Tujuan Penelitian: mengetahui pola pengambilan keputusan suami-istri keluarga petani dalam menentukan jumlah keluarga ideal. Metode: Jenis penelitian ini adalah kualitatif, pengambilan data dilakukan dengan mengadakan wawancara mendalam semiterstruktur dengan partisipan penelitian. Partisipan pada penelitian ini adalah suami-istri keluarga petani yang hanya memiliki dua anak perempuan dan yang memiliki anak empat. Pengambilan data dilakukan tanggal 1 sampai dengan 30 Oktober 2015 di Desa Sobangan, Kecamatan Mengwi, Kabupaten Badung, Provinsi Bali. Data dianalisis dengan menggunakan metode Colaizzi. Hasil: Pola pengambilan keputusan untuk menentukan jumlah keluarga ideal dipengaruhi oleh budaya pentingnya anak laki-laki untuk meneruskan keturunan dan adat Bali, pertimbangan kelayakan hidup, dan keinginan melestarikan budaya Bali. Proses pengambilan keputusan suami-istri keluarga petani selalu melalui proses perundingan antara suami dan istri untuk menentukan jumlah keluarga ideal. Diskusi: Keluarga petani yang hanya memiliki anak perempuan akan terlebih dahulu berusaha memperoleh anak laki-laki, baru setelah itu melakukan upacara nyentana, yakni pernikahan adat dengan meminang anak laki-laki untuk tinggal di keluarga perempuan. Simpulan: Pola pengambilan keputusan suami istri keluarga petani dalam menentukan jumlah keluarga ideal pengaruhi oleh pentingnya anak laki-laki untuk meneruskan keturunan dan adat Bali, pertimbangan kelayakan hidup dan keinginanan melestarikan budaya Bali.

Kata Kunci: pengambilan keputusan, keluarga petani, jumlah keluarga ideal, masyarakat patrilineal Bali.

Objective: This study aimed to identify the pattern of decision making by married couples of farmer family in determining an ideal family size. Methods: The study was qualitative. Data were collected by conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews with participants. Participants in this study were married couples of farmer family who only had two daughters and had four children.  Data were collected between 1 and 30 October 2015 at Sobangan Village, Mengwi Subdistrict, Badung District, Bali Province. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s method. Results: The pattern of decision-making to determine the ideal number of families was affected by the culture of the importance of male child to continue Balinese generation and customs, consideration of proper necessities of life and willingness to preserve Balinese culture. The decision making process by married couples of farmer family was always through a process of negotiation between them to determine the ideal family size. Discussion: Farmer family who only had female children would attempt to have male children, then after that they held nyentana ceremony, a wedding custom to propose a male child to live in their family. Conclusion: The pattern of decision-making by married couples of farmer family in determining the ideal family size was influenced by the importance of male children to continue Balinese generation and customs, consideration of proper necessities of life and willingness to preserve Balinese culture.

Keywords: decision-making, farmer family, ideal family size, patrilineal society of Bali.