Overview

This book presents a review and criticism of all sociological literature on suicide, from Emile Durkheim's influential Suicide (1897) to contemporary writings by sociologists who have patterned their own work on Durkheim's. Douglas points out fundamental weaknesses in the structural-functional study of suicide, and offers an alternative theoretical approach. He demonstrates the unreliability of official statistics on suicide and contends that Durkheim's explanations of suicide rates in terms of abstract social meanings are founded on an inadequate and misleading statistical base. The study of suicidal actions, Douglas argues, requires an examination of the individual's own construction of his actions. He analyzes revenge, escape, and sympathy motives; using diaries, notes, and observers' reports, he shows how the social meanings of actual cases should be studied. Originally published in 1967. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press.These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Full Product Details

Author:   Jack D. Douglas
Publisher:   Princeton University Press
Imprint:   Princeton University Press
Volume:   3511
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 2.40cm , Length: 23.50cm
Weight:   0.482kg
ISBN:  

9780691647869

ISBN 10:   0691647860
Pages:   414
Publication Date:   19 April 2016
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.
Language:   English

Table of Contents

"*Frontmatter, pg. i*Preface, pg. vii*Contents, pg. xi*Introduction, pg. xiii*Part I. The Durkheimian Approach to Suicide, pg. 1*1. The Historical Context of Durkheim's Theory of Suicide, pg. 3*2. Durkheim's Suicide, pg. 13*3. Introduction to the Post-Durkheimian Theories, pg. 79*4. The Gibbs and Martin Status Integration Theory of Suicide, pg. 84*5. Powell's Status and Anomie Theory of Suicide, pg. 92*6. The Ecological Theories of Suicide, pg. 95*7. The Status Change Theories of Suicide, pg. 109*8. Halbwachs' Subculture Theory of Suicide, pg. 124*9. The Henry and Short Theory of Suicide, pg. 132*10. Gold's Theory of Suicide, pg. 144*11. A Summary of the Weaknesses and Contributions of Sociological Works on Suicide, pg. 152*12. The Nature and Use of the Official Statistics on Suicide, pg. 163*13. Social Actions as Meaningful Actions: Fundamental Considerations of the Nature of ""Meaning"", pg. 235*14. The Construction of Social Meanings, pg. 247*15. Sources of Information and the Construction of a Theory of Suicidal Actions as Socially Meaningful Actions, pg. 255*16. General Dimensions of the Meanings of Suicidal Phenomena, pg. 271*17. Common Patterns of Meanings Constructed in Which the Meanings of Suicidal Actions are of Fundamental Importance, pg. 284*18. The Suicidal Process, pg. 320*19. General Conclusion, pg. 338*Appendix I. Durkheim's Theory of the Relations Between the Individual and Society and Suicide, pg. 341*Appendix II. The Formal Definitions of Suicide, pg. 350*Bibliography, pg. 385*Index, pg. 393"

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