A2-Level Sociology – Unit 4 Suicide Lo: Examine Durkheim’s classic suicide study with reference to typologies and methodologies

What is your definition of suicide? Defining Suicide Defining suicide is an issue which needs to be considered before we can investigate the reasons behind suicide. Interpretivist's would argue that we know whether someone has committed suicide or not because we use our interpretation. but we all interpret situations differently – therefore can we define suicide specifically? What is your definition of suicide?

A Definition of Suicide Taylor criticised the common definition of suicide and came up with the following three forms of suicide – REALIST APPROACH: Suicidal Gesture – No intention of dying Clear-Cut Suicides – Clear intention to die – known often from a suicide note Para-Suicides – Risk taking acts which gamble with life

Positivism and Suicide What key words can you remember in relation to positivism? How can those key words be applied to suicide? What types of research methods do Positivists use?

Positivism and Suicide Durkheim is one of the most useful examples to use when explaining Positivism and suicide. Durkheim decided to study suicide as he wanted to prove that our actions are influenced by wider social forces in which we have no control over.

Durkheim’s Definition of Suicide “all causes of death resulting directly or indirectly from a positive or a negative view of himself, which he knows will produce this result” ~ 1897

Durkheim's Methodology Comparative method – making comparisons between data to identify differences. Official Statistics – Durkheim used these to make comparisons between countries.

Durkheim’s Discoveries Suicide rates varied between countries although overall they were fairly stable. BUT suicide rates varied between groups. From Durkheim’s discoveries he concluded that suicide rates were not driven by individuals but by wider social forces. If suicide was driven individually then suicide rates would have been more scattered.

Suicide trends Low Suicide Rate Catholics – strong regulation/identity Married Periods of social stability High Suicide rate Protestants – more individual – less control Anomie – times of crisis/ upheaval/ rapid social change

Moral Regulation & Social Integration

(Social) Integration In a strongly integrated society, individuals are bound together by shared norms and values The level of integration can be measured by the strength and number of relationships between individuals In a strongly integrated society, people have powerful duties and obligations to each other

(Moral) Regulation Similarly, regulation varies between societies and groups within society Regulation refers to the control which society has over its members – the degree to which society regulates their behaviour Without regulation, peoples desires are limitless Society places limits on their desires by defining specific goals and the means of obtaining them

Durkheim’s Categorisation of Suicide – ‘structural reasons’ Type of Suicide Lack of Integration Egoistic B A L N C E Integration Altruistic Over-Integration Lack of Regulation Anomic Regulation Fatalistic Over-Regulation

Types of suicide Altruistic – occurs when the level of integration is too strong Egotistic – occurs when the level of integration is too weak Fatalistic – occurs when the level of regulation is too strong Anomic – occurs when the level of regulation is too weak

Altruistic Suicide Altruism means acting unselfishly, directed by a concern for others even if this is harmful to oneself Altruistic suicide occurs when individuals are so strongly integrated into society that they take their own lives out of a sense of duty They are so powerfully committed to the norms and values of society that they make the ultimate sacrifice

Fatalistic Suicide Fatalism is a belief that nothing can be done to change the situation Fatalistic suicide is characteristic of societies where there is too much regulation, too much control of individuals Slavery is an example of excessive regulation

Egoistic Suicide The word ego refers to the self Egoistic suicide occurs when there is too little integration, when the individual increasingly stands alone It results from a weakening of the ties which bind individuals to social groups Durkheim saw egoistic suicide as characteristic of societies which were making a transition to modernity

Anomic Suicide Like egoistic suicide, anomic suicide mainly occurs in modern societies It results from a lack of regulation of people’s desires and expectations Modern societies are characterised by rapid social change which disrupts the norms governing behaviour The result is a situation of anomie or normlessness

James had high aspirations for his company but went bankrupt during the recession. In despair he drowned himself by jumping overboard from his yacht. Jennifer was devoted to Nigel, her boyfriend since she was 14. He jilted her at the altar and she took an overdose three days later, leaving a note saying she still loved him and hoped they could be together again. Brian was a loner who was sure he had no place in the world and nobody respected him. He walked into an aerobics class with a machine gun and killed ten people, before shooting himself. Jeremy was an officer in the SAS who volunteered to go on a very dangerous mission, from which he knew he would most likely not return. Brenda was unemployed for three years after twenty years of hard work. She had used up all his savings and had to sell her house. She made 489 unsuccessful job applications. She took her own life in an isolated spot and her body was only found two weeks later.

Positivist Response to Durkheim Halbwachs (1930) Halbwachs claimed that Durkheim over emphasised the influence religion has over suicide. Halbwachs claims that living in a rural or urban area has more of an impact.

Interpretivism and Suicide Interpretivist Sociologists study suicide in a non-scientific method. Interpretivist's reject the use of official statistics as they prefer to look at why individuals behave in the ways they do.

Interpretivism and Suicide J.D Douglas (1967) ("The Social Meaning of Suicide") Douglas identifies that suicide statistics are based on the coroners decision as to whether the death was a suicide or not. Douglas saw how suicide can have different meanings dependent on the reason for the death.

Maxwell-Atkinson (1977) He talked to Coroners and court officials. Coroners have a ‘common sense theory’. Look for clues such as letters and diaries.

Primary cues Secondary cues Coroners begin by looking for primary cues. Existence of suicide notes or reports of threats. Typical suicide death? Place and circumstance of death. Secondary cues These include the life history of the deceased. Mental illness. Disturbed childhood Recent loss Financial difficulties

Categorising suicide If the circumstances of death and life history fit the ‘typical suicide death’ then a verdict of suicide is likely. Coroners common sense theory of suicide contains an explanation of suicide.

Interpretivism and Suicide Jean Bachelor (1979) Bachelor aims to identify what motivates people to commit suicide. Escapist Suicide Escape an unbearable situation Aggressive Suicide To hurt or harm someone else Oblative Suicides Used to gain a desire – E.g. Heaven Ludic Suicides Done for the risk and excitement

A Phenomenological Approach (Phenomenology is the study of subjective experience) Atkinson (1978) Atkinson rejects the idea of coroners classifying suicides because the facts are social constructions. Atkinson saw how there are four common-sense factors which affects a coroners decision to classify a death as a suicide or not.

A Phenomenological Approach Atkinson's common-sense factors are: The presence of a suicide note indicates suicide Certain types of death (such as hanging) indicate suicide Location and circumstances Evidence of illnesses. E.g. Depression