Exploring the Function of Crime and Suicide in the Developme

Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) grew up in a turbulent period of French history punctuated by the Franco-Prussian war, the establishment of the Third Republic and the weakening of the traditional educational institutions dominated by the church. Influenced by, but not always entirely agreeing with the works of Saint-Simon, Comte and Spencer, Durkheim subscribed to the functionalist method of sociological enquiry and is ‘often cited as the dominant influence on the development of sociological functionalism for his argument that social institutions exist solely to fulfil specific social needs’ (Swingewood, 2000:137). Throughout his academic career ‘the theme of his teaching was always that attention should be devoted to the specifically social bonds that united men in society not simply to the characteristics of individuals’ (Rex, 1979:156). His analysis of social change was based on the division of labour, which he argued had gradually replaced religion as the basis of social cohesion. He held that traditional moral controls and standards, previously supplied by religion were being broken down by the rapid and intense chang

• Altruistic suicide, although rare, results when the integration level is overly high – where autonomy of the individual self is subsumed within the overarching goals of something external. Examples being suicide missions in wartime such as Japanese kamikaze pilots during WWII and the current rage of terrorist ‘suicide bombers’ in the middle east and other parts of the world.

Some topics in this essay:
Suicide Durkheim, Method Durkheim, Moreover Durkheim, Davies Neal, Spencer Durkheim, White Haines, Essentially Durkheim, Lukes Scull, Emile Durkheim, Third Republic, crime suicide, development society, ‘social integration’, collective conscience, suicide rates, specific social, white haines, phenomena crime suicide, analysis social, integration level, suicide development society, suggested forms, commonly held perception, crime suicide development,