Q.
Define suicide and its types. Explain in detail the theory of anomy presented by Emile-Durkheim. In
what way the theory would be helpful in the solution of current involvement of Pakistani youth in
suicidal attempts.
Reference:
1893 book The Division of Labor in Society.
What is Anomie?
Anomie is a social condition in which there is a disintegration or disappearance of the norms
and values that were previously common to the society. Anomie occurs during and follows
periods of drastic and rapid changes to the social, economic, or political structures of
society.
It is, per Durkheim's view, a transition phase wherein the values and norms common during
one period of time are no longer valid, but new ones have not yet evolved to take their
place.
Durkheim's theory was based upon the idea that the lack of rules and clarity resulted in
psychological status of worthlessness, frustration, lack of purpose, and despair. In addition,
since there is no idea of what is considered desirable, to strive for anything would be futile.
Anomie and Alienation:
People who live during periods of anomie typically feel disconnected from their society because
they no longer see the norms and values that they hold dear reflected in society itself. This
leads to the feeling that one does not belong and is not meaningfully connected to others. For
some, this may mean that the role they play (or played) and/or their identity is no longer valued
by society. Because of this, anomie can foster the feeling that one lacks purpose, engender
hopelessness, and encourage deviance and crime.
Example in Pakistani Context?
Industrialization and Anomie: (Adjust the analysis of Identity, Nationalism here)
Durkheim wrote about an anomic division of labor, a phrase he used to describe a
disordered division of labor in which some groups no longer fit in, though they did in the
past. Durkheim saw that this occurred as European societies industrialized and the nature of
work changed along with the development of a more complex division of labor.
He framed this as a clash between the mechanical solidarity of homogeneous, traditional
societies and the organic solidarity that keeps more complex societies together. According
to Durkheim, anomie could not occur in the context of organic solidarity because this
heterogeneous form of solidarity allows for the division of labor to evolve as needed, such
that none are left out and all play a meaningful role.
Suicide
A few years later, Durkheim further elaborated his concept of anomie in his 1897 book, Suicide:
A Study in Sociology. According to Durkheim, suicide is a deliberate act which caused death and
actor knows the consequences of this act before committing.
Durkheim’s Research:
Durkheim analyzed differences between Protestants and Catholics. He found a lower rate of
suicide among Catholics than in Protestants.
Durkheim theorized that this occurred because Protestant culture placed a higher value on
individualism. This made Protestants less likely to develop close communal ties that might
sustain them during times of emotional distress, which in turn made them more
susceptible to suicide. Conversely, he reasoned that belonging to the Catholic faith provided
greater social control and cohesion to a community, which would decrease the risk of
anomie and of anomic suicide.
Additionally, Durkheim found that suicide was less common among women than men.
More common among single people than among those who are romantically partnered.
Less common among those who have children.
Further, he found that soldiers commit suicide more often than civilians and that curiously,
rates of suicide are higher during peacetime than they are during wars.
Conclusion:
Based on what he saw in the data, Durkheim argued that suicide can be caused by social
factors, not just individual psychological ones. Durkheim reasoned that social integration, in
particular, is a factor. The more socially integrated a person is--connected to society and
generally feeling that they belong and that their life makes sense within the social context--
the less likely they are to commit suicide. As social integration decreases, people are more
likely to commit suicide.
Types of Suicide
Durkheim developed a theoretical typology of suicide to explain the differing effects of social
factors and how they might lead to suicide. They are as follows:
Anomic suicide occurs when a person experiences anomie, a sense of disconnection
from society and a feeling of not belonging that result from weakened social cohesion.
Anomie occurs during a period of serious social, economic, or political upheaval, which
results in quick and extreme changes to society and everyday life. In such circumstances,
a person might feel so confused and disconnected that they choose to commit suicide.
Altruistic suicide happens when there is excessive regulation of individuals by social
forces, such that a person will be moved to kill themselves for the benefit of a cause or
for society at large.
Example:
An example is someone who commits suicide for the sake of a religious or political
cause, such as the infamous Japanese Kamikaze pilots of World War II, or the hijackers
of the airplanes that crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in
Pennsylvania on in 2001. In such social circumstances, people are so strongly integrated
into social expectations and society itself that they will kill themselves in an effort to
achieve collective goals.
Egoistic suicide happens when people feel totally detached from society. Ordinarily,
people are integrated into society by work roles, ties to family and community, and
other social bonds. When these bonds are weakened through retirement or loss of
family and friends, the likelihood of egoistic suicide increases. Elderly people who lose
these ties are the most susceptible to egoistic suicide.
Fatalistic suicide occurs under conditions of extreme social regulation that result in
oppressive conditions and a denial of the self and of agency. In such a situation a person
may elect to die rather than continue enduring the oppressive conditions, such as the
case of suicide among prisoners.
How to solve the problem of increasing suicide attempts in Pakistani Youth?
(Relate with the topic of Youth Bulge)
Critical Evaluation of Durkheim’s Ideas
