Readings in Sociology of Deviance - Book Report/Review Example

? Readings in sociology of deviance Introduction Emile Durkheim is one of the major who ed revolutionary books in the field of sociology. Suicide, authored by Emile Durkheim, is a unique publication and provides illustrations of the face of sociological monograph. This paper seeks to review Emile Durkheim’s book Suicide: A study in Sociology. The author in his book examines the rates of different suicides among Catholics and Protestants, outlining that the strong social control within the Catholics led to the lower rates of suicide. According to Durkheim (2002), the society of Catholics possesses normal integration levels while the society of the Protestants has quite lower integration levels (Durkheim, 2002). These interpretations may have at least two problems. In his book, Durkheim drew his data from earlier scholars, remarkably Henry Morselli and Adolph Wagner, who were keen to generalise from their own data. In addition, the later researchers after Emile Durkheim found out that the differences between the Catholics and the Protestants in suicide appear to be restricted to German-speaking Europe, and hence could be the specious reflection of other elemental factors. In spite of such limitations and restrictions in his work, the book has influenced numerous advocates of control theory, and is normally stated as a study of classic sociology. Emile Durkheim concludes numerous findings concerning suicide rates in his book. The following are some of the major conclusions made in the book: the rates of suicide are higher in men than women; however, married women who stay childless for many years show high rates of suicide; the rates of suicide are higher among people with no children compared to those with children; the rates of suicide are higher among single people than the married; the rates of suicide are higher within the Protestant society than the Catholic society; suicides are reportedly higher in periods of peace than during war; the rates of suicide are higher among military soldiers compared to the civilians; the rates of suicide are higher among those with high level of education. Emile Durkheim, however, established more correlation between suicide rate and the religion of individuals than the education level of an individual; there was a low suicide rate among the Jewish, although they had high levels of education generally, and the rates of suicide are higher in Scandinavian countries (Durkheim, 2002, p. 28). According to Durkheim (2002), suicide is a term that is applied to all cases of death originating indirectly or directly from a pessimistic or positive act of the victim herself or himself, of which the person in question is aware of its contingency. As discussed in the paper, Emile Durkheim has discussed different kinds of suicides. The rates of suicides documented by Emile Durkheim were based on aggregate statistics. This is specifically noticed in the suicide rates among the two societies discussed in the book: the Catholics and the Protestant. The idea could be critiqued in the way it explains the micro occurrences concerning macro properties. However, different opinions and views show that Emile Durkheim employed minimal ecological fallacy. Emile Durkheim defined suicide in his book as a term applied to all cases of death that results indirectly or directly from a negative or positive act of the victim him/herself, and he or she is aware that this act will result in death. In addition, Emile Durkheim also defined numerous types of suicides in his book. He generally distinguished four types of suicide as follows: Egoistic suicide This type of suicide depicts an extended sense of not being integrated, of not belonging in a society. It also reflects an experience of not being in a position of a secure environment, an absence that could result into apathy, meaninglessness, depression, and melancholy (Durkheim, 2002). This is a result of bond weakening that often integrates people into collectivity. This shows a decrease of social integration among people. Durkheim (2002) asserts in his book that egoistic suicide results from an excessive individuation. This means that the people become detached increasingly from other community members. Evidence shows that people who are not adequately bound to the existing social groups are left with little guidance or support, and hence, they tend to exhibit higher rates of suicide. For example, Emile Durkheim realised that people who are not married, specifically males, who had less to connect and bind to stable social goals and norms, showed higher rates of suicides than those who were married. Anomic suicide This type of suicide, according to Durkheim (2002) reflects the moral confusion of the individuals and lack of social direction that is related to dramatic economic and social upheaval. Anomic suicide is a product of lack of definition of legitimate aspirations and moral deregulations through a limited social ethnic group that could impose order and meaning on the conscience of individuals. This type of suicide is a symptom and sign of economic development failure and lag in division of labour in order