Durkheims Study Of Suicide

Durkheims Study Of SuicideDurkheim was a sociologist of French origin born in year 1958 and died on the November of 1917. He instituted divers(a) academic disciplines and is considered as the current loving science principal architect. He very maintained dominancy in the field of favorable sciences until the time of his death. Durkheim overly presented several sociological knowledge papers on board religion. His studies such as the self-annihilation study expect actually picked a popular discourse. Most of Durkheims work involved cordial facts study, termination which he developed so as to depict phenomena that is self-existent and which cannot be exciseed by persons actions (Lukes, 1985).Durkheim considered well-disposed facts to take sui generis, which is a self-sufficient existence which is greater as well as much objective when comp ard to the individuals actions which bedevil up the orderliness (Martin Lee, 1994). Contrary to the facts covered under natural sci ences, social facts thereby refer to accompaniment phenomena category and they as well exist independently, free from individual manifestations (Durkheim, 1951). Social facts of this kind are actually endowed with coercion power due to their capability to take control of private behaviors (Martin Lee, 1994). In accordance of rights to Durkheim, these graphic symbols of phenomena should neither be condensed to psychological nor biological grounds (Martin Lee, 1994). Therefore, the phenomena which is considered as most individualistic, for instance felo-de-se, would end up been sort as a fact which is socially objective. Durkheim further argued that the persons who compose the society do not cause self-destruction directly (Ritzer, 1992). He based his argument on the fact that felo-de-se macrocosm a social fact, its presence in the society is independent in spite of the prevailing desires of the individuals forming the society (Ritzer, 1992). Consequently, the departure o f any individual from the society will have no effect on the suicide fact as the society which the individual leaves behind still contains suicide. Sociological tasks entail the discovery of heterogeneous social facts characteristics which can only be revealed by the means of either experimental or denary approach (Hassard, 1995). For the case of the suicide study conducted by Durkheim, he particularly depended on statistics (Bellah, 1973).Durkheim is considered to be amongst the sign structural functionalism founders. In general, Durkheim discarded reductionist arguments (Durkheim, 1951). Instead, he focused on the cultural values and norms, social structures alongside social facts which he considered as being external to every human being. Durkheims study sort suicide into four categories and provided evidence to one of his theories which states that suicide sum up differences are as a upshot of changes in the immaterial social facts (Thompson, 2002). Durkheim is famous du e to his social reality macro- aim views and its relationship at individual level. Actually, Durkheim managed to make major contribution on the structural functionalism organic evolution alongside sociology in general (Durkheim, 1951).Basically, Durkheim explored the various suicide judge amongst various religious groups and specifically between the Catholics alongside the Protestants. He discovered that the suicide grade were lower amongst the Catholics when compared to the Protestants (Stark William, 1996). Durkheim believed that the low place of suicide among the Catholic were a result of the religions vibrant social control mechanisms (Stark William, 1996). Consequently, he attributed the escalated suicide frequencies among the Protestants to the regions big freedom space. In Durkheims vista, the catholic society integration level was normal but the Protestants integration levels were low (Stark William, 1996). However, this interpretation was faced by two major problems. First, Durkheim had relied on earlier researchers data, specifically Wagner, A. and Morselli, H (Stark William, 1996) who had basically generalized their individual data. Secondly, succeeding researchers discovered that the suicide wanders differences amongst the Protestants and Catholics tended to be prominent in the German-Speaking European part and thereby may only have been early(a) factors spurious reflection (Pope Danigelis, 1981). In spite of its limitations, Durkheims suicide study has really influenced the control hypothesis proponents (Pope Danigelis, 1981).Durkheim came up with four categories of suicide which included Egoist suicide, Fatalistic suicides, Altruist suicide alongside confused suicide (Thompson, 2002). Durkheim considered Egoistic suicides as those that result from the weakening of individual bonds that naturally integrate collectivity (Thompson, 2002). In variant words, Egoistic suicides are caused by the social integration breakdown or even decreas e. Durkheim associated this suicide type to excessive individuation implying that most victims initially become more detached from the other community members (Thompson, 2002). Generally, the individuals who are insufficiently connected to specific social groups end up with minimal social support and indeed the the likelihood of them committing suicide is high (Thompson, 2002). For instance, Durkheim revealed that the un conjoin hatful, specifically males, committed suicide more often than their wed counterparts due to their less bondage with the established social norms goals. Apparently, similar problems implyed the widows. Among 1Million widows aged 65 years, 628 of them committed suicide while amongst I million men aged 65 years, only 461 did commit suicide (Lukes, 1985). The sample composition was appropriate as the age bracket comprised of married men to the large go on (Almost 90%) (Lukes, 1985). Durkheims analysis however indicated that despite the fact that the wid ows had a high likelihood of committing suicide than married persons, their suicide rate was lower when compared to that of single individuals (Ritzer, 1992). Durkheim linked the figures to the family factor as he was of the view that a simpler conclusion would turn out as problematic (Ritzer, 1992). It would be problematic due to the changes in the espousalss total that occurred during this period as the suicide rates tripled. Significantly, Durkheim was quick to note that the factor was not simply marriage but a marriage that had children (Ritzer, 1992). This is because marriages with children had lower suicide rates when compared to in rich families (Thompson, 2002). Thus, the main factor was considering family like a basic social unit but not marriage. Additionally, Durkheim further studied the wars and crises roles on suicide rates. He discovered during the course of social crises (for instance, revolutions) alongside wars the suicide rates dropped remarkably (Bellah, 1973). In overall, he found out a more religious society had lower suicide rates and also the strength of family relationships determined the magnitude of suicide rate (Thompson, 2002).Moreover, the society integration greatly affected the suicide rate.On the other hand, Durkheim classified Altruistic suicides as those which occur in highly integrated