Scan barcode
A review by levitybooks
Suicide by Émile Durkheim
3.0
While I remain generally suspicious of sociology as an academic discipline, what Durkheim attempts to do here is impressive.
There are lines of inference I disagree with, and some which are contextually outdated (related to marriage), but in the whole these interpretations still seem relevant.
Although it is readable for laypeople I would only recommend this for people with an academic/professional interest in general statistical trends for suicide. The explanation of the statistics, and those on how to rectify them in modern day standings, are lacking. I find it depressing that society seems to have gone in the opposite direction to the two suggestions Durkheim makes to reduce suicide, and the stats have since risen. The question remains: who is culpable?
****
[My Notes for future reference]
-Divorce trumps insanity, alcohohlism, economic status, race, climate, religion as variables for suicide.
-Widowers more often have lower rates than never married.
-Marriage often protects man, fatherhood often protects even more, motherhood often harms more than unmarried but to a lesser extent than any marital difference in man. A cynical idea is raised that where marriage/parenthood protects one gender it harms the other, and vice-versa.
-Seasonal variations (Summer stats always higher) and Christian denomination (Catholics almost always lower) are only nonmarital factors which seemed potential correlates.
-Durkheim suggests suicide is a constituent of society that cannot be eradicated, but when reduced, leads to a rise in homicide.
Egoistic=apathy+excessive individuation~disintegration with religious, domestic, political society.
Altruistic=deindividuation/"duty"~religious cult, army. Even then seen as uncommon.
Anomic=Alienation~nihilistic disgust/homicide-suicide tendency
Proposed solution: Strengthen societal control, equalise gender norms for marriage and parenthood so that divorce becomes less common.
There are lines of inference I disagree with, and some which are contextually outdated (related to marriage), but in the whole these interpretations still seem relevant.
Although it is readable for laypeople I would only recommend this for people with an academic/professional interest in general statistical trends for suicide. The explanation of the statistics, and those on how to rectify them in modern day standings, are lacking. I find it depressing that society seems to have gone in the opposite direction to the two suggestions Durkheim makes to reduce suicide, and the stats have since risen. The question remains: who is culpable?
****
[My Notes for future reference]
-Divorce trumps insanity, alcohohlism, economic status, race, climate, religion as variables for suicide.
-Widowers more often have lower rates than never married.
-Marriage often protects man, fatherhood often protects even more, motherhood often harms more than unmarried but to a lesser extent than any marital difference in man. A cynical idea is raised that where marriage/parenthood protects one gender it harms the other, and vice-versa.
-Seasonal variations (Summer stats always higher) and Christian denomination (Catholics almost always lower) are only nonmarital factors which seemed potential correlates.
-Durkheim suggests suicide is a constituent of society that cannot be eradicated, but when reduced, leads to a rise in homicide.
Egoistic=apathy+excessive individuation~disintegration with religious, domestic, political society.
Altruistic=deindividuation/"duty"~religious cult, army. Even then seen as uncommon.
Anomic=Alienation~nihilistic disgust/homicide-suicide tendency
Proposed solution: Strengthen societal control, equalise gender norms for marriage and parenthood so that divorce becomes less common.