Social Cause of Suicide - Essay Example

Running Head: Social Studies Your name Course name Professors’ name Date Outline Suicide Social cause of suicide Egoistic suicide Altruistic suicide Anomic suicide Fatalistic suicide Theory of social integration and regulatory functions of society Problems with the theory Introductio nThis research seeks to address social cause of suicide while making reference to studies done by David Émile Durkheim who was a French sociologist. Durkheim authored one of the revolutionary books entailed Suicide, published in 1897. This book by Durkheim highlights studies carried out on suicide rates among the Protestants and Catholics. The researcher argues that strong social control among Catholics lowered suicide rates. Even though Durkheim published the book with a view of illustrating how sociological methods can be utilized to solve a social problem, his findings are still appreciated. One of his assertions was that suicide is a social phenomenon hence its primary cause is social. Disintegration of social relationships or rather overpowering social relationships apparently plays a fundamental role in bringing about social problems. Apart from discussing Durkheim’s ideas on social cause of suicide, this essay will further cover the theory of social integration and regulatory functions of society. Notwithstanding overwhelming contributions made by the researcher, it is wise to mention some problems related with the theory. Suicide Alluded to by Durkheim (1951), suicide is any immediate or eventual death caused by positive or negative act done by the victim. A positive act can be hanging oneself while the negative act is starving. In this scenario, Durkheim failed to give a distinctive difference between a victim of hallucination who leaps from the top of building while thinking it to be on similar level with the ground; and the normal person who does the same thing with the knowledge that it will lead to death. Durkheim did not agree with the aspect of restricting definition of suicide to actions meant to cause death debating that defining suicide by the end sought by the agent sidelines the actions. The second reason is that Durkheim made substantial effort to define social facts using easily ascertainable characteristics such that actions of the agents were ill-fated to attain the objectives. The distinguishing feature of suicide is that the act is not performed intentionally but advisedly (Coser, 1977). This means that the victim is well informed that the consequence is suicide regardless of whether death is the target. From this feature, it is possible to distinguish suicide from other deaths inflicted unconsciously or not inflicted at all. According to Durkheim the aforementioned characteristic of suicide can easily be ascertained consequently forming an identical group. Analysis done by Durkheim divides causes of suicides into three specific parts: extra-social causes, social causes, and suicide aptitude. Extra-social causes of suicide Rigorous study done by Giddens (1972) specifies that suicide can be influenced by two extra-social causes. In a person’s psychological constitution, there can be an inclination either normal or pathological, varying from a country to country which drives people to commit suicide. The second factor is that physical environment might have the same effect of making people go for suicide. Durkheim affirmed deficiency of information regarding how suicide can be caused by psychological conditions. Nonetheless, anecdotal evidence suggests how, during various situations, members of a family killed themselves using the same weapon or rather approach. In a specific circumstance, Durkheim (1951) notes how fifteen war casualties hanged themselves on the same hook in an inn but once the hook was removed, suicide cases declined to zero. On the contrary, the researcher discovered that suicide was prevalent among old people and was also biased in terms of sex. On this ground, Durkheim dismissed extra-social causes of suicide. Durkheim demonstrated that there was no relationship between suicide and cosmic factors such as geography. It is a common knowledge that winter and autumn could cause more suicide but this is not the case given that 60% suicides happen in warm months. Similarly Durkheim dispels existence of consistency in temperature or sunshine with number of suicides. Social causes and social types In a literature by Lukes (1985), there is a specific relationship between social group and tendency to suicide which can neither be explained by individual psychology nor environmental causes but by social reasons. Suicidal rate has its basis on sociological factors. The explanation is that moral constitution of a society nurtured a group of voluntary deaths. Durkheim (1951) elucidates existence of force that compels men to destroy themselves. Even though the victim’s actions tend to express individual disposition, they are the additions and continuance of a social condition expressed by the victim externally. The inclination to suicide is the result of wave of egoism, altruism, active renunciation or exasperated fatigue derived from these waves. These variables have the capacity to drive an individual to commit suicide. Durkheim brings to surface the idea that personal experiences, which are thought to cause suicide, have its links with victim’s moral predisposition, and moral state of the society. So as to acknowledge the social cause of suicide, it is essential to focus on four types of suicides. The study of these types would facilitate an understanding of how social integration and regulation work. Each type of suicide depends on social factors varying with the degree of integration and regulations in the society. Egoistic suicide Ritzer (1992) identified the first type as egoistic suicide. This suicide occurs in a society with low degree of social integration. Individuals in this society feel a sense of meaninglessness. Traditional societies made up of mechanical solidarity may not encounter suicides due to high social integrations since strong collective consciousness gives people a sense of meaning to life. The modern society where collective consciousness is low deprives people a sight of meaning to life. This society is further characterized by uncontrolled pursuit of individual interest, which can lead to dissatisfaction. Persons who have been integrated into a family set up or any other social interactive group have less likelihood of encountering suicides. Durkheim clearly describes how social currents such as depression and disillusionment leads to egoistic suicide. The research classifies this as a social force despite of the fact that it is the melancholy or depressed person who decides to resort to suicide. A bond linking an individual to life tends to relax when a society is swept by a wave of disillusionment. During this time a society cannot in any way create a bond with an individual hence, one becomes a ready prey to suicide. Altruistic Suicide This type occurs in environment of too much integration. The atmosphere is made up of too strong collective consciousness and an individual is driven to commit suicide (Ritzer, 1992). The social currents that accompany high degree of integration can lead to suicide. Ritual suicide in Japan i.e. followers of Jim Jones of the people’s Temple gives a clear example of suicides caused by high social integrations. To some of the people, it is their moral duty to commit suicide