societies in which the whole societys needs are more prioritized than individual needs (Thompson, 2002). Altruistic suicides therefore come close to on a integration scale which is opponent to that of egoistic suicide (Thompson, 2002). Durkheim stated that the suicide rate in altruistic societies was generally low as personal interests were not viewed as important (Thompson, 2002). Durkheim viewed the build up forces with this perspective and was really surprising to find out that suicide rates occurred at a high rate within the forces service (Thompson, 2002). It was startling due to the fact that the military, just like religions as we ll as cohesive societies should exhibit strong solidarity and moreover the plurality in the military are usually the most physically fit in the society (Durkheim, 1951).Besides, it was not right to attribute the suicide causes to either the military service hatred or even the failure to get used to military service routines (Durkheim, 1951).This was because it was evident that suicide rates were directly proportional to the military service length (Durkheim, 1951). Additionally, older officers committed suicide at a high rate than their juniors (Bellah, 1973). Moreover, the elite units were affected by higher suicide rates than the normal units (Bellah, 1973). Finally, the suicide rate was low in the units which demonstrated weaker military life-time (Bellah, 1973). Therefore, Durkheim stated that the senior military officers had to abandon the personal individuality to cope with the service requirements as it increase their risk of infection of committing suicide (Lukes, 1985) .Durkheim classified Anomic suicides as those which arise due to moral deregulation alongside the absence of legitimate aspirations definition through restrictive social ethic, which has the potential of imposing a different individual conscience meaning as well as order (Ritzer, 1992). This is indicative of economic development failure as well as the labor division to result to the organic solidarity of Durkheim (Ritzer, 1992). In this situation, people fail to recognize their appropriate positions in the society. Durkheim explained this moral disorder state as that which the desires of the individuals are limitless, thereby resulting to personal infinite disappointments (Ritzer, 1992).Lastly, Durkheim suggested that Fatalistic suicides mainly occur in the exceedingly oppressive societies which make people to opt for death other than continue living in such societies (Durkheim, 1951). Generally, this is one of the rarest reasons which can aim an individual to committing suicide (D urkheim, 1951). However, fatalistic suicides are common features in prisons as individuals choose to die other than going on with the abusive, excessively regulated prison life which denies them the opportunity to fulfill their desires (Durkheim, 1951).The Durkheims suicide types had their arse on the twin social forces imbalance degrees which are the moral regulation alongside the social integration. Durkheim revealed how impacts on the social aggregate aspects such as war can lead to increased altruism, booms in economy or catastrophe contribute to anomie. Durkheims suicide analysis indicates the way in which social facts on the contrary to biological as well as psychological facts can be stressed upon, and bring most constructive methods of examining individuals actions. Besides, suicide rates are considered as social facts as they express social currents that affect people and the society as whole. Despite the fact that psychology study is also essential in resolving individu al motives and the process through which certain circumstances push people to committing suicide it is as important to undertake circumstances analysis within the prevailing individuals social currents (Durkheim, 1951).Durkheim as a weigh of fact established that the suicide rates in males were higher than in females the singles had a higher rate of committing suicide than the married suicide rates were also higher in the infertile couples than the fertile ones protestants committed more suicide incidences as compared to the Catholics alongside Jews Soldiers were more vulnerable to suicide than Civilians there were more suicide incidences in the peaceful times than in war periods Scandinavian countries exhibited higher suicide rates and lastly the people who had accomplished higher education level were at a higher risk of committing suicide.However, the Durkheim suicide study has received a wide range of criticism from various sources. It has actually been criticized as the perfec t example of logical error which is commonly termed as ecological fallacy (Freedman, 2002). Durkheims conclusions on personal behavior on the basis of aggregate statistics have been termed as misleading (Freedman, 2002). This is because the Simpsons (1987) paradox has revealed how erroneous it is to dissect micro events in macro properties terms. Nevertheless, diverging views have arisen on whether Durkheims work should actually be classified as ecological fallacy. Researchers such as Van Poppel (1996) alongside Day (1996) have proposed that suicide rates differences between different religious groups (such as the Catholics alongside the Protestants) could be entirely explained in terms of how the social groups categorized deaths. For example, while the protestants recorded sudden deaths alongside deaths resulting from unspecified causes as suicides, this was not the case on the Catholics side (Thompson, 2002). Thereby, Durkheim error would be considered as empirical other than log ical. Other researchers such as Gibbs, Inkeles, alongside Johnson have alleged that the main intention of Durkheim was to socially analyze suicide on the holistic perspective with the intention of expounding social environments variation within suicide incidences but not specific individuals suicides. In addition, researchers of the recent times like Berk (2006) have also queried the Durkheims work micro-macro linkages. Berk (2006) particularly noted that Durkheim spoke of joint current reflecting the joint inclination going down the social organization channels (Freedman, 2002). However, the current speciality is the determinant factor of the suicides volume thereby bringing about psychological variables like depression which could be viewed as independent or non-social suicide cause (Freedman, 2002). This thereby, ignores Durkheims conception of considering these variables as the mostly influenced by the wider social forces and the notion that suicide can not affect such individ uals in the absence of these forces (Martin Lee, 1994).Apparently, Durkheim brings out issues that affect people directly. In addition, he tends to possess vibrant structural society view, as well as the mode in which everyone within the society is affected by various social facts and how it is a moldiness for each to comply with them. Durkheim indeed tried to have the situation where the social roles are distinguished from psychological, efficient alongside biological roles. This is actually be observed within his social influences view on the rate of suicides, in which he studies several factors and determines their effect on the propensity to commit suicide (Ritzer, 1992).