Sociological Theory - Essay Example

In arriving at his conclusions, Durkheim identified few factors relating to the issue and applied theories one at a time to the data until they fitted. He concluded that “suicide rate varied from group to group” (Gelles and Levine, 1999, p.25). It means to say that there is no exact causal pattern for suicide and the tendency that people may or may not commit suicide depends upon the attributes of the group he belongs. For example, Japanese soldiers were most likely to take their lives than other members of armed forces; “unmarried people had much higher rates than married people did” (Schaefer, 2001, p. 11). Though Durkheim offered a more scientific explanation of the causes of suicides compared to other findings, his conclusions were still weak.

A theory is not a final explanation of events, like human behavior. That is why sociologists continue to determine other factors that will explain why people commit suicide (summarized based from Shaefer, 2001, p.11; website reference containing closely similar facts at http://www.hewett.norfolk.sch.uk/CURRIC/soc/durkheim/durkw2.htm)There are three major sociological perspectives that are useful in explaining the presence of a society. These are the functionalist, conflict, and, symbolic perspectives.

Under the functionalist perspective, a society is looked up as an integral part that plays a vital role without which a world can not exist. In the conflict theory, a society is looked up as the causes of struggle, competition, and other conflicts.