Why suicides happen, particularly in prosperous and healthy societies, has puzzled social scientists for decades. When sociologists talk about suicide, they are likely to include Durkheim’s work in their discussion. In Section One of the Social Theory Re-wired text, you should read Emile Durkheim’s “Suicide,” watch this video and also read the following summary to help you grasp the causal factors and three concepts of suicide Durkheim presents in his greater work. Then, listen to the Freakonomics podcast. (If you are not familiar with the Freakonomics podcast, it is created by a journalist and an economist, who both use economics to debunk commonly held beliefs about why the world is the way it is.) If you have any issues listening to the podcast, there is a link to the transcript of the recording in the third paragraph below the podcast link.
For your Final Paper
Select one fact about suicide from the podcast that you find particularly interesting or surprising and explain it in your paper.
Analyze the fact you have chosen about suicide using Durkheim’s work as offered to you above and one scholarly resource. Through your analysis, you should respond to the following:
Based on Durkheim’s work, can the level of integration or regulation in society be an explanation for the “social fact about suicide” you have picked? Present one (1) scholarly resource which provides evidence or support of this.
Which of the three concepts of suicide (as presented by Durkheim) is your chosen fact most aligned to? Present the concept and explain why. If you believe it isn’t aligned explain why not.
The video presents nine ways that Durkheim’s work and recent research has linked societal influence to suicide. Does your chosen fact relate to any of these?
Finally, explain how classical social theory like Durkheim’s work is useful and valuable to modern researchers, theorists and social policy makers.
Sample Solution
