Here is the synopsis of our sample research paper on Anthony Giddens’ Response to Emile Durkheim’s “Suicide”
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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This is a 6 page paper discussing Giddens’ response to Durkheim’s suicide. Anthony Giddens is a modern day sociologist who has proposed a new theory of “structuration” which he considers as his “concern to develop an ontological framework for the study of human social activities”. In doing this, Giddens offers a more expansive and open method in the study of society and institutions in which he hopes will offer an alternative to many of the traditional sociological methods used. Emile Durkheim in his study on “Suicide” provided one of the first systematic presentations of suicide as a sociological phenomenon. Consistent with the functionalist theories however, Durkheim offered three definitions of suicide, egoistic, altruistic and anomic, which were all functional aspects of society. Giddens believed that the functionalist argument could not possibly account for the various factors influencing suicide and within his argument and general dismisses much of Durkheim’s definitions. He also presents other misunderstandings and controversies which surrounded Durkheim’s study on suicide which somewhat validate his claim that the functionalist perspective is not complete in its relation to the discussion of suicide.
Bibliography lists 7 sources.
Page Count:
6 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_TJGidde1.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
of human social activities". In doing this, Giddens offers a more expansive and open method in the study of society and institutions in which he hopes will offer an alternative
to many of the traditional sociological methods used. Emile Durkheim in his study on "Suicide" provided one of the first systematic presentations of suicide as a sociological phenomenon. Consistent with
the functionalist theories however, Durkheim offered three definitions of suicide, egoistic, altruistic and anomic, which were all functional aspects of society. Giddens believed that the functionalist argument could not possibly
account for the various factors influencing suicide and within his argument and general dismisses much of Durkheims definitions. He also presents other misunderstandings and controversies which surrounded Durkheims study on
suicide which somewhat validate his claim that the functionalist perspective is not complete in its relation to the discussion of suicide. Emile Durkheims
work on suicide relates to its inter-connectiveness with social and natural phenomenon but its basic theme rests on that idea that "suicide which appears to be a phenomenon relating to
the individual is actually explicable aetiologically with reference to the social structure and ramifying functions" (Durkheim 13). For Durkheim, suicides cannot be explained on an individual basis and suicide rates
which are used to record suicides are in themselves a distinct phenomenon which can be used to examine societies. Furthermore, Durkheim separated suicide into three categories which he found when
studying the religious affiliation, marriage, families and politics in communities which were egoistic suicide; altruistic suicide and anomic suicide (Durkheim 14). Egoistic suicide is that which results from an individuals
lack of integration in society. Lower rates of egoistic suicide are recorded in Catholic societies which tends to place more emphasis on community life and higher in Protestant societies where
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