Sam Richards, a professor from Penn State, discusses how we humans are deeply connected, and how even in our most private and seemingly isolated moments, those connections prevent us from having freedom of choice. He argues that freedom of choice in society is just an illusion. His first example is suicide and suicide rates, which he claims stay relatively the same every year. He says that if you are contemplating suicide, you really have no choice and that the society as a whole that you have been embedded in is what causes the relatively the same amount of people to commit suicide per year. The second idea he brings up is that within the larger society, different groups have their own suicide rates that also stay relatively the same year after year. He says that all groups should have the same suicide …show more content…
With that said, he asks what would happen if we all thought like sociologist. The first thing is we would recognize that we are never alone. He says that nobody has truly personal problems and that his problems, your problems, and my problems, are our problems. The second thing we would see is that we are empowered, because our actions have profound effects on everybody else. Lastly, he says that the groups we are most connected might be invisible, unbeknownst to us. To me, Richards is completely overthinking and overcomplicating the world we live in. I agree with the facts he brings up, such as the suicide rates, but as far as his analysis, I would have to disagree. Yes, people who commit suicide are influenced by society and their connections, but they absolutely have the freedom of choosing whether or not to do it. Society has major influence on you, but in the end you always have freedom of choice, even though your choices may be limited by society. However, there is nobody that faces the choice of committing suicide without the choice of not committing
Durkheim, Emile. Trans. John A. Spaulding and George Simpson. Suicide; A Study in Sociology. The Free Press, New York. 1987. Pgs. 297-325
With each analysis the reader gets a greater understanding of suicide and the mental state of those who commit it, as well as some of their motives. One could read only a single chapter of this book and gain a greater understanding than they previously had on the topic of suicide, but when one brings all the chapters together as a whole a much deeper understanding is obtained. Lester’s analyses start with diaries, using that of a girl he has called Katie as his first example. In this 14 page chapter he analyses her diary, not only comparing her to Ophelia from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, but using that comparison to show some of her motives and to make sense of them. It is this astute analysis that sets the tone for the rest of the similar chapters, in a way that is not boring but is not lighthearted in the slightest. The way that the whole book works together to give one insight on the topic of suicide makes it a useful resource for those who wish to understand it in a more in-depth way.
According to Durkheim, two types of suicide arise from the different levels social integration. One cause of suicide is extremely low social integration, which is referred to as egoistic suicide. Durkheim argues that this is the case because others give the individual’s life meaning, so without this support from the group the person may feel hopeless (Conley 188). The other type of suicide, altruistic suicide, reflects the opposite situation: when an individual is too socially integrated (Conley 189). This type of suicide occurs when members of a group or community become so totally engrossed by the group tha...
Durkheim was a functionalist, and theorised that a holistic social narrative could be identified which would explain individual behaviour. He argued that, whilst society was made up of its members, it was greater than the sum of its parts, and was an external pressure that determined the behaviour of the individuals within it. At that time, suicide rates in Europe were rising, and so the causes of suicide were on the agenda. Since suicide is seen as an intrinsically personal and individual action, establishing it as having societal causes would be a strong defence for Durkheim’s functionalist perspective. Durkheim used the comparative method to study the official suicide rates of various European countries. While he was not the first to notice the patterns and proportional changes of suicide rates between different groups in European societies, it was this fact that was the foundation of his theory – why did some groups consistently have much higher rates than others? This supports the idea that it was the external pressures placed on certain groups within society that induced higher rates of suicide, and is the basis of Durkheim’s work.
This statement gives the idea that suicide is an act of self-love. We only love ourselves to a certain degree and it is up to ourselves as to whether or not we carry out the act of
In the past decade, suicide rates have been on the incline; especially among men. According to the New York Times (2013), “From 1999 to 2010, the suicide rate among Americans ages 35 to 64 rose by nearly 30 percent… The suicid...
Suicide is a sad story many people are reluctant to approach. But when somebody nearest to them kills themselves, they feel the compelling guilt of trying to understand the motive behind the death. It is a complex and rather devastating subject. Many who kill themselves can never come back to tell us what happened and why it did. Suicide takes an emotional toll on it's survivors and wreck havoc in the wake of the surrounding victims. What causes suicide is a probing series of many theories, and yet not one definitive answer. The prevention of suicide is also difficult to pinpoint, but only because the intent is unknown. The importance of researching the motives of the suicidal is essential to modern humanity as a whole, because in the era we live in, suicide rates are climbing faster than ever. Understanding the driving force behind suicide is what can help the field of social science to save the conscience mind of many people from self-destruction - and save their lives, and the emotions of their loved ones.
