"Suicide rates and different types of social context are related, in particular that suicides related to the level of social integration so that disintegration leads to the increased numbers of suicide" (Ambercrombie, Hill, Turner, 2001, p350)
SOLIDARITY AND SOCIAL INTEGRATIONDurkheim saw society as having a sense of coherence that held it together whether it was the segmented structure of primitive social realms or the more differentiated social structures of modern society. In either situation, he referred to this coherence as a form of social solidarity. This sense of social connectedness as Durkhiem expressed is based on the belief that humans through interaction with each other find meaning and solidarity. "Collective life is not born from the individual, but it is, on the contrary, the second which is born from the first" (Collins, 1994a, p. 198).
"Mechanical Solidarity - Social cohesion based upon the likeness and similarities among individuals in a society, and largely dependent on common rituals and routines. Common among prehistoric and pre-agricultural societies, and lessens in predominance as modernity increases."
"Organic Solidarity - Social cohesion based upon the dependence individuals in more advanced society have on each other. Common among industrial societies as the division of labour increases. Though individuals perform different tasks and often have different values and interests, the order and very survival of society depends on their reliance on each other to perform their specific task."
Durkheim discussed social solidarity--the bond between all individuals within a society--in considerable depth, especially in his first major work, The Division of Labour in Society, first published in 1893.
THE DIVISION OF LABOURDurkheim established two concepts within his theory of The Division of Labour. The mechanical as described by (Hewett) is a simple form of social evolution that works within groupings that behave and function with common aims. The organic as opposed to mechanical can be characterised as a social world that has become complex and due to the development of industrial worlds work task become complex. The organic social world is personalised and social development is based on individualistic aspirations. This can be described as the "growing complexity and differentiation of society created a new basis of reciprocity arising from socio-economic specialisation rather than from commonly held beliefs"(Abercrombie, Hill. Turner, 2000, p102)
The development of the modern world provided the incubation of hopes; dreams and advancements through social orders by developing ones own qualifications. As society moved through the industrialisation era greater emphasis was place upon the development of individual achievement. The common aim of the modern industrial era was enhancement of each persons social world by opportunity to perform specialise task through the acquisition of knowledge and skill. However, Durkheim viewed this movement towards industrialisation as the manifestation to the derequisition of social norms. (Simpson. 1963) Durkheim's impression was that the advancement of the socio-ecomania world was forming without the ongoing restructuring of social regulation, norms and belief system. Durkhiem expressed that the moral values which were a reflection of social consciousness consisting of common belies and sentiments, (Deakin University, 2001,) were becoming outdated and that without the correct structures in place the social conscious will ultimately only be for the individual prosperity. "Where the traditional societies, provided through religion, successfully taught people to control their desires and goals, modern industrial societies separate people and weaken social bonds as a result of increased complexity and the division of labour".As Haralambos explained, "the result of the social-economic development was Anomie" (Deakin University Reader, 2001. Sociology). The concept of Durkheim's Divisoion of labour and Anomie detailed that through the development of ones own skills, the purpose for connecting within social fabrics to develop a common goal was not a priority. Rather to establish a set of individual targets that can be reached only by the enthusiasm of singlar advancement through the new socio-ecomnomic based belief systems became the objective of the modern social dream.
Durkheim viewed that through ever reaching hands of human opportunity to prevail over the common goals of the social realm the pre-modern social mechanical society was at threat of becoming instinct. It is not Durkheim's intention to argue against a prevailing organic social world. Rather to make aware the struggles that are directive of modern structural societies and the dangers that will prevail if the social norms are left to ponder its direction while the individual continue to move through the development of the socio-economic structure in their social globe. Durkheim viewed that through the development of industrial societies and the ongoing need for specialised skills created what he termed the "The Division of Labour".
Durkhiem then went further to suggest that the creation of the modern industrial society separated the common bonds of human relationships and entail created a social realm which lacked direction and due to the prevailing individualistic passion to succeed, the aspect of failure or the capacity to achieve set goals was the fundamental explanation of suicide.
