The Cultural Meaning Of Suicide

For the purpose of the current essay, suicide will be defined, as an act or instance of taking ones own life through direct, deliberate and immediate acts that lead to death life through direct, deliberate and immediate acts that lead to death (XXXXX). Importantly, one should remember that there are different forms of suicide. For example, euthanasia to end suffering or physician assisted suicide as well as adolescent suicides for individuals that are prepubescent and honor suicides which are completed to escape the shame, placed on themselves or others, of an action they did. Additionally, there are two forms of attempted suicides that should be considered. First there is para suicide, or an attempted suicide using nonlethal means (Curra). Often, these are suicide attempts or gestures such as consuming a nonlethal amount of medication or cutting where the cut is not deep enough to cause significant blood less. Although there are numerous forms of suicide, the primary focus for the remainder of this essay will be on

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.

Feelings of isolation have been linked to higher suicide rates. Durkheim’s study on suicide during the industrial revolution supports this theory as he states that, “people were increasingly disconnected from their communities and that this social upheaval had a greater effect on suicide rates than other factors like wealth” (Winner & Collishaw, 2011). Interestingly enough, despite the increase of media attention on suicide, no studies have been published that explain why suicide rates vary among different groups. However, various factors are involved in the decision to commit suicide. As a result, suicide rates vary according to race, gender and age.

“Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.” - Phil Donahue. As a complex, tragic public health issue, suicide occurs in men significantly more often than in women. Suicide is simply defined as the act of intentionally ending one’s own life, however, the factors that play into a person making that decision are anything but simple. The most evident and severe effect of suicide is the loss of a valuable, meaningful human life. According to Harvard School of Public Health (n.d.), suicide affects parents, children, siblings, friends, lovers, and spouses; the loss to society is psychological, spiritual, and financial. People who lose a loved one to suicide often experience devastating effects and deal with a complex grief. These

Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess different sociological explanations of suicide. (21 marks)

Suicide is defined as “The action of killing oneself intentionally” within both South Korea and Wales. Suicide is seen as a huge social issue in both Wales and South Korea, both countries have seen a huge rise in suicide rates in the last decade but South Korea disproportionately sees a higher rate of suicide. Both countries are experiencing a rise in suicide rates and so, suicide is seen as a huge social issue, with government and non governmental bodies aiming to combat it. In my investigation I will not only be researching who this issue affects and what issues seem to be the main cause for the growth in suicide rates, but also responses and ways people have tried to tackle this problem. To do this I will have to follow my aims, which

Every suicide effects more than the individual’s life, in truth it impacts families, communities and economic well-being of our nation. According, Piscopo, Lipari, Cooney, and Glasheen, (2016) “Suicide is an important public health problem in the United States and a tragedy for all involved—families, friends, neighbors, colleagues, and communities. In 2014, suicide was the 10th leading cause of death in the United States overall.1 Among people aged 10 to 34, suicide was the second highest cause of death, and for those aged 35 to 54, it was the fourth highest cause of death” (p. 2).

Although higher prevalence may occur in some countries, there are generally no cultural associations. Families of suicide victims will often state they cannot recall much leading up to the death or that the individual was never really that sad. Unfortunately, suicide is often an outcome of extreme mental anguish without the ability or desire to carry on with normal life expectations. While not all reasons can point back to preventative measures or risk factors, there are certain issues to be aware of when looking at risk associated with an individual. Risk factors

Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess the usefulness of different sociological approaches to suicide. (21 marks)

Suicide has always been an intriguing and permanent solution to end an individual’s sorrow. This act of intentionally ending one's life seems to be the only option when individuals are willing to sacrifice their own life in hopes of finding tranquility. By overlooking a topic, such as suicide, there will be a lost on opportunities that are capable of preventing such actions. Suicide has always been around and to simply define it, this self destruction is a way to escape the horrible realities of life. The common expectation for the public is that everyone is aware of mental health or stability.

