Answer to Question #170873 in Sociology for MD. Rayhan Kabir

Question

If you were Durkheim's successor in his research on suicide, how would you investigate the factors that may explain the increase in suicide rates among young people in Bangladesh?

Answer 1

Emile Durkheim is widely known for his suicide theory. He is a structural-functionalist who identified three types of suicide and their causes. He identified Egoistic suicide which arises from deatchment from a social system, Anomic due to the state of normlessness in society, and Altruistic which arises due to the normative/societal pressure for suicide. Durkheim identifies society as the main cause of suicide, he views suicide from a social perspective. As Durkheim's successor, in response to the rising cases of suicide in Bangladesh, I would assess the social factors contributing to this rise in an attempt to explain the causes of the rise. Availability of social support system and cohesiveness in society is a major factor. State affairs and peace is another factor, Their relationship with parents and peers is another factor I would consider in my investigations. The strength of social institutions available such as schools, counseling, and rehabilitation services, and social groupings are just but a few of the factors I would consider.