Analysis of the Social Issue Suicide - Term Paper Example

Sociology and Suicide Name: Professor: Institution: Course: Date: Introduction Suicide has been a lifelong epidemic which has not only affected the societies today but has been a problem that is deep rooted in the society. Suicide has been named as one of the leading causes of deaths around the globe and has been catastrophic in Australia. There are increased cases of individuals committing suicide day in day out and the large number which is committing suicide has been alarming for both the authorities and the Australian Families. Suicide can be defined as the act of intentionally taking away their own lives and is caused by an array of factors which we seek to unravel throughout this essay as well as take an in depth analysis on how we can identify suicidal individuals and ways of helping tackle issues to do with suicide. General Idea The main causes of suicide have over time been indicated as psychological torture and disturbance in the form of depression. Depression is the state where an individual falls into a cocoon and cannot interact well as they are disturbed in mind and this normally attributed to an array of factors such as stress. In most cases, individuals who are found to have committed suicide have high levels of stress. They are also needy and deserve attention and other resources which they need and in most cases these resources are inadequate which makes them fall into a state of hopelessness and despair. The most common indicators of a depressed individual is being in a state of hopelessness, loss of appetite and being moody which is inform of guilt and self reprimand. Background Information Suicide as earlier defined is the act of taking one’s life. The rationale behind suicide is complex and can be viewed from both a social and psychological angles. Suicide can mainly be attributed to problems such as depression and having psychological torment which makes the individuals feel that taking away their lives is the best solution to try and sort out their problems. Most victims who commit suicide leave behind notes that describe events leading to them taking away their lives and most of them report depression caused by an array of factors are the main cause of them killing themselves. In Australia, there are shocking statistics which show that the number of suicides and attempted suicides has been sharply on the increase. The authorities have come up with a criterion which they now use to identify a suicide and it includes; that the death of the individual must have resulted from unnatural causes, the death must also come from self inflicted actions and finally the intentions of the person who attempted the suicide must have been to die. Once that criterion is met the authorities may conclude that it was a death by suicide. The main authority responsible for determining the death is the Coroner. Statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics from the results of a survey conducted in the year 2009 indicate that there were 1633 males who committed suicide and 499 males who killed themselves. The statistics as per the Bureau indicates that this was a 14.9 % rate of incidence for every 100,000 Australian men and 4.55% rate of incidence for every 100,000 women (ABS, 2009). Well the statistics are alarming. Definition Suicide-Act of taking one’s life intentionally or unintentionally Depression- Being in a state of disturbance and low mood, empty, hopelessness and state of desperation such that it affects ones productivity and function ability as well as thinking. Thesis Statement This essay will mainly analyze the issues that lead to suicide in Australia as well as take a keen look at the causes of Suicide from a sociological and Psychological point of view as well as the measures that can be taken to help avert the situation. This essay will give an outlook on the theories of suicide, depression and its impact as well as statistical information on suicide in Australia and the triggers for this pandemic. Outline Various schools of thoughts have fronted several theories which they believe are the cause of suicide and can help us understand why individuals commit suicide. It is imperative to note that various individuals argue that the family plays a very crucial role in the growth, development and, maturity of an individual. The Upbringing and the parenting of an individual majorly determines how they relate with the outside world (Rosehan &Seligman, 57, 2009). Most theories fronted explain that the family is one of the major causes of the depression that the individuals who commit suicide have .The stress may have been caused by divorce, arguments; break ups among several other factors. In addition, the family is the basic social unit and ion the family individuals are supposed to feel at home and welcomed as well as free to interact. However, when the suicidal individuals begin feeling unwelcomed in their families and their homes, it leads to a state of depression and stress which most cannot cope up with and opt for suicide (Rosehan &Seligman, 57, 2009). Sociologists argue that it is human nature to interact and with that comes societal expectations. Sociologists argue based on four factors that influence human behavior. These factors include a historical factor which pegs the question how have past events shaped the current individual and how have they made him better? The other factor that influences the human behavior is the Culture (Germov &Marilyn,63, 2010). The cultural factors normally ask what influence