Research depicts that the suicide rate tends to increase over the course of the lifespan, but that it sharply increases at adolescence. As it stands, suicide is currently the third-leading cause of death amongst teenagers in the U.S., following behind motor vehicle collisions and homicides. In terms of nationality, adolescent suicide rates actually tend to vary dependant on location. Among industrialized nations, adolescent suicide rates are low in places like Italy, Greece, Spain and the Netherlands, whereas adolescent suicide rates tend to be more intermediate in places like Canada, Australia, Japan, and the U.S. (Bridge, Goldstein, & Brent, 2006). Interestingly enough, these international differences still remain to be explained. Adolescent suicide rates tend to be at their highest in locations like New Zealand, Finland, and Singapore (Bridge, Goldstein, & Brent, 2006). According to the statistics, suicide is epidemic and there’s more statistics that one could reference to prove the legitimacy of that

How frequent do suicides occur? Worldwide, a suicide occurs every forty seconds, making it the 3rd leading cause of death in people ages 15-44 (Suicide Facts). With statistics as horrifying as these, it is to be expected that most people have an opinion on the matter. While beliefs, ideologies, religions, and cultural norms may shape personal preference on the subject, it can be argued that, from an ethical point of view, suicide is a valid and appropriate action. Through utilitarianism, deontology, and egoism with support from historical, cultural, and literary examples, I will show that suicide is an ethically sound choice, despite personal preferences.

The act of intentionally killing oneself, also known as suicide, has often been referred to as a permanent solution to a temporary problem. The great social theorist, Emile Durkheim, once stated that, “Each victim of suicide gives his act a personal stamp which expresses his temperament, the special conditions in which he is involved, and which, consequently, cannot be explained by the social and general causes of the phenomenon.” (Durkheim). This social phenomenon was studied and scientifically researched by Durkheim in order to discover and break the social causes and theories that allowed for its existence. While suicide is an uncomfortable subject to discuss, it has become extremely prevalent in all cultures and society- we have yet to escape this social issue. Although suicide affects those of all ages, the rates of suicide amongst the youth and young adults (aged 15-24) have nearly tripled in the past half century. Has this epidemic increased due to social media? Is it just a “trend” amongst this generation? Were Durkheim’s theories on the subject correct? These are just a few of the many questions that arise when considering the increasing rates of suicide among today’s youth. This research paper will examine the definitions and types of suicide in Durkheim’s studies, the current suicide rates and statistics, and most importantly, the contributing factors of suicidal tendencies in today’s world of youth and adolescents.

Suicide and suicidal behaviors have befallen all cultures, nations, and religions throughout history and appear in all socio-cultural, demographic and economic groups. Despite extensive attempts to prevent disastrous fatalities by suicide, our capability to understand and successfully prevent such acts has been difficult and continues to be a complex problem. “Just as the proverbial tip of the iceberg belies the enormous mass beneath the surface, suicide is the visible manifestation of a much larger set of physical, mental, and spiritual stressors. To prevent suicide, we must address the part of the iceberg that lurks beneath the surface.”50(p ) This paper has attempted to address the lurking parts beneath the iceberg’s surface that may

As the country with one of the world highest suicide rates, Japan has the significant suicide issues in recent years. Suicide cases in Japan have been found across different gender-age groups with various occupations, in both males and females, from children to seniors, for various reasons. The negative impacts of unemployment problems and social pressures are the major reasons that causing suicides among Japanese people. In addition, there are several country-specific and culture-specific kinds of suicides in Japan, such like honor suicide (or moral suicide), Internet suicide, responsibility-driven suicide, and charcoal burning suicide. There are several important factors linked to the suicide rates, which are levels of incomes, economic growth, divorce rate, birth rate, female labor force participation rate, and alcohol consumption. The negative impacts from those factors have been increasing the suicide rates in Japan. Those factors are directly influencing the suicide rates. Besides those direct factors, there are lots of indirect factors that influence the suicide rates in Japan, such as movies, music, TV shows, and reading materials. Those direct factors give people motivations to suicide, and those indirect factors give people ideas or instigation to suicide. The negative impacts of suicides in Japan are not only influencing people who have involved in suicide cases, but also influencing the entire Japanese society. By tracing the data of suicide rates in Japan over