Emile Durkheim's Theories on Suicide

Emile Durkheim's Theories on Suicide

I chose to write about Durkheim's theories on suicide. Although I don’t completely agree with all of them, I will discuss what my text says they are and what I perceive them to be.

Most of Durkheim’s work on suicide was published in his third book, Suicide. It was a very important book because it was a serious effort to establish empiricism in sociology. This empiricism would provide a sociological perspective on a phenomenon that was previously psychological and individualistic.

He proposed three major forms of suicide, some with subdivisions. These three forms of suicide were egoistic, altruistic, and anomic. With egoistic suicide, Durkheim proposes that a person will commit suicide if they have too little interaction with society. He says that a person that does not feel like a part of society will not hold to the same norms, laws, or mores and will be more likely to elevate his value and ideas above that of the society. His studies show that people from smaller families, women more than men, and Protestants more than Catholics, will commit suicide. These are only a few of the criteria provided. For the most part, I agree with this. I would take it to believe that most people that interact with a larger group would be healthier. I only have one problem with the egoistic theory. I am confused as to whom it can apply to. Does a person have to acquire the feeling of belonging? Does a child that is deprived of interaction run a...