...Social Work Research on African Americans and Suicidal Behavior: A Systematic 25-Year Review Sean foe and Danielle M. Niedermeier Suicide among African Americans is a neglected topic. Social workers practice in both clinical and nonchnical settings, and as the largest occupational group of mental health professionals, they have a unique opportunity to reach this underserved group. However, little is known about social work's empirical knowledge base for recognition and treatment of suicidal behavior among African Americans.The authors performed a systematic critical review of published articles by social workers on African American suicide and suicidal behavior, to ascertain the state of social worker's contribution to and knowledge of suicide risk factors and effective treatments. They conducted Web-based (for example. Social Work Abstracts, PsycINFO, PubMed,JSTOR) and manual searches of suicide research conducted by social work investigators and pubhshed in peer-reviewed journals from 1980 to 2005. References cited in the articles were used to identify candidate articles. According to the search results, social workers contributed only 11 empirical research articles focusing on African American suicide or nonfatal suicidal behavior. Risk factors for suicide are reviewed, and the implications for clinical social work practice and research are addressed. KEY WORDS: African Americans; clinical knowledge; ethnic minority populations; suicide S uicide is one of the leading...
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...Suicide is the action of intentionally killing oneself. According to statistics, there has bee a significant increase of 80% suicides, since the previous year. Durkheim believed that suicide rates were dependent on social factors, related to both scientific laws and facts, such as religion, education and the media. Durkheim conducted a range of research to prove these predictions. For example, he found that Catholics had lower suicide rates than Protestants. From these findings concluded that suicide is caused by social factors such as too little/too much social integration and too little/too much moral regulation. Within the Catholic Church suicide is seen as a sin therefore due to this religious tie Catholics are less likely to commit suicide. Additionally, an example of suicide based on too much moral regulation is Palestinian suicide bombings. According to Durkheim, these two social factors create a typology of suicide. Altruistic suicide is due to too much social integration. Egoistic suicide is due to too little social integration. Fatalistic suicide is due to too much moral regulation. Anomic suicide is due to too little moral regulation. Furthermore, many positivists have built on Durkheim’s work. Including Sainsbury who found that social disorganisation, Anomic suicide, was the most popular type of suicide and Hallowach who found urban to rural changes make Egoistic suicide more likely. Durkheim’s work, being a Positivist, made making generalisations possible...
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...is, by societal control. Society forces limits on human cravings and constitutes "a regulative power [which] must assume the same part for good needs which the life form plays for physical needs." In all around directed social orders, social controls set breaking points on individual inclinations so that "every in his circle ambiguously understands as far as possible on individual affinities so that "every in his circle enigmatically understands as far as possible set to his aspirations and tries to nothing past. . . . In this manner, an end or an objective is set to the interests." At the point when social regulations separate, the controlling impact of society on individual affinities is no more viable and people are left to their own gadgets. Such a situation Durkheim calls anomie, a tern that alludes to a state of relative normlessness in an entire society or in some of its part bunches. Anomie does not allude to a perspective, but rather to a social's property structure. It portrays a condition in which individual cravings are no more directed by basic standards and where, as an outcome, people are left without good direction in the quest for their objectives. Albeit complete anomie, or aggregate normlessness, is experimentally outlandish, social orders may be portrayed by more noteworthy or lesser degrees of...
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...individual choices. Durkheim looks at these overall social factors and their power they have to guide our thoughts and actions. (Macionis, 2010). Conceptualizing suicide to be a social fact, Durkheim explains 4 separate types of suicide; with egoistic and anomic being the most emphasized in his work. ‘In addition to egoistic and anomic types of suicide, Durkheim refers to altruistic and fatalistic suicide. The latter is touched upon only briefly in his work, but the former is of great importance for an understanding of Durkheim's general approach.’(Bolender Initiatives, LLC [B I, LLC], 2008). The University of Chicago helps define the following terms of Durkheim’s theory (http://cuip.uchicago.edu/~ldernbach/msw/xsdurkhm.pdf). • Egoistic suicide is committed by people who are not strongly supported by membership in a cohesive social group. As outsiders, they depend more on themselves than on group goals and rules of conduct to sustain them in their lives. In times of stress, they feel isolated and helpless. • Anomic suicide is committed by people when society is in crisis or rapid change. In such times, customary norms may weaken or break down. With no clear standards of behavior to guide them, many people become confused, their usual goals lose meaning, and life seems aimless. Longitudinal variances show suicide rates remain relatively stable over a long period of time indicating suicide itself to be a social fact. Even though they show fluctuation, (as with the...
