8/11/2019 Durkheim on Suicide
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Neither could he find a clear relationship between alcoholic
consumption, age, race, or gender and the suicide rate.
Similarly, such forces as seasonal variation and climate did not
cause
suicide.
For example, if warm weather increased the number of social
interactions, and the suicide rate was affected, the important
factor was the
increased social interactions and not the warmer weather.
Durkheim arrived at his hypothesis that the basic causes of
suicide
were social in nature.
It seemed to him that the main determinants of suicide were
such
social factors as religion, marital status, and the pace of
social change.
He therefore hypothesized that the degree of social attachment,
or the
lack of it, explained the variations in the suicide rate.
The Research Design
To test his hypothesis, Durkheim reasoned that he would need
statistics on the number of suicides in given areas at given
times.
To be able to talk about the rate of suicide, he would also
need
accurate figures for the total population of these areas.
He would also need all these statistics from a variety of
places.
Then he could make comparisons between the suicide rate and
different social conditions.
He found that most of the European countries, as well as the
United
States, had relatively accurate statistics on the number of
suicides, who
committed them, and the total population. All Durkheim had to do
was to
get at these already existing sources of information.
By comparing the suicide rates of Protestants and Catholics, of
urban
and rural areas, and so on, Durkheim could test his
hypothesis.
He could find out if the degree of social attachment determined
the
rate of suicide, and if suicide was, therefore, a social
phenomenon.
Data Analysis
What Durkheim found was that the data he collected did seem to
fit a
pattern, and that this pattern confirmed his hypothesis.
He found, for example, that the suicide rates were higher
among
Protestants than among Catholics.
This was so even when he allowed for other differences in the
social
climate that may have affected the suicide rate.
Similarly, taking other factors into account, he found that
single people
had higher suicide rates than married ones.
Married but childless people had higher suicide rates than
people with
children.
City dwellers had higher suicide rates than people living in
rural areas.
Men had higher suicide rates than women.
Soldiers had a higher suicide rate than civilians.
The Generalizations and Conclusions
From his evidence, Durkheim concluded that the suicide rate
w
determined by the degree of social attachment.
He discovered, however, that the relationship was a complex
one.
Suicide seemed to result from both unusually high levels a
unusually low levels of social attachment.
The 4 Types of Suicide
From his findings, he was able to generalize that there were
four ba
types of suicide: altruistic, fatalistic, egoistic, and
anomic.
Altruistic Suicide
Altruistic suicide occurs when the degree of attachment of
individual to the society is very great.
It is not always defined by the society as suicide.
This would be the case with soldiers who volunteer for a
dangero
mission, in which they are likely to lose their lives, out of
zeal for a
devotion to their country.
Fatalistic Suicide
Fatalistic Suicide occurs when the degree of attachment of
individual to the society is excessive.
Pre-industrial society.
Durkheim thought this type was less important in modern
society.
As a means of escape.
High suicide rate among slaves.
Egoistic Suicide
Egoistic suicide, on the other hand, results from low degree
attachment of the individual to the society.
The less integrated into society individuals are, and the more
they m
depend on their own egos or selves, the more likely they are to
comm
suicide.
He found Protestants, who make more theological decisions on
th
own than Catholics and are therefore less attached to their
society, hav
higher suicide rate than Catholics.
In the same manner, single people, city dwellers, and men have
hig
suicide rates than married people, rural people, and women. They
tend
have fewer attachments and responsibilities, more social
freedom, a
more dependence on their own egos.
Anomic Suicide
Anomic suicide, like egoistic suicide occurs because the
individua
forced to make decisions without any strong social attachments.
Howev
in anomic suicide the individual is unattached because the whole
society
undergoing rapid change and the old rules no longer seem to
apply.
Anomic suicide occurs during periods of uncertainty, such as
times
crisis, revolution, or economic depression.