and is evident among Islamic suicide bombers. Durkheim sites suicides committed by the old and sick, woman after death of their husbands and followers when their leaders die. The basis of this suicide is the belief that life is promising after death. Anomic Suicide Anomie is derived from Greek word meaning lawlessness. It therefore means a social instability emanating from breakdown of societal standards and values. This suicide is rampant where there is low degree of regulation or external constrain on people. In the case of anomic division of labour, regular structure of division of labour is interrupted. Collectivity overpowers individualism hence cannot be exercised in this situation. Such cases occur during economic crisis or periods of over-rapid economic expansion. These periods sees the creation of situations with few norms while regulative environment is weakened thus making an individual to feel rootless. People who do not operate under the constraints of regulations are more likely to commit destructive acts including killing themselves in great numbers (Ritzer, 1992). Apart from economic anomalies Durkheim made substantial research on domestic anomie where family members commit suicides after death of a husband or wife. Fatalistic suicide Where societal regulations are strong, Durkheim contemplates the possibility that persons whose future has been blocked and whose passions chocked by oppressive society may find it very hard to move on with life. As a result, people miss to envision how their lives can be improved. When in a state of depression they are susceptible to the social currents of fatalistic suicide. The theory of social integration This theory explains the effect of being part and parcel of a social group or society. In a study of social integration, political, religious and domestic societies are addressed. Emile Durkheim theorized that deficiency of affiliation to societal groups can result in poor state of mind. This researcher was a major contributor to the study of social construct and its role in the theory of social integration. Emile Durkheim focused on the outcome of lack of social integration and societal bonding. Durkheim had a strong believe in the value of social integration. His theory postulates how integration gives people purpose and meaning in life. The study concentrated on political, domestic, and religious social groups. The wide research conducted by Durkheim (1951) gives a vivid account of how domestic integration can be measured through investigation of marriage, the size of individual’s family, and sexual contacts. Durkheim further elaborates how events such as war and other major political milestones serve the purpose of increasing social integration consequently decreasing situations of depression and suicidal thoughts. It is agreeable that people tend to bond together during conflicts so as to overpower the enemy. This commonality of goal draws people together hence turning them into societies. The other form of integration exists among members of the same religious sect (Giddens, 1977). Durkheim was moved by the actuality that those who affiliated themselves to certain religious groups were less likely to encounter depression and suicide. Through a process of bringing together people, religious affiliation inculcates in these groups a sense of purpose. Deficiency of a sense of purpose leaves mankind at a risk of self-destruction due to lack of meaning. For this reason, bonding provides positive experiences in addition to a common goal and shared belief structure. Lack of social integration can amount to dangerous state of mind which Durkheim termed it as excessive individualism. This means that social bonds and attachment besides well established group are basic variables that keep an individual’s emotional disposition at a steady state. There is a possibility that suicide rate will rise in a society with deficient social integration. Isolated persons tend to be overpowered by feelings of worthlessness. It is therefore important for people to belong to a society. Interpretation of differences in suicide rate using the theory of social integration The concept of anomie was developed to explore differing suicidal rates among the Protestants and Catholics. In his Suicide publication, Durkheim suggested a stronger social control among Catholics had the effect of lowering suicide rates. As mentioned earlier, people have certain level of attachment to respective group otherwise termed as social integration. Uncharacteristic high or low levels of social integration may increase suicide rates among the populace. Low social integration gives birth to disorganized society where people may opt for suicide as the last resort to their problems (Lukes, 1985). To avoid becoming burden on the society, high levels of social integration make people to kill themselves. Durkheim established that Catholics have normal levels of integration while Protestants operate under low level of social integrations. This observation, operating under the control theory, is considered a classic sociological study. Problems with the theory Durkheim’s theory has been criticized for making inferences explaining micro events in terms of macro properties (Berk, 2006). Conclusions about individual behaviour have been made basing it on aggregate statistics i.e. rates of suicides among Protestants and Catholics. According to Gibbs (1958), Durkheim intention was only to explain suicide from a sociological perspective and not individuals. The other important criticism is Durkheim’s concentration on correlations and measurable phenomena (Cuff, 1922). This created a problem of causality and the deep indiscernible relationships among phenomena. Durkheim asserted that domestic grouping e.g. marriage have the potential to protect against sexual desire given that it constricts sexual desire. This factor is explained by psycho biologist, which Durkheim failed to mention. Conclusion This analysis of suicide demonstrates how social studies can be very constructive in understanding actions of individuals. It is apparent that suicides rates, which are expression of social currents, are social variables affecting societies and individuals. The types of suicides covered in this paper clearly explain the sociological causes of suicide. These types comprise of egoistic, anomic, fatalistic, and altruistic suicides. Durkheim’s theory of social integration and his interpretation of differences in suicide rate using this theory have been adequately addressed. Nonetheless, some problems with the theory were identified and critically analyzed with reference to various literatures. Reference Berk, B. B. (2006). "Macro-Micro Relationships in Durkheim's Analysis of Egoistic Suicide". Sociological Theory, 24(1):78-79. Coser, L. A. (1977). Masters of Sociological Thought. New York: Harcourt, Brace. Cuff, E. C., et al. (1992). Perspectives in Sociology. 3rd edition. London, Routledge. Durkheim, É. D. (1951). Suicide. New York: Free Press. Gibbs, J. P. & Martin. W. T. (1958). "A Theory of Status Integration and Its Relationship to Suicide." American Sociological Review 23:14-147. Giddens, A. (1972). Émile Durkheim: Selected Writings. London: Cambridge University Press. Lukes, S. (1985). Émile Durkheim, His Life and Work: A Historical and Critical Study. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press. Ritzer, G. (1992). Sociological Theory. 3rd edition. New York: McGraw-Hill. Read More