada penguatan dimensi subjektif dalam analisis migrasi serta tawaran metodologis untuk memahami keragaman motif migrasi di luar kerangka ekonomi klasik.

Migration is not merely a spatial movement but also a social process that reshapes how individuals evaluate and give meaning to their lives. Previous studies have largely emphasized objective indicators of well-being—such as income, assets, or employment status—yet these measures fail to fully capture the complexity of migrants’ lived experiences. This dissertation introduces a new perspective by integrating value-expectancy theory with the framework of subjective well-being to address a fundamental question: how do migration motives and temporal dynamics influence migrants’ subjective well-being?

Employing a quasi-experimental Difference-in-Difference (DiD) approach and longitudinal data from the Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS) waves of 2000, 2007, and 2014, this study provides a multilayered empirical analysis. The findings reveal that migration generally enhances subjective well-being, though its effects are far from uniform. Forced migrants tend to experience economic dissatisfaction and pessimism about the future, yet paradoxically report greater happiness and the ability to provide for their families. Investment-driven migrants display optimism about the future but suffer from lower emotional satisfaction and difficulties meeting basic needs. In contrast, family migrants exhibit the most stable well-being profile, achieving improvements both economically and emotionally. Temporal variations, migration intensity, and broader macroeconomic conditions further shape these outcomes.

A key contribution of this dissertation is the identification of a fundamental shift in migration orientation—from a narrow economic rationale toward the pursuit of more holistic forms of well-being encompassing emotional, social, and relational dimensions. Migration, therefore, should be understood not only as a change in physical location but also as a reconfiguration of values, expectations, and meanings of well-being. This study advances both theoretical and methodological contributions to contemporary migration scholarship by reinforcing the importance of subjective dimensions and by opening space for examining diverse migration motives beyond classical economic frameworks.

Kata Kunci : dampak migrasi, Difference-in-difference, evaluasi dampak, kesejahteraan subjektif, motif migrasi