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...Introduction Throughout my life I have experienced many trials and tribulations, traveled to many states and countries, met great friends from all over and have been blessed to have a great family behind me. When my family decided to move to North Carolina following my eighth grade year, my life was soon to change. I was going to be immersed into a new southern culture which was completely unfamiliar but exciting to say the least. The thought of playing golf in the south, meeting new friends, and seeing what was forthcoming in fast approaching years was great. When I started school in Kinston, North Carolina in the fall of 2002 I began getting to know my classmates, the faculty and most importantly this new southern society I was immersed in. As the weeks and months went by there was something that caught my eye. It was evident at this extremely private prep school the norms and values everyone held dearest. The idea of going to college, being a “success” in life, getting married and eventually having kids was how we were structured. That was “normal.” When I started to notice how the “popular kids” treated the ones who weren’t as good looking or “got the girls” so to speak, I began to realize many things about our structured society. I began noticing what this alienation like behavior did to my fellow classmates both on the socialized level as well as their own self perception. It made them quiet, not in the “click”, lonely, and I assume ashamed about who they were...
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...Sociological Method and Suicide “Collective life did not arise from the individual life; on the contrary, it is the latter that emerged from the former” (Durkheim in McIntosh 1997:197). This might be hard to understand because we are an individually motivated society, but what Durkheim is saying is that individual life occurs as a result of the collective life, that society is not made up of individuals. Through theories based on observation, society is treated as a fact. Each person has a function in order to keep society together. Durkheim calls this the Sociological Method, and explains this method through social facts. These social facts are the collective phenomena existing independent of us individually. Collective conscience is spread throughout society delivering solidarity through common beliefs. With everyone playing a role Durkheim is telling us that everyone is necessary. People end up doing things in relation to one another and act on their duties and roles such as a citizen. What drives the individual to conform with the rest of society are the social forces outside of them. It is instilled in us to pay attention to the patterns in society. The degree to which an individual is a part of society tells us about their social integration, whereas the degree of an their actions and wants are controlled by their society tells us about their social regulation. Durkheim uses social integration and social regulation throughout his study of suicide to describe the four...
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...Aliens 3) Suicides highest number of deaths 4) 60% of gun related were suicides 5) False not double stress of US that results in higher rates of suicide 6) Over 65 most suicides 7) Canada and Australia have highest kidnapping rates 8) Sweden highest rape rate 9) ¾ steal in office 10) False couples live tgt more satisfied 11) True, Womens brain are smaller 12) 11 women in legco 13) Plumber is a women 14) Margaret Thatcher did Chemistry for undergraduate Lecture 2 What is Sociology? - The big picture. * The group, culture, of organization, rather than the individual. Lots of people talk about society, but are they sociologists? No they are individualistic thinkers. They talk about individual people and cases instead of the group. Individualistic thinking at Universities: Professors award individual students with grades based on their ‘individual’ merits. What would the SOCIOLOGIST ask? Do some students have to work to earn money? Do some students have to spend time commuting to campus (no dorms!)? Do some students have family responsibilities.? Do some courses/majors have more generous grading procedures than others? Why are there more A students now than there were twenty years ago??? When and Why did sociological thinking begin? SOCRATES: “An unexamined life is not worth living!” In the 18th Century, life was nasty violent and short. How can we make a better society given that people are self-seeking? How is social order possible...