SUICIDE (EGOISTIC, ALTRUISTIC AND ANOMIC SUICIDE)Emile Durkheim followed his study on the Division of labour to examine the correlation of the development the modern industrial world and suicide. In his study of Suicide, Durkheim demonstrated the "power of social ties" (Collins, 1994b, p. 184). He was not concerned so much in the etiologic of suicide but rather was trying to demonstrate that it was social structures, which prevent a person from committing suicide. He was in effect showing, social integration and social regulation working as means to bond society together (Collins, 1994b). Durkhiem expressed that the modern social worlds lacked direction and in effect resulted in social deregulation. Durkheim developed three concepts to suicide, egoistic, altruistic and anomic to express the effects of social deregulation.
The three concepts of suicide can be defined in the following terms:
A The fundamental concept of Egoistic Suicide is that if an individual lacked integration with the larger society that individual will have no sense of belonging. "Egotistic suicide, he believed, is the most common form of suicide and was caused by under-integration with society, and excessive individualism." This can be seen when individuals are unable to continual linkages within social groups such as sporting teams or on a more personal level such as marriage.
A Altruistic is where the individual becomes dependent on social integration and can no longer function without group social contact. "Altruistic suicide, which for Durkheim is the opposite of egotistic suicide, is caused by over integration with society, when individuals become so immersed into their social group that they will sacrifice their lives." A picture of this type of suicide was recently seen in America when a group of men belonging to a specific religious group sacrificed their lives for the beliefs of the religious group and its theology.
A Anomic suicide is characterised as a sense of under-achievement. "Durkheim meant anomie as a state of collective evil or derangement characterized by a painful state of infinite desires that are never satiated". An example of this is where an individual who is studying to become a Lawyer and is unable to obtain that goal can not compete with the feelings of disappointment.
Durkheim argued that although suicide seems very personal and psychological, the *suicide rate* for a particular region is a social fact. If the suicide rate is particularly high, then this could be considered a social problem. We should focus on the understanding of the social control mechanisms that relate to suicide and resolve social conflicts faced by individuals caused by the social mechanisms developed through modern societies.
Durkhiem ideology of the social phenomenon of suicide focuses on suicide as an act that derives through an individuals integration level. What his critics suggest is that Durkheim placed too much importance on the degree of integration wiithin society and did not define this in a way that made it possible to measure integration. Critical analysis of Durkheim's theory on suicide also suggests that the use of governmental statistics weakens his argument. As pointed out in "governmental statistics invalidates his study somewhat, as individuals are, after their deaths, according to Atkinson, labelled as suicides merely because of a set of pre-judgemental - and perhaps incorrect."
CONCLUSIONThis report detailed the social response to suicide. The argument developed was to express Durkheim's view of the social as apposed to the psychological which was detailed through descriptive analysis of his theories on Social Solidarity and Social Integration. The report also detailed the aspects fundamental to suicide tendencies through Durkheim's theory on the Division of Labour. A discussion was then detailed Durkheim's three aspects of suicide, egoistic, altruistic and anomic.
Suicide is socially determined. The collective causes that are responsible for suicide have a mind of their own; they are moral and social. Social life, then, is external to the individual. Murder and suicide, which seem alike, are not invariably related (e.g. wars lead to less suicide, yet more murder; anomie and altruistic suicide, on the other hand, are related; consequently, murder is social too and, since it has different causes, murder comes in different types.
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Since the essential conditions of life are useful, suicide is likely to occur. Most certainly social regulation and integration are needed in any society, and whether societies place high value on the individual or, constrain them suicide is a resulting phenomena from social implications enforced upon individuals. Increase in the number of suicides is due to conditions under which progress has occurred and the divisions that this progression is aligned with. Therefore, the current rate of suicide is pathological, not suicide as such!
Societies are irreducible entities, the laws governing which could not be derived from biology or psychology. 'Collective representations' of a society, such as social traits, customs, legal systems, languages, and 'group emotions' are said to 'exist outside the individual consciousness', on which they have an effect greater than the mere sum of the effects of other individuals.
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