to produce the organic solidarity. According to Durkheim (2002), people do not know specifically where they fit in their communities and society (Durkheim, 2002). Durkheim (2002) highlights that anomic suicide is a state of a moral disorder in which an individual does not control the limits he or she has on his desires and experiences constant disappointment. He asserts that this happens when a person experiences extreme transition in health and wealth. Even though this involves economic downfall, it also entails premium gains. In all the cases, initial life expectations are put aside and newer expectations are required before judging any new situation with respect to the new limits of desire. Altruistic suicide This type of suicide is characterised by an overwhelming sense coming from the goals of groups as well as their beliefs. Durkheim (2002) asserts that this type of suicide is common in societies that have a very high level of integration in which an individual’s particular needs are viewed as not much important than the needs of the society in general. Altruistic suicide, hence, happens on the opposite scale of integration as compared to egoistic suicide. Even though individual interest and needs may not be considered significant, Durkheim (2002) asserted in his book that there would be few reasons in altruistic suicide for individuals to commit suicide (Durkheim, 2002). He asserted a particular exception as when a person is expected to commit suicide on behalf of the whole society; major example is a soldier in a society military service. Fatalistic suicide This type of suicide is particularly an opposite of anomic suicide. Where an individual is regulated excessively, and when their passions are violently choked and futures pitilessly blocked by an oppressive discipline. According to Durkheim (2002), this type of suicide takes place in overly oppressive societies that make members of such communities prefer death to carrying on with the life in the society. The author asserts that this is an extreme reason for someone to commit suicide. A good instance is prison; some prisoners prefer to die to continue living in the prison full of excessive regulations and constant abuse with no freedom to pursue their needs and desires (Durkheim, 2002, p. 30). In his book, Durkheim asserts that the four types of suicide are founded on the extent of imbalances of two social forces, namely, moral regulation and social integration. Durkheim Emile detailed the impacts of different crises on the aggregates of society, for example, war, which leads to economic boom and an increase in altruism or contributes to anomie. Emile has assessed in his book the different rates of suicides among Catholics and Protestants. In doing so, Emile highlights that the Catholic society had lower rates of suicide due to the strong social control within the society. As mentioned earlier, the Catholics society has normal levels of integration as opposed to the low integration levels in the Protestant society. Additional research on what Emile documented in his book reveal the variations in suicide rates between the Catholics and the Protestants. Emile Durkheim has influenced quite a number of supporters of the control theory. Emile Durkheim has highlighted in his book that the varied suicide rates in the Protestant society and Catholic society are explicable entirely of the death categories between the two societies (Durkheim, 2002, p. 38). Emile Durkheim’s book on suicide is an example of logical error that could be seen as fallacy of ecology. The conclusions of Durkheim (2002) concerning individual behaviour such as suicide are founded on aggregate statistics, particularly the rate of suicide among the Catholics and Protestants. This kind of inference that Emile Durkheim uses to explain micro occurrences regarding macro properties may be misleading for readers of his book. However, varying opinions and perceptions show that Suicide: A study in Sociology had minimal ecological fallacy. Emile Durkheim in his book outlined that the distinctions in the rates of suicides existing between the Protestants and the Catholics were entirely explicable by the category of deaths between these two society groups. For example, Durkheim (2002) states in his book that while deaths from unspecified or ill-defined cause or sudden deaths would normally be referred to as suicides in the Protestant society, this is not the case in the Catholic society. This, however, indicates that Emile Durkheim may have not committed logical error but an empirical error. The intent of Emile Durkheim was, however, to demonstrate suicide in a sociological way from a holistic point of view. Durkheim (2002) emphasised that his intensions were to have his theory explain the existing variation among the two social societies not the suicides of specific individuals, but in the incidence of suicide. Emile Durkheim talks of a collective current that depicts the collective proclivity that flows within the conduits of social organisation. The intensity of the collective current establishes the suicidal volumes. It introduces the variables of psychology like the cause of suicide and depression. Emile Durkheim