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Emile Durkheim.

Introduction

Anomic Suicide is a term coined by the French sociologist and anthropologist Emile Durkheim. In order to grasp this term, the transition from mechanical solidarity to organic solidarity must be understood. Emile Durkheim envisioned a transformation from a more primitive society with little division of labor to a society full of differences due to the substantial division of labor. According to George Ritzer, Durkheim believes that this transformation was caused by the increase in the dynamic density of society (2003). "Dynamic density is the number of people and their frequency of interaction" (Ritzer,2003,p.14). With more people, there is greater competition, resulting in great disorder and conflict. Within mechanical solidarity and organic solidarity there are two types of law. Mechanical solidarity uses repressive law in which offenders are likely to be severly punished for any action that is seen by the tightly integrated community as an offense against the powerful collective conscience (Ritzer,2003). "Collective conscience is the culmination of ideas shared by the members of a collectivity such as a group, a tribe, or a society. Organic solidarity uses restitute law in which law offenders are likely simply to be asked to comply with the law or to repay those who have been harmed by their actions," (Ritzer,2003,p.16-17).

Emergence

Durkheim became aware and concerned with the problems caused by organic solidarity. The main problem he was concerned with was anomie. "Anomie is a sense of not knowing what one is expected to do; of being adrift in society without any clear and secure moorings" (Ritzer,2003,p.18). Anomie is only seen in organic solidarity due to the lack of clear and strong collective ideas about things. An excerpt from The Division of Labor in Society states, "The state of anomie is impossible whenever interdependent organs are sufficiently in contact and sufficiently extensive. If they are close to each other, they are readily aware, in every situation, of the need which they have of one-another, and consequently they have an active and permanent feeling of mutual dependence" (Durkheim,1893,p.184 ). From the term anomie derived the term anomic suicide. This term is used when people are more likely to kill themselves when they do not know what is expected of them, where regulation is low, and they are largely free to run wild. This mad pursuit is likely to prove unsatisfying and, as a result, a higher percentage of people in such a situation are apt to commit this type of suicide (Ritzer,2003). Durkheim's third major work Suicide published in 1897 provides an in depth explanation of this term and concept. Within the text, Durkheim (1897) states, "The term suicide is applied to all cases of death resulting directly or indirectly from a positive or negative act of the victim himself, which he knows will produce this result" (p.110).

Causes

What causes anomic suicide? Through the use of demographic records, Durkheim was able to note the causes of anomic suicide and whom it targets. Social disruption is said to be the main cause (Marra & Orru,1991). Interestingly, the increase in the rate of anomic suicide is found in both positive and negative disruption (Ritzer,2003). This type of suicide can be seen during an economic boom and an economic depression. (Ritzer,2003). Durkheim found that economic development is accompanied by higher suicide rates because industrialization, by stimulating the desires and needs of individuals, weakens their psychological and moral fiber. He also found that women show lower rates of suicide than men, younger people show lower rates than older people, and seasonal variations follow a similar pattern ( rates increase until June and decrease until December ) (Marra & Orru,1991). Durkheim also noted that suicide rates were different among religions. Higher rates were seen among Protestants compared to Catholics. He believed the lower rates among the Catholics were due to the closer family ties, the normal levels of integration, compared to the low levels of integration among the Protestants, and also the belief that committing suicide is a sin according to the Catholic (Marra & Orru,1991).

Categories

Within the text Suicide, Durkheim noted four categories of anomic suicide. These include acute and chronic economic anomie and acute and chronic domestic anomie. Each involved an imbalance of means and needs, where means were unable to fulfill needs (1897).

• Acute economic anomie: sporadic decreases in the ability of traditional institutions (such as religion, guilds, pre-industrial social systems, etc.) to regulate and fulfill social needs (Durkheim,1897).

• Chronic economic anomie: long term dimunition of social regulation. Durkheim identified this type with the ongoing industrial revolution, which eroded traditional social regulators and often failed to replace them. Industrial goals of wealth and property were insufficient in providing happiness, as was demonstrated by higher suicide rates among the wealthy than among the poor (Durkheim,1897).

• Acute domestic anomie: sudden changes on the microsocial level resulted in an inability to adapt and therefore higher suicide rates. Widowhood is a prime example of this type of anomie (Durkheim,1897).

• Chronic domestic anomie: referred to the way marriage as an institution regulated the sexual and behavioral means-needs balance among men and women. Marriage provided different regulations for each, however. Bachelors tended to commit suicide at higher rates than married men because of a lack of regulation and established goals and expectations. On the other hand, marriage has traditionally served to overregulate the lives of women by further restricting their already limited opportunities and goals. Unmarried women, therefore, do not experience chronic domestic anomie nearly as often as do unmarried men (Durkheim,1897).

Current Significance

According to Luigi Tomasi, the words anomie and its synonyms have disappeared from the modern dictionary. He believes new words such as individualism, narccisim, and hyperindividualism have emerged to fill the missing conceptual space. He also stresses that Durkheim was a pioneer of economic anomie and of its effects on society, and that words he uses to describe the effects of anomie are similar to what, today, we call crisis, disorder, and exasperation (1993). In recent studies, anomic suicide is still seen. Currently, social isolation is seen as a prevalent factor in high rates of suicide. "Sociological studies have stressed negative interactions, which signifies personal relationships that are painful, unpleasant, rebuffing and isolating," (Tomasi,1993,p.369). What gives rise to negative interactions? According to Tomasi, the dismal reality of a decadent urban style of life (1993). Loneliness is also seen as a key factor in modern suicides. He also states that "Suicide has slowly and uniformly increased since 1800," (1993,p.371).

Western Culture & Japan

Based on Psychological literature, according to Charles Chandler and Yung-Mei Tsai, "Reseacher Mamuro Iga argues that the technologically productive modern Japanese nation has high rates of altruistic, fatalistic, & anomic suicide because of intense integration & regulation in society," (1993,p.3). Iga's theory is tested using 1980 national prefecture data measuring degrees of religious, family, and social integration & income level (Chandler & Tsai,1993). Anomic suicide in both East and West is correlated with decreased income levels, representing unregulated aspirations (Chandler & Tsai,1993,p.3).

Literature

• Chandler,Charles & Tsai,Yung-Mai(1993). Suicide in Japan and in the West:Evidence for Durkheim's Theory. International Journal of Comparitive Sociology,34,3-4. Retrieved October 29,2006, from the CSA database.

• Durkheim,Emile(1897). Suicide. The Free Press Reprint 1997.

• Durkheim,Emile(1893). The Division of Labor in Society. The Free Press Repring 1997.

• Marra,R & Orru,M(1991). Social Images of Suicide. British Journal of Sociology,42,273-88. Retrieved October 29,2006, from the CSA database.

• Ritzer,George(2003). Contemporary Sociological Theory and Its Classical Roots. McGraw-Hill.

• Tomasi,Luigi(1993). Social Differentiation and the Current Significance of Emile Durkheim's Anome. Social Compass. vol.40,no.3,363-374. Retrieved October 29,2006 from the CSA database.