Sociology and Suicide - 3277 Words

‘’How has Sociology contributed to our understanding of ‘Suicide’†? Introduction The essay will attempt to evaluate and assess how the various theoretical perspectives within sociology have contributed to our understanding of the deviant, individual act of ‘suicide’. This will be achieved by defining and evaluating ‘functionalism’, a ‘macro perspective’ and the application of this functionalistic approach formulated by Emile Durkheim, to the social phenomenon of ‘suicide’. Criticisms in relation to Durkheims’s study will also be evaluated, drawing upon other ‘Positivist’ theories and contrasting, ‘Interpretive’ theories of ‘suicide’, such as ‘Symbolic Interactionism’, a ‘micro perspective’; who’s principles were originally formulated†¦show more content†¦Suicide is regarded as the most common of individual actions, which Durkheim believed was influenced by the ‘social collective’ and not as a result of psychologi cal causalities as other studies had tried to imply. In an attempt to disprove the psychological hypothesis, he sought evidence that would identify the social nature of suicide. This was facilitated through the availability of suicide-rate statistical data collated from a variety of societies located within European countries. From this quantitative research, now termed ‘multivariate analysis’, he devised three conclusions. Within single societies the incidence or rate of suicide remains constant over time, the suicide rate varies between societies and that the suicide rate varies between different groups within the same society. However, â€Å"Durkheim did not deny that particular circumstances would lead to a particular person taking his or her own life, but personal reasons could not account for the suicide rate† (Haralambos et al, 1995, pp819:2). In an endeavour to refute the claim that there was a relationship between the incidents of insanity and the suicide rate, he examined data compiled from members of the Jewish community who had reportedly higher rate of insanity than other religious groups. On conclusion, he found that they had considerable lower rates of suicide (Durkheim, 1952: 166-168). He discovered that a collective tendency or social force, beyond theShow MoreRelatedWhy Durkheim s Work Suicide Is Significant For The Discipline Of Sociology1323 Words   |  6 Pagessociety. In this essay I will discuss the various forms of suicide defined by Durkheim. I will then predicate this explanation by resources to Durkheim meta theory that we ve discussed in lectures. Lastly I will explain why Durkheim’s work Suicide is significant for the discipline of sociology. The action of suicide has been in society since the dawn of man. Before Durkheim’s research, no one has been able to thoroughly explain why suicide occurs within a society. What s so great about Durkheim’sRead MoreWhat Is Sociology?1062 Words   |  5 PagesWhat is sociology? We can start by saying that sociology is the systematic study of human society. Sociology should be more than you find in a good documentary on a social issue. It is certainly more than listings of facts and figures about society. Instead it becomes a form of consciousness a way of thinking, a critical way of seeing the social. Seeing the general in the particular. In his short book ‘Invitation to Sociology’(1963) characterized the sociological perspective as seeing the generalRead MoreIs Sociology a Science1655 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"The study of sociology cannot and should not be seen as scientific† To what extent do sociological arguments and evidence support this view? (33 marks) The debate about whether sociology can be represented as a science has existed for many years. Comte; who first used the word sociology argued that sociology should be based on the methodology of the natural sciences. He argues that the application of natural science methodology to the study of society would produce a ‘positive science of society’Read MoreDifference Between Max Weber And Emile Durkheim1286 Words   |  6 PagesTwo of the fathers of sociology, Emile Durkheim and Max Weber, each worked to establish sociology as a distinct subject of study. However, their understandings of the underpinnings of sociology, and therefore the methods best used to study it, were very different. Together, they give the modern sociologist competing, yet complimentary, tools with which to understand social phenomena. When writing his book, Suicide: A Study in Sociology, Emile Durkheim wanted to show that empirical data could be usedRead MoreEmile Durkheim and The Science of Sociology Essay1294 Words   |  6 Pagesa long family line of rabbis, he had planned to follow in that profession. Durkheim was known as the Father of Sociology. He was a liberal, a modernist, and a nationalist. He was a very ambitious man; this ambition was illustrated by the accomplishments he made over the course of his life. During the conflict surrounding the Dreyfus Affair, Durkheim used the new field of sociology to try to make sense of society and the world around him. The Dreyfus Affair was a government cover up framingRead MoreEmile Durkheim On Suicide Summary1081 Words   |  5 PagesEmile Durkheim states in his book, â€Å"On Suicide: A Study in Sociology,† â€Å"Social man†¦is the masterpiece of existence.† This statement stands out to me because the types of suicide Emile talks about is how man and the social world interact. Emile contributed many things for sociology and one of those things would be, â€Å"developing a new methodology, which focusses on what he calls â€Å"social facts†, or elements of collective life that exist independently of and are able to exert an influence on the individual†Read More Comparing Webers and Durkheims Methodological Contributions to Sociology1727 Words   |  7 PagesMethodological Contributions to Sociology This essay will be examining the methodological contributions both Durkheim and Weber have provided to sociology. It will briefly observe what Positivists are and how their methodologies influence and affect their research. It will also consider what interpretative sociology is, and why their type of methodology is used when carrying out research. It will analyse both Durkheims study of Suicide and also Webers study of TheRead Moreweb dubois1041 Words   |  5 Pages February 4, 2014 Sociology 1000 Chapter 1- In Text Questions 1.How do the perspectives of people from different cultures differ on social issues such as suicide? How does the psychological perspective view suicide? What is unique about the sociologist s perspective? On a social issue such as suicide, cultures differ because many people feel this is a personal problem whereas others feel that this can be a public issue. If a person commits suicide, it may have been as a result of his orRead MoreSociology : A Sociological Perspective1292 Words   |  6 PagesOrigins of Sociology Ashley Drees Ivy Tech Community College Professor Brosmer April 10,2016 What is Sociology Sociology  is the  study of  social behavior or society, including its origins, development, organization, networks, and institutions. Sociology is a social science that uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about social order, disorder, and change. Three Main Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology Functional Perspective Read MoreAnalysis of the sociological imagination and its use in sociology.1483 Words   |  6 Pagesleads to an understanding of how the world operates and how we arrived at a certain point in time and what can be done to change social troubles and issues. Critical sociology does not simply accept society as it is, but continues to investigate unexamined ideas. The classical approach, as taken by Max Weber, rejected that sociology should be affected by values and should only deal with facts. This was done in an effort to leave research undertaken in the field, free of outside influences. According