conceptualises that the mentioned variables are the variables that are likely to be impacted by the stronger social forces. With no such forces, as Durkheim (2002) asserts, suicide may not happen among such people. In the entire book, Emile Durkheim tries to accomplish his life goals: to analyse the manner in which societies could maintain their coherence and integrity in the modern arena, in cases where things like shared ethnic backgrounds and religion could not be presumed, to this end, Durkheim (2002) talked much about the impacts of laws, education, religion and social integration and common societal forces; to institute sociology as a new academic discipline; and to have practical repercussions of scientific knowledge. Emile Durkheim expresses the importance of social integration in his book. Durkheim (2002) book highlights that where society is inadequacy of unity deriving from the idea that the society integration relationships between the societies are regulated. The book shows that such kind of unity that originates from pleasant-sounding articulation of the social integration roles is assured by the sociology discipline. In addition, sometimes the society has no unity founded on the commitment of the will of men to a common objective. Emile Durkheim addresses all concerns of society in relation to suicide in societies. Emile Durkheim views social institution as a social fact. He was intending to answer the way in which society is created and what puts a society together. In his book, Durkheim (2002) attempted to put together what holds up society and what leads to high suicide rates in the society, especially between the Protestant society and the Catholic society. The author makes an assumption in his book that human beings are intrinsically egoistic, but beliefs, norms, and values make up the societal moral basis that leads to social integration. Durkheim (2002) asserts in his book that collective consciousness is a significant aspect in the society. The collective consciousness in the society holds up the entire society together (Durkheim, 2002, p. 51). In summary, Emile Durkheim explores in his book the distinct rates of suicide among the Catholics and Protestants. He argues that strong social control in the Catholic society resulted into the noted lower rates of suicides. In his book, the sociologist drew his data from earlier scholars, remarkably Henry Morselli and Adolph Wagner, who were keen to generalise from their own data. In spite of such limitations and restrictions in his work, Durkheim (2002) has influenced numerous advocates of control theory and is normally stated as a study of classic sociology. According to Durkheim (2002), the society of Catholics has normal integration levels while the society of the Protestants has quite lower integration levels. These interpretations may have at least two problems. In addition, the later researchers after Emile Durkheim found out that the differences between the Catholics and the Protestants in suicide appear to be restricted to German-speaking Europe and, hence, could be the specious reflection of other elemental factors. Emile Durkheim conceptualises that the mentioned variables are the variables that are likely to be impacted by the stronger social forces. Durkheim (2002) addresses the collective current showing the collective proclivity flowing within the social organisation conduits. Emile Durkheim in his book introduced the variables of psychology like the depression and suicide causal factors. In his conceptions, Emile Durkheim indicates that the stronger social forces impacts on psychology variables. Emile Durkheim made attempts in his book to achieve the goals of his life as discussed in this paper. In ensuring the achievement of these goals, he addressed the effects of education, laws, societal forces, and social integration among others. Emile also outlined that the relationships of social integration are regulated between societies where there is inadequacy in the unity of the society. In addition, Durkheim (2002) asserts that sociology discipline is responsible for assuring the roles society integration, and this unity originates from the common objective and will of men in the society. According to Durkheim (2002), suicide is a term applied to all cases of death that result indirectly or directly from a negative or positive and conscious act of the victim him/herself. Emile Durkheim talks of a collective current that depicts the collective proclivity that flows within the conduits of social organisation. The book has also generally addressed various types of suicides in his book. Emile Durkheim’s book has also received criticism of exhibiting logical error that could be seen as fallacy of ecology. The intensity of the collective current establishes the suicidal volumes. He introduced the variables of psychology like the cause of suicide, and depression. Emile Durkheim concludes that individual behaviour such as suicide is founded on aggregate statistics, particularly the rate of suicide among the Catholics and Protestant. Bibliography Durkheim, E. 2002.Suicide: A study in Sociology. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. Read More