“Suicide is a major public health issue; it takes the life of over a million people a year.” (“Suicide Widely”) Suicide is a growing epidemic that has very negative effects and views against it. Suicide is immoral because it is said to taint your soul. Numerous side effects from it can help you understand why it is wrong. Families and friendships are torn apart by the destructive acts. Understandably, people considering killing themselves aren’t immoral because at that point you’re able to go get help and tell someone how you’re feeling. I hope to encourage more awareness for this issue to save more lives and encourage more communication.
... does not withstand the argument of suicide because it challenges his theory of having the desire to live. Having a desire to live means you look forward to the good in your life and a suicidal person does not, therefore is not compatible with the desire account.
puts it: “…though death alone can put a full period to his misery, he dare not…a vain fear left he offend his Maker” (On Suicide, p.55). On his famous paper “On Suicide”, he defends the act of suicide and concludes that suicide is at least sometimes permissible. This paper will examine the essay itself in depth and counter argues about his view since the commitment of suicide deprives us from the future possibilities.
Durkheim, E. (1951). Suicide: A Study in Sociology. (J. A. Spaulding, & G. Simpson, Trans.)
Emile Durkheim, is the founder of sociology who conceived many theories, in the concept of suicide and its relationship with society. Durkheim’s book “Suicide” makes a distinction between suicide and suicide rate in relation with society. Durkheim conducted his research in a longitudinal study from various countries. He studied the suicide number and compared the mortality rate of different regions. His case study of suicide, explored the differences of suicide rates between social, economic and religious groups. He found people felt intertwine of social surrounding of social factors that produce suicide and, different social classes emerged from the discovery.
Some people, such as psychology professor Barry Schwartz of Swarthmore College, may argue that the narrowed list of choices is like “freedom within constraints” that may make it easier for people to be satisfied with their decision, thus increases their happiness (842). In his work titled “The Tyranny of Choice”, he suggests that the availability of too many choices will cause people to doubt themselves and have troubles deciding and feeling satisfied with their final decision since they can’t possibly examine all the possibilities and they tend to have higher expectations. Nevertheless, the constraints in the case of stereotypes are paralyzing, as they don’t allow the person to live up to their full potential while simultaneously take away the choices that may lead them to happiness. The set image forces a person to behave in a certain way, eliminating anything that goes against the image. Yuan may be interested in becoming a business manager, but is discouraged by the fact that it is difficult for him to get that job in the professional world with the stereotype in place. Fearing that he may not be able to find a job and apply what he has learned in college, Yuan may end up choosing to major in computer science to become an IT technician. He may feel unhappy with his choice later in his life
The Public Choice For some parents, deciding on a school for their children can be a difficult decision. Many parents do not spend much time thinking about it; they place their children into the local school designated by where they live. Others attended a private school themselves and found that it was a beneficial experience and therefore want the same for their kids. But which is better: private schools or public schools? While there are many advantages and disadvantages to each (nothing is going to be absolutely perfect), we are going to focus on the benefits of an education in the public school system, or in other words, schools funded by the government that are for anyone to attend.
For centuries suicide has been considered an act against God, a violation of law, and a stain on the community. Since the year of 1999 people around the globe have killed themselves more than the year previous. Throughout the developed world, self-harm is now the leading cause of death for people 15 to 49, surpassing all cancers and heart disease. That’s a dizzying change, a discovery that shows just how effective people throughout the world are at fighting disease, and just how haunted everyone remains at the same time. Around the globe, in 2010, self-harm took more lives than war, murder, and natural disasters combined, stealing more than 36 million years of healthy life across all ages. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) teenagers in America 4,600 aged 15 to 24 committed suicide.The older the youth is the higher the percentages. For youth aged 15 to 19, 7.8 per 100,000 died, while for youth aged 10 to 14, 1.3 per 100,000 died. Although rates differ between countries, suicide is the third most common cause of death among young children surpassed by homicides and accidents ("Teen Suicide is Preventable"). In the general population of youn...