Durkheim Suicide Research Paper

Because of the immense effect of suicide on young people, it is important to recognize what suicide is. For example, "Suicide is defined as the intentional taking of one's own life" (Brent 4203). The definition of suicide can be simply defined as the taking of one's own life on purpose. When someone ends their life, it is described as a suicide. In addition, some other definitions of suicide include someone who purposely takes their

Durkheim proceeded to distinguish suicide into four different groups that related to the individual’s integration into society and in turn the social regulation of society over its members. ‘Consequently, we shall be able to determine the social types of suicide by classifying them not directly by their preliminarily described characteristics, but by the causes which produce them…. We will first seek the social conditions responsible for them; then group these conditions in a number of separate classes by their resemblances and differences, and we shall be sure that a specific type of suicide will correspond to each of these classes.’ (Durkheim, 1897) The four suicide groups were identified as Egotistic, Anomic, Altruistic and Fatalistic.

Egoistic suicide which is when individuals are not integrated well enough into society for example people who live alone compared to those who live with family. Secondly Altruistic suicide which is when individuals are felt to be too integrated into society causing suicide, for example members of the armed forces were said to have greater suicide rates than civilian personnel as they were too strongly integrated into a united body. Durkheim also put forward the idea of Anomic suicide, this is when the norms and values in society become unclear or confused in times of great social change and an individual is not taught to adapt to changes well enough. For example an unexpected death of a family member is sudden social change which can cause Anomic suicide. Lastly, he suggested Fatalistic suicide. Fatalism is the excessive amount of regulation which leads to one committing suicide.

Suicide is intentionally causing your own death out of despair. It is considered a behavior and may result from a form of mental illness, but is not classified as a distinct psychiatric disorder. It can stem from different factors such as personal, social, financial or historical well-being. ("Mental health and wellness," 2013)

These are the details of the three most common suicides. Egoistic suicide is committed by people who are weak and supported by membership in a cohesive social group. They start to depend a huge amount on themselves than on group goals and rules of conduct to sustain them in their lives. When stressful times are around they feel isolated and helpless. Altruistic suicide is committed by people who are extremely committed to group norms and objectives and who notice their own lives as insignificant. These suicides involved dying for some type of cause. Anomic

Statement of Significance: Suicide or “self-killing” or “an act of taking one’s own life” according to Robert M. Martin. Now committing suicide is very common in nowadays anyone could be in danger of doing it, your mom, dad, brother, sister, uncle, and aunt could be going through this hard stage. I will tell you the main causes of suicide, the signs of

The existence of too much and too little integration and regulation results in different suicides such as egotistic and anomie. Egoistic suicide happens when individuals are integrated too little (such as elderlies), there is excessive individualism, which is low social integration. Individuals who do decide to commit egoistic suicide are just not strongly supported by their peers in a unified social group. On the other hand, anomie suicide is committed once the person’s sense of perseverance is lost and individuals not being connected to the society. The circumstance of uncertainty results from the breakdown of morals and values and from the lack of ambition and

Durkheim did not feel satisfied with individualized explanations for suicide such as alcoholism or depression. He felt there needed to be a stronger explanation and sought to explain how suicide was truly brought about through social forces. He constructed a coordinate system that contained social integration (how well you are connected with society) on the y-axis, and social regulation (what you expect daily from the world) on the x-axis. You need to maintain a position somewhere near the middle of the two to have a low risk for suicide. This graph led him to four different types of suicide. Egoistic suicide occurs when an individual is not very connected to society. Altruistic suicide is the opposite, where an individual is too integrated.

According to Durkheim’s theory, society can play a part in suicide rates due to strenuous social change which lead to unclear norms in a community. When this emotional strain leads to suicide, Durkheim would explain this as anomic suicide. First Nation groups experienced this during the time of residential schools. Aboriginal people were forced to rapidly change their ways

Egoistic suicide is a result of a lack of integration; altruistic suicide is a result of too much integration; anomic suicide is a result of too little regulation; and fatalistic suicide is a result of too much regulation.

“Suicide, the act or an instance of taking one's own life voluntarily and intentionally” (OED, 2017)

Egoistic Suicide – happens when people feel totally detached from society. Here the rates of social integration are low and so values, beliefs and traditions and sentiments were not held common by the members. Ordinary people are integrated in society by their social roles, attached in family, has a high connection to community and other social bonds. So, people who committed egoistic suicide thinks he is alone and no one thinks that he is important he loses hope to live because for example, he loses his family members or friends. Elderly people who lose these ties are the most susceptible to egoistic

— Durkheim, (1897) Egoistic suicide reflects a deep sense of not belonging, of not feeling part of a community, an experience, an absence that can give rise to apathy and depression. A result of a separation from the community and a breakdown of social integration... Durkheim discovered was that of single males were more likely to commit suicide than their married piers Altruistic suicide Durkheim stated that in an altruistic society there would be little reason for people to commit suicide... He stated one exception, namely when the individual is expected to kill themselves on behalf of society – a primary example being the soldier in military

Suicide, the action of killing oneself intentionally. Synonyms of suicide, self-destruction, self-murder and self-slaughter. Imagine this. Having a best friend since the year 2004, who is so unhappy with their life. They felt as though they couldn't continue. Imagine this. Receiving a phone call from your best friends mother saying that your best friend has been admitted into hospital from an overdose on multiple prescription medications. Imagine this. The feelings and thoughts running through your head as you run down to your car and speed towards the hospital only to get there and not be allowed in because you aren't immediate family.

Durkheim’s view and understanding of suicide differs from that of psychologists on the grounds of reasons as to why people commit suicide. A psychologist would attribute a variety of internal reasons like unhappiness, feeling of lacking somewhere or that of decreasing self worth as reasons why a person commits suicide. Durkheim has a very different way of looking at a suicide. He believes that it is an outcome of the social context in which the individual dwells. He attributes social and societal reasons that are external to the individual but, still tend to have a profound impact on him/her. According to him, it is the surroundings of an individual that provoke him/her to commit suicide. Durkheim believed that the consistency of suicide rates was a social fact that was affected by the degree to which people were coordinated through forces of binding and togetherness in society. According to Durkheim, suicide is connected to each case of death which comes from a positive or negative act, carried out by a person, who has a realization that it will create this outcome and will bring an end to his/her life. Durkheim tries to find out social reasons for suicide (not individual or mental)