Sociology & Suicide

There are many theories of the effects of society on engendering suicide or self-destructive impulses within the individual. One of these is the classic theory of Emile Durkheim, which we will explore more fully later in this research. However, many theorists have suggests a causal connection between the act of suicide and the social environment in which an individual exists. Suicide is the intentional, self-infliction of death. While many social scientists agree that suicide is a complex phenomena that has biological, psychological and social origins, evidence exists that suggests the social origins may be far more significant than traditionally thought, “Major differences have existed, however, in societies’ attitudes toward suicide, in the way in which suicide is committed, and in the rates of frequency at various times in history…the most common element involved in suicide seems to be the person’s perception that life is so painful that only death can provide relief. Adverse social conditions frequently result in a marked increase in the suicide rate” (Suicide 1). The high rate of suicides committed after the Great Depression in America is one example of how the social condition in which individuals find themselves may spur a higher suicide rate.

The perspective of the individual is the method by which he views his world and himself. Whether or not this perception is valid and logical is not as im

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n be linked to the degree to which individuals form an attachment with others and/or society, and he believed it was related to the degree of guidance or regulation the individual experiences from others and/or society. In order to pinpoint what social phenomena were causing suicidal impulses in individuals, Durkheim classified suicide into four different types: Egoistic; Altruistic; Anomic; Fatalistic. In egoistic suicide, the individual has a very weak attachment to others and groups. He or she is not closely aligned with society or social interaction. In altruistic suicide, the individual has an abnormally high attachment to groups, others and society. With anomic suicide, the impulse for self-destruction is engendered in the individual due to a lack of rules and regulations by which he or she may guide their own behavior. In fatalistic suicide, the individual has usually experienced a very harsh and oppressive system of rules and regulations. What is groundbreaking about the study Durkheim conducted is that he believes the data suggests that suicide can only be explained sociologically, “The conclusion from all these facts is that the social suicide-rate can be explained only sociologically. At any given moment the mo
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Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)