Sociological Theories of Suicide
Paper Proposal: Sociological Theories of Suicide
SOC 101
Introduction Suicide is the act of killing yourself. It is the 11th leading cause of death in America (CDC 2009). I have never had any intentions on committing suicide and I never really understood why people commit suicide that’s why I chose this topic to help me understand what problems people go through that makes them do such a thing. Sociology is the study of social behavior and the culture of humans. There are numerous reasons like financial stress, family problems or mental health disorders that lead to suicide. The number one cause of suicide is untreated depression. The issues that were just listed are some social conditions from society that results in a suicidal behavior. Suicide has many different views depending on the culture and religion the individual might have to provoke them to commit suicide. Many of these western cultures Judaism, Islam, and Christianity tend to view killing themselves as a sin and very dishonorable. A myth to suicide is mental illness but that’s not always what the problem is. In other societies suicide is viewed as a crime and others believe it is understandable or honorable in some certain situations. The highest suicide rates in the United States occur in non-Hispanic whites and in Native Americans. The lowest rates are in non-Hispanic blacks, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics (MedNet 2007). Nearly a million people worldwide commit suicide each year about 30,000 each year in the United States. There are approximately 750,000 attempted suicides each year in the United States (Lewis 2009). Every sixteen minutes someone in the United States takes their own life (Vanderveer 2008).
Review of literature There are many ways to look for warning signs of someone who is planning to commit suicide. When a suicidal victim has suicidal thoughts some warning signs could be increased alcohol abuse or drugs, losing interest in things that were once enjoyed by this
SOC 101
Introduction Suicide is the act of killing yourself. It is the 11th leading cause of death in America (CDC 2009). I have never had any intentions on committing suicide and I never really understood why people commit suicide that’s why I chose this topic to help me understand what problems people go through that makes them do such a thing. Sociology is the study of social behavior and the culture of humans. There are numerous reasons like financial stress, family problems or mental health disorders that lead to suicide. The number one cause of suicide is untreated depression. The issues that were just listed are some social conditions from society that results in a suicidal behavior. Suicide has many different views depending on the culture and religion the individual might have to provoke them to commit suicide. Many of these western cultures Judaism, Islam, and Christianity tend to view killing themselves as a sin and very dishonorable. A myth to suicide is mental illness but that’s not always what the problem is. In other societies suicide is viewed as a crime and others believe it is understandable or honorable in some certain situations. The highest suicide rates in the United States occur in non-Hispanic whites and in Native Americans. The lowest rates are in non-Hispanic blacks, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics (MedNet 2007). Nearly a million people worldwide commit suicide each year about 30,000 each year in the United States. There are approximately 750,000 attempted suicides each year in the United States (Lewis 2009). Every sixteen minutes someone in the United States takes their own life (Vanderveer 2008).
Review of literature There are many ways to look for warning signs of someone who is planning to commit suicide. When a suicidal victim has suicidal thoughts some warning signs could be increased alcohol abuse or drugs, losing interest in things that were once enjoyed by this
References: Caruso, Kevin. ”Suicide Frequently Asked Questions.” Suicide prevention, awareness and support.2009. Web. 27 October 2009. . Lewis, Jonathan. “Durkheim Emile.”The Encyclopedia of Death and Dying. 2009. Web. 27 October 2009. . Vanderveer, Melanie. “Can be Scary.” The College Hill, 10 March 2008. Web. 28 October 2009. . “ National Suicide Statistics at a Glance.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 30 September 2009. Web. 27 October 2009 . “About the American Association of Suicidology.” American Association of Suicidology. 2009.Web. 28 October 2009. “Suicide.” Medicine Net. 24 October 2007. Web. 27 October 2009. . National Institute of Mental Health. "Suicide in the United States: Statistics and prevention." 2007. Web. 27 October 2009.