Durkheim's Suicide Study

Durkheim's Suicide Study analyzed how societal factors influence individual decisions to commit suicide. He identified that suicide rates vary based on social integration and regulation—how connected and regulated individuals feel within their community. For example, people with weak social bonds (like the unmarried or socially isolated) or those experiencing excessive or insufficient regulation (such as during economic upheaval or moral decline) are more vulnerable. Durkheim categorized suicides into types—egoistic, altruistic, anomic, and fatalistic—each linked to different social conditions. His work highlights that social structures and collective norms play a crucial role in individual acts of suicide.