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...intentionally took their own life. Not only does the family and friends of the suicide victim feel the shock of loss, but also they may feel that they failed the victim in some way, did not see the signs, and feel guilt that they should have seen this coming. Coupled with their own guilt, they may also shoulder the burden of the guilt of others, as society places blame on the survivors for not helping the victim deal with emotional or physical problems that may have led to the ultimate untimely death. As healthcare providers, it is important to not place blame, and to help the survivors find a way to deal with the loss, as well as the guilt. It is imperative for the healthcare provider or clinician know how to react when faced with this situation, as their role could have a lasting impact on those that have been left behind. PROBLEM There are so many people these days taking their own lives. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention an American commits suicide every 12.95 minutes, and more than 1.5 million lives are lost annually to suicide (afsp.org, 2014). With that many people taking their own lives every year, there are a staggering amount of people who are left behind to deal with the loss. “It is currently unknown how many immediate and extended family members, friends, coworkers or classmates could be considered survivors. However, it is clear that survivors of suicide may face...
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...SOUTHERN RURAL SOCIOLOGY, 24(1), 2009, pp. 200–222. Copyright © by the Southern Rural Sociological Association DURKHEIM DID NOT SAY “NORMLESSNESS”: THE CONCEPT OF ANOMIC SUICIDE FOR INTRODUCTORY SOCIOLOGY COURSES PHYLLIS PUFFER BIG SANDY COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE ABSTRACT The definitions of anomic suicide presented in introductory sociology textbooks from 1996 to 2007 were compared with the definition given by Durkheim in his own writings both in the original French and the English translation. It was found that only one textbook correctly gave Durkheim’s own definition while the other definitions showed little or no relationship to the original concept. The original concept was based on an analysis of the economy, more particularly the business cycle, and refers only to the structure of society and not to the mental state of the individual. An attempt is made to discover the source of such a widespread and well-accepted error. All of us are concerned about the introductory course in sociology, no matter the august reaches of academe we might have attained. Nearly all of us have taught it at least once, if only as teaching assistants during our graduate school days. Some of us always teach it. The rest depend on it as a basis for their advanced courses, for a supply of research assistants, and ultimately to build public appreciation and support for the field. If we think of the number of students who take introductory sociology in just one small...
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...and its lack of focus on suicide versus homicide. Suicide and interpersonal violence are leading health issues among adolescent Americans. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among people ages 15-24 and 10-14, although suicide rates have declined over the years. Durkheim focuses on social forces in regards to suicide, specifically social integration and moral regulation on human behavior. The text also states that the role of religion on suicidal behaviors is also neglected. Durkheim argues that suicide is a social fact and can be described using sociological terms and methods. He insists that “suicide rates increase when there are deficient integration and regulation functions within religious, familial and political group” (page 923). He emphasizes the importance of integration, especially as an important function for youth behavior. Durkheim also covers school factors and points out that schools are important institutions in adolescent life, including involvement in school activities and valuing education. Weak bonds to schools can alienate adolescents and increase the likelihood of suicide. There is a pattern of this type of thought in Durkheim’s work. Weak bonds to religion and religious institutions have a similar effect. According to Durkheim, religion is a product of society, a communal phenomenon and commitment to collective norms, traditions and values. Religion leads to less self-destructive behavior and less chances of suicide. Ties to positive institutions...
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...using material from Item A and elsewhere assess the different sociological explanations of suicide. (21 marks) Sociologists have explained the suicide phenomena in different ways. For example, while positivists sought to achieve a scientific explanation of suicide, interpretivists sought to demolish it by focusing on the meaning of suicide to those involved and the meanings they attach to it. Durkheim used the positivists approach to explain the suicide phenomena. According to him, our behaviours are caused by social facts norms and values that exercise a social constraint which surpasses an individual. He argues that suicide is a social fact. Using quantitative data from official statistics, Durkheim analysed the suicide rates for various European countries and noted four regular patterns. The suicide rate for any given society remained more or less constant over time. When the rates of suicide did change, they coincided with other changes for example they fell during war times but rose during economic depression or prosperity. Different societies had different suicide rates. Within a society, the rates varied constantly between social groups for example Catholics had lower rates that Protestants. He identified the two social facts that determined suicide as social integration the extent to which an individual feels a sense of belonging to a group and obligation to its members and moral integration the extent to which an individual's actions and desires are kept...