that the traditions, cultural values and beliefs have on the social behavior and interaction of individuals as well as what ways there has been a cultural change in an individual’s lifestyle based on the current lifestyle they are leading. In addition, the cultural factor looks at how and to what extent the cultural background on an individual has an effect on his day to day social interactions? The other major sociological factor that we can look at in an attempt to answer the suicide question ids the structural factor (Germov &Marilyn,63, 2010). The structural factor looks at how the various social organizations and institutions affect our lives as individuals as well as how we relate to individuals who are not from our regions or those who don’t share a similar culture with the particular individuals. The final factor to consider as far as the understanding of sociological issues that affect individuals is the Critical factors (Krienen & Hababis, 143-157, 2006). These are majorly concerned with how the status quo is. Why are things the way they are and how else could these things have been? It also seeks to analyze who benefits and who is not favored by the things as they are in the status quo. It also relates to various individuals and their day to day insight as far as their lives are concerned and lay to ground what alternatives and possible outcomes could be possibly developed in the future to make the life better (Krienen & Hababis, 143-157, 2006). In relation tom the four factors described above, suicide the Historical factors have a great influence on the thoughts, behavior and mannerisms of an individual. The way that individuals were brought up and the way they reason and think is majorly based on the historical and events that have been through in their lives. It is imperative to note that individuals who are suicidal are normally like that majorly because they let historical events in their life affect them and depress them. As individuals it is important to come out of happenings in our lives as stronger people and also seek help as well as talk to those close to us and willing to listen to help air the differences. Studies have shown that men have the tendencies to commit suicide as they keep problems to themselves and hardly talk about the storms they are facing unlike women. It is therefore a role of the society especially in Australia to come up with ways in which individuals can talk about their issues (Florette &Lee, 290-306, 2009). On the issue of cultural factors is where individuals normally are affected by cultural factors and taboos in the society that hamper how individuals react to certain problems and occurrences in the society. However, such cultural practices can be of great problems and can be attributed to be among the causes of suicide such cultural practices may also be backward and non progressive and may inhibit the society from moving forward. Moreover, cultural sensitivity may be another cause of problems where an individual’s feels that their culture is not being recognized and respected or even obeyed which then causes them to have many problems when relating to other individuals and this may put them into a state of depression and lead to suicidal thoughts culminating in actual suicide. The two factors both historical and cultural are of utmost importance in that they help us understand and appreciate various individuals as well as respect their culture and their being which is very important for any human to feel that his background and their culture is respected. Other factors of psychological imagination are the structural and critical factors. The critical factors is also an important factor in explaining the concept of suicide majorly because it helps us understand why certain things occurred the way they did. For individuals with suicidal thought they are normally engrossed in thoughts about the events that led them to be in the state of depression and the trouble they may be having at the back of their minds. It is therefore important that those particular individuals have an understanding that those events were as a result of factors beyond their measure and factors they couldn’t prevent and stop blaming themselves for them. As for the Structural factors, they try and explain how various organizations and institutions affect our lives. For most individuals, the structural factors are important in that they help them understand where they came from and why some things are they way they are and how institutions such as family are important. With that said suicidal individuals should seek to consult more with their families on such issues and take advantage of the social institutions in the society to enable them tackle their problems and lead a better life than they already are (Ajzen, 179-211, 2001). References Rosenhan , D. & Seligman, M, 2009. Abnormal Psychology Second Edition. New York: W.W. Norton & Co. 57 Ajzen, I. 2001, the theory of planned behaviour. Organisational Behaviour and Human Decision Processes, 179-211. Abrams, D. & Hog, M. A. 2001, Collective identity: Group membership and self-conception. In M.Brewer and M. Hewstone Self and Social Identity. Melbourne: Blackwell. 50 Germov, J, Marilyn P 2010, Public Sociology: An Introduction to Australian Society 63-68 Krieken,V & Habibis, D et.al 2006, Sociology: Themes and Perspectives, 3rd edn, Pearson Education, Sydney. 143- 157 Florette, C., & Lee, J. 2009, Suicide and Attitudes towards Suicide . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Volume 97, Issue 2 , 290-306. Read More