Sengketa Hak Asuh Anak dalam Hukum Keluarga Perspektif Teori Interaksionisme Simbolik

Abstract

This study examines child custody (hadhanah) through the lens of symbolic interactionism to explore how meanings, symbols, and post-divorce interaction patterns between parents influence judges’ considerations in custody decisions. Employing a qualitative method based on library research, this study analyzes legal literature, relevant religious court decisions, and key theories of symbolic interactionism as its analytical foundation. The findings indicate that shifts in family relations, parental emotional conditions, caregiving history, economic stability, and social support systems shape constructed meanings of responsibility and parental eligibility. In judicial practice, judges interpret social symbols such as emotional closeness, caregiving consistency, and relational stability—as indicators of the child’s best interest. Thus, custody determinations emerge not only from legal norms but also from symbolic meanings produced through family interactions after divorce.