Emile Durkheim Suicide

Durkheim analyzed suicide rates from different sections of society and found:

• Suicide rates are higher in men than women (although married women who remained childless for several years ended up with a high suicide rate).
• Suicide rates are higher for single people than those in a sexual relationship.
• Suicide rates are higher for people without children than for people with children.
• Suicide rates are higher among Protestants than Catholics and Jews.
• Suicide rates are higher among soldiers than civilians.
• Suicide rates are higher in times of peace than in times of war. (War reduced the suicide rate: after war broke out in 1866 between Austria and Italy, the suicide rate fell by 14 percent in both countries.)
• Suicide rates are higher in Scandinavian countries.
• The higher the education level, the more likely an individual would choose suicide. However, Durkheim established that there is more correlation between an individual's religion and suicide rate than an individual's education level. Jewish people were generally highly educated but had a low suicide rate.
• From the above analysis, Durkheim held that suicide could not be explained by individual or psychological factors but should be explained by analyzing the link between social institutions and the individual.

Forms of Suicide:

• Durkheim explained various forms of suicide by looking at how individuals can develop bonds in society and how individuals are regulated by society.
• He suggested 4 types of suicides

1. i. Egoistic Suicide
2. Altruistic Suicide
3. Anomic Suicide
4. Fatalistic Suicide

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