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...Research Theories of Anti-Social Behaviour and highlight the key points. Functionalist Theory A theory that I have found that relates to Anti-Social Behaviour is the Durkheim Theory; does he believe that committing suicide is not a mental problem? I am now going to highlight the key points in this research task that I have found. As far as Individuals were concerned this separate’s sociology from psychology. Research shows that suicide occurred when anomie arose. Anomie means the lack of social standards in an individual. I will now provide 3 different examples to show my understanding. He compared 3 different religious groups, Jews, Catholics and Protestants so therefore he found Protestants were more likely to commit suicide more frequently than Jews. Jews were more connected to their community because there religion included many rituals that would cause them as a group to be closer together. In other terms Protestants committed suicide more often because they lacked ritualization. Durkheim is a functionalist which means his theory is based on institutions in society and therefore this shows how everything in a society works together. Durkheim argued that there is nothing deviant or criminal in any act so therefore the key is how a society reacts and responds to the act. So if we put it in other words there is nothing criminal if we decide it is. Durkheim had many views but the main one was he believed that crime was not normal in any society it was also therefore beneficial...
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...Teen Suicide Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Teen Suicide Teen suicide is one of the most serious problems that exist in the modern world. In particular, it is one of the most important issues to be addressed in the United States of America in order to support social wealth of the nation, promote its development, and contribute to the well-being of each separate community. According to the statistics, the number of teenage suicide has doubled within the last twenty years. Today, 30 per cent of people aged 14-24 are believed to have suicidal thoughts; 6 per cent of males and 10 per cent of females take suicidal actions. Approximately 90 per cent of teenage suicides are committed by people who have some psychological disorders, and only 10 per cent of those who try to commit suicide are mentally healthy. Nevertheless, in most cases, teenagers try to commit suicide in order to attract attention of adults. Also, there are teenagers who try to kill themselves because of some physical or psychological trauma. However, regardless of the reason behind such attempts, it is necessary to address the issue and prevent any further suicidal actions. First of all, the number of teen suicides should be reduced to the minimum because friends of teenagers who commit suicide are likely to follow their actions. Since the majority of suicide attempts are made in order to attract attention of others and this method works regardless of the result...
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...Cyber Bullying. Social media has contributed many positives to today's society, yet one of the biggest downfalls of the internet was the creation of social networking sites. Many can argue that the internet is not the only cause, yet it is very prominent in situations of cyber bullying incidents. School has been thought of to be a safe environment for students who receive education. Bullying and Cyber-Bullying is a problem that tends to undermine the learning ability of an individual student. Cyber bullying is described as a sort of method of intimidation targeted at youths who use or have the capability to access any electronic devices, said Courtney Stoel. Traditional face to face bullying has taken on a new direction into the world of technology. More social networking sites have the ability to choose the option to become anonymous which creates an outlet to cyber-bullying. Becoming anonymous creates more cyber-bullies since they tend to express what they have to say without acknowledging their identity which creates a safe place for the bullies themselves. As more of the youth in today's society have been affected by cyber-bullying, school performance is at an all time low. Technology is always a resource around people, causing an easy access to social media networking sites. In schools, many technology programs insist on using the computers and internet for research which can be used to do whatever a student wants. Some school districts block certain social media networking...
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...The 19th century was a time of great political and social upheaval in Russia. Beginning with the abolition of serfdom in 1861, Russia experienced the age of the Great Reforms, leading to a complete overhaul of the country’s social and political climate. This age of restless transformation led to the realization of a new cultural phenomenon: suicide. Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina supports the notion that a national suicide “epidemic”, as the journalists of the time interpreted the statistics, was a by-product of the decomposing societal and moral order produced by the inception of material progress. Furthermore, Anna Karenina mirrors the “cultural institution” of suicide that erupted in the 1860’s and offers a realistic, albeit fictional, representation of the suicide phenomenon regarding both peasants and nobles. Leo Tolstoy, through use of railroads as a symbol in Anna Karenina, shared views similar with his contemporaries on the negative impact of material progress on the mental health of Russian society. Approximately 30 years before the reforms of the 1860’s, an Englishman who traveled to St. Petersburg, Thomas Raikes, Esq., commented that Russians had not yet experienced the progress of civilization that accounted for the misery leading to suicide. At the time, Russians were not yet privy to the amount of responsibility over their social and political conditions as they would be when the reforms took place, therefore they still lived free of the passion and anguish which...
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