SUICIDE / LE SUICIDE1897

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SUICIDE AND MODERNITY

key motivation: to bring moral issues into study of suicide

methodological objective: application of sociological method to explain what appears on its face to be an "individual" phenomenon

separates distribution of suicide rates and the etiology (causes) of individual cases of suicide

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19TH CENTURY SUICIDE DATA SHOW STABLE DISTRIBUTIONS FROM YEAR TO YEAR INTERSPERSED WITH PERIODIC FLUCTUATIONS

Therefore, patterns of suicide rates must depend upon stably distributed phenomena of geographical, biological, or social kind

ED considers geography and biology in detail, but rejects both, focusing on the social factor

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TWO KEY CONDITIONS THAT ARE “CHRONIC” IN MODERN INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY

egoisim: a lack of integration of the individual into the social group

anomie: a lack of moral regulation These conditions, in the extreme,

pathological form express themselves as: egoistic suicide anomic suicide

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DISTRIBUTION OF SUICIDE RATES IN WESTERN EUROPE ARE ASSOCIATED WITH RELIGION

Predominantly Catholic countries have lower suicide rates than those which are mainly Protestant

Both creeds prohibit suicide w/equal stringency, so it's necessary to look for differences in the social organization of the two churches Difference is that Protestantism is founded upon the promotion

of a spirit of free inquiry Catholic church is formed around traditional hierarchy of the

priesthood, whose authority is binding in matters of religious dogma, but the Protestant is alone before God

Protestantism is "less strongly integrated" church than Catholicism Suicide rates are higher among Protestants than

Catholics or Jews Jews, like Catholics, are considered more “communally

oriented” than Protestants

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DEGREE OF INTEGRATION IN OTHER SECTORS OF SOCIETY RELATED TO SUICIDE RATES IN SAME WAY

unmarried persons show higher rates of suicide than married ones of comparable age

inverse relationship between suicide and size of conjugal unit the greater # of children, lower suicide rate

suicide declines in times of national political crisis and in times of war in war this holds for those in armed forces and

civilians political crises stimulate involvement in events, for a time,

bringing about closer integration of society

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SUICIDE RATES & OCCUPATIONAL STRUCTURE

Suicide rates higher in industry & commerce vs. agricultural occupations

Within non-agricultural occupations, suicide rates inversely related to socio-economic level Lowest among chronically poor Highest among well-to-do & those in the

liberal professions Poverty itself is a source of moral restraint

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SUICIDE INCREASES DURING BOOMS AND BUSTS

not simply the result of economic deprivation, since suicide increase in equivalent degree during sudden prosperity

moves both up and down in terms of prosperity have a disruptive effect upon accustomed modes of life

in either case, people’s habitual expectations come under strain

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TYPES OF SUICIDE: ANOMIC, EGOISTIC, ALTRUISTIC

anomic suicide springs from the phenomenon discussed in DoL: the anomic state of moral deregulation characterizing economic relationships

egoistic suicide is caused where "the individual self asserts itself to excess in the face of the social self and at its expense…"

altruistic suicide occurs when the basis for man's existence seems to be situated beyond this life

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EGOISTIC SUICIDE Egoistic suicide is caused where "the

individual self asserts itself to excess in the face of the social self and at its expense…" Egoistic suicide is particularly

characteristic of contemporary societies Egoistic suicide linked to the "cult of the

individual" in contemporary societies

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ALTRUISTIC SUICIDE in altruistic suicide an individual gives his life

for the social group the primary type of suicide in small, traditional societies where individuation is minimal

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WHICH SUBGROUP HAS THE HIGHEST RATE OF ATTEMPTED SUICIDE?

young white males young black males young Hispanic males young Asian males

young white females young black females young Hispanic females Asian females

Source: CDC, Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), 2005

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THE GROUP HAS THESE COMMON RISK FACTORS FOR SUICIDE

Highest rates of depression Highest teen birthrate Second highest school dropout rate

Research shows that additional factors may play a role; cultural clashes with parents, social isolation, and poverty

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WHICH SUBGROUP HAS THE HIGHEST RATE OF ATTEMPTED SUICIDE?

young white males young black males young Hispanic males young Asian males

young white females (9.8%)

young black females (9.3%)

young Hispanic females (14.9%)

Asian females

Source: CDC, Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), 2005

THE ELEMENTARY FORMS OF RELIGIOUS LIFE (1912)

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RELIGION & SOCIETY The fundamental categories of thought,

and consequently of science, are based on religion

If religion has given birth to all that is essential in society, it is because the idea of society is the soul of religion

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A FUNCTIONALIST THEORY OF RELIGION

Theory concerns the functional role of religion in society

The importance of ED's novel understanding of religion is that it leads to a clarification of the nature of the continuity between the traditional forms of society and the modern

"In order to understand these new forms, one must connect them with religious phenomena properly speaking"

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THEORY OF RELIGION BASED ON STUDY OF ONE OF SIMPLEST, MOST PRIMITIVE RELIGIONS

Australian totemism

the existence of supernatural divinities is not essential to religion

there are systems of belief and practices which we should quite properly call religious, but where gods and spirits are absent or are of minor importance

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WHAT IS A RELIGIOUS BELIEF CANNOT BE DEFINED WRT SUBSTANTIVE CONTENT OF IDEAS

they presuppose a classification of all things known to men, real and ideal, into two classes, two distinct kinds: the sacred and profane

the character of religious thought relies on the notion of dichotomy itself

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RELIGION ALWAYS INVOLVES PRESCRIBED RITUAL PRACTICES & AN INSTITUTIONAL FORM

A religion is never simply a set of beliefs; it always also involves prescribed ritual practices and a definite institutional form

There is no religion which does not have a church, although the form which this assumes varies widely

Church refers to the existence of a regularized ceremonial organization pertaining to a definite group of worshippers it does not imply that there is necessarily a specialized

priesthood

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DURKHEIM’S DEFINITION OF RELIGION Religion: A religion is a unified

(solidaire) system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden - beliefs and practices which unite into one single moral community called a church, all those who adhere to them.

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THE EQUATION OF SOCIETY AND THE SACRED MUST NOT BE MISUNDERSTOOD

ED does not argue that religion creates society this leads to a misinterpretation of his

theory as idealism By contrast, ED says religion is the

expression of the self-creation, the autonomous development, of human society