SOCL 3501 Midterm: Lecture 3501 Test 2 (got 93% on the test)
October 1, 2013- SUICIDE
Depression is the 10 th
leading cause of suicide.
Elders have the highest rate of suicide in the US.
Suicide rates peak in the spring and summer.
Suicide in the US
•Each year around 30,000-35,000 deaths are classified as suicide.
•This is about twice the number of homicides that occur in the US.
•Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US.
Suicide Rate
•Suicide rate =
¿of suicides
population
x 100,000
•This gives a suicide rate per 100,000 people in the US
•The suicide rate in the US typically varies between 10 and 12. For 2010, the rate was 12.4. For 2005,
around 11. This is the year used in your book.
•SUICIDE RATES VARY BY AGE GROUP
•Among 15 to 24 year olds, suicide accounts for 20% of all deaths annually.
•SUICIDE RATES VARY BY GENDER AND AGE.
•Suicide rates are higher among men.
•Suicide attempts are higher among women.
•For women, suicide rate peak between 45-54 (rate 9 per 100,000 population).
•For men, suicide rates begin to rapidly increase at 65 with those aged 75 and older having the highest
rate (rate 36 per 100,000).
•The rate of suicide for adults aged 75 years and older was 16.3 per 100,000.
•SUICIDE RATES VARY BY RACE
•Typically Whites and Native Americans have the highest suicide rates.
What is it?
Suicide: Someone intentionally taking his/her own life.
How much?
Could have measurement issues
Threateners: make threats but haven’t actually done anything
Attempts: have attempted to take his/her own life
•Women, especially traditional women, substance abusers, “younger” less lethal methods.
Completers: have taken his/her own life.
•Men older higher SES more lethal methods
October 3, 2013- Continued SUICIDE
Study: Suicidal feelings from suicide notes
- What people are feeling at the time of their own suicide
- Not everyone leaves suicide note
Suicidal feelings
- Vindictive : I blame you for my suicide.
- Depressed : I am so sad.
- Apologetic : I am sorry I couldn’t be a better wife mother daughter…
- Magnanimous : generous and forgiving; may point out who they blame but no blame and forgive them.
Leave bodies to sciences or donates money to charities
- Surrealistic : see what you don’t expect. Notes claim to be happy
- (Atonement): Ex. From book: farts in public (offensive in culture); his atonement is to climb to top of
palm tree and impales himself.
Level of industrialization
- Highly industrialized countries have higher rates of suicide.
•Positive things come with industrialization; seems counterintuitive.
•Negative things also come with industrialization:
Individualism
- Highly industrialized countries focus on the individual
- Low industrialized countries focus on the group.
Expectations
- Norms become less clear as industrializing
- If society doesn’t have traditions against or has traditions for suicide, there will be higher rates of
suicide.
Urban/ Rural Differences
- Highly rural states have a higher rate of suicide.
Men most likely to open up to girlfriend, mother, friends
October 8, 2013- Marital Status
•Married people have the lowest rate of suicide.
•Divorced people have the highest rate of suicide.
•Social Integration- higher rates of integration, lower rate of suicide
RELIGION
Jewish < Catholic < Protestant
•Durkheim was first sociologist to look at suicide in a scientific way.
•High rates of suicide stay with high rates of suicide; low rates of suicide stay with low rates of suicide.
•Religious identity/ Religiosity: greater religiosity less likely to commit suicide.
•Conservatism: more conservatism lower rates of suicide
Durkheim- Model of Suicide (SHORT ANSWER
QUESTION***)
Social Integration Social Regulation
Social Integrations: groups we voluntarily belong to; how connected we are
•Some sort of ideal level of integration
•Integration can be too high or too low
•When too low we see egoistic suicide
Social Regulation: how groups we belong to can strain our behavior
•Our aspirations need to be regulated by society.
•If we have unrestrained aspirations, we are never happy/ satisfied.
1. Egoistic- divorced
2. Altruistic- suicide bombers, cults
3. Anomic- unchecked aspirations; Ex. Whites, men
Egoistic Fatalistic
Anomic
Altruistic
Document Summary
Depression is the 10 th leading cause of suicide. Elders have the highest rate of suicide in the us. Suicide rates peak in the spring and summer. Each year around 30,000-35,000 deaths are classified as suicide. This is about twice the number of homicides that occur in the us. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the us: suicide rate = Of suicides population x 100,000: this gives a suicide rate per 100,000 people in the us, the suicide rate in the us typically varies between 10 and 12. Threateners: make threats but haven"t actually done anything. Attempts: have attempted to take his/her own life: women, especially traditional women, substance abusers, younger less lethal methods. Completers: have taken his/her own life: men older higher ses more lethal methods. What people are feeling at the time of their own suicide. : i am sorry i couldn"t be a better wife mother daughter .
