Durkheim, Positivism and Suicide

Durkheim, Positivism and Suicide

1. SUICIDE RATES AS SOCIAL FACTS

   • Forces in society, external to individuals, existing on a different level.
   • Different societies = different rates
   • Rates varied between social groups
     • Durkheim = first to use multivariate analysis - correlating suicide rates with other social factors. Easier to establish cause-and-effect.
   • Social Integration: how far sense of belonging is experienced.
   • Moral Regulation: how far actions are kept in check by norms.
   • Two social facts influencing suicide rates;

2. TYPOLOGY

   • 1. Egoistic (too little integration)
   • 2. Altruistic (too much integration)
   • 3. Anomic (too little regulation)
   • 4. Fatalistic (too much regulation)
   • Modern (western) societies - individualism leads to more egoistic and anomic.
   • Traditional societies - collectivism leads to more altruistic and fatalistic.
     • Positivists criticised Durkheim for not operationalising concepts properly.
       • Moreover - reliability is criticised because of 19th century stats. Not collected systemically/autopsies = rare.