Psychological Reporlr, 1976, 38, 1313-13 14.
@ Psychological Reports 1976
SOCIAL AREAS A N D DURKHEIM'S THEORY OF SUICIDE FRIEDRICH V. WENZ University o f South Carolina-Sparranburg Sunzmmy.--A reformulation of Durkheim's model of social integration and suicide rates was tested using social survey and census data for social area populations in Flint, Michigan. The hypothesis predicts: the more integrated a social-area population, the lower irs suicide rate. It is concluded that the concept of social area defines an adequate unit of analysis for resting Durkheim's model, and the empirical data support Durkheim's original formulation.
Almost every contribution by sociologists of suicide has attempted to clarify, develop or modify some aspect of Durkheim's (1951) theory of social integration and suicide (Dohrenwend, 1959; Douglas, 1967). One of the most explicit formulations of the theoretical model contained in Stlicide is Johnson's (1965), but there have been few efforts to test it empirically (Gibbs & Martin, 1964; Henry & Short, 1954). There are several theoretical and methodological reasons why the social integration model of suicide has never been subjected to a formal test-nor is it testable (Gibbs & Martin, 1964, pp.7-8). The object of this report is to present some preliminary results for Durkheim's model of suicide rates. as explicated by Johnson. The sample used in the study consisted of 75 census tract populations differentiated and stratified in a social area typology on the basis of economic, family and ethnic status with high, moderate, and low races of suicide computed for rhe period 1965-1974 (Shevky & Bell, 1955). The dependent variable is the suicide rate for each of the nine social area types, and the independent variable, based on a measure of the strength and number of interpersonal dependency relationships, were correlated with the suicide rate for each social-area population. Probability area samples were drawn from each social-area population, and each of the social areas was rated on the integration score and suicide rate. It was found that the total social integration measures (using Goodman and Kruskal's Gammo) were significantly correlated (0.68) with the suicide rate of each social area. Johnson's reformulation of Durkheim's model predicted that the more integrated a group, i.e., a social-area population, the lower is suicide rate. It may be concluded that ( a ) the concept of social area defines an adequate population of a society for a test of the hypothesis; , ( b ) social integration as operationalized in this study accounts for the variation in the suicide rate over social areas; and ( c ) the data empirically support Durkheim's original formulation that the suicide rate varies inversely with the "stability and durability" of social relationships within a population.
1314
F. V. WENZ
To validate the model further i c is necessary to operationalize the variable of social regulation and to examine the interaction of social integration and social regulation as the basic determinant of the suicide rate of a collectivity. A social-area population may be highly integrated internally and little inregrated within the larger society. It is possible that a social collectivity may swing between polar extremes of integration during a given period and possible co consider different types of integration-disintegration at the individual and aggregate levels. I n sum, more attention in theoretical formulation and empirical investigation needs be directed to conditions of high and low social integration and their consequences for suicide. REFERENCES
DOHRENWEND, B. Egoism, anomie, altruism and fatalism.
American Sociological Review, 1959, 24,467-473. DOUGLAS, J. The social meaning o f suicide. Princeton: Univer. of Princeton Press, 1967. DURKHEIM, E. Suicide. Glencoe: Free Press, 1955. Glees, J. P., & ~ R T I N W. , T. Social integration and srdicide. Eugene: Univer. of Oregon Press, 1964. HENRY,A. F., & SHORT,J. F. S~licideand homicide. Glencoe: Free Press, 1954. JOHNSON, B. Durkheim's one cause of suicide. American Sociological Review, 1965, 30, 875-886. SHEVKY,E., & BELL,W. Social area analysis. Stanford: Stanford Univer. Press, 1955. Accepted April 27, 1976.
@ Psychological Reports 1976
SOCIAL AREAS A N D DURKHEIM'S THEORY OF SUICIDE FRIEDRICH V. WENZ University o f South Carolina-Sparranburg Sunzmmy.--A reformulation of Durkheim's model of social integration and suicide rates was tested using social survey and census data for social area populations in Flint, Michigan. The hypothesis predicts: the more integrated a social-area population, the lower irs suicide rate. It is concluded that the concept of social area defines an adequate unit of analysis for resting Durkheim's model, and the empirical data support Durkheim's original formulation.
Almost every contribution by sociologists of suicide has attempted to clarify, develop or modify some aspect of Durkheim's (1951) theory of social integration and suicide (Dohrenwend, 1959; Douglas, 1967). One of the most explicit formulations of the theoretical model contained in Stlicide is Johnson's (1965), but there have been few efforts to test it empirically (Gibbs & Martin, 1964; Henry & Short, 1954). There are several theoretical and methodological reasons why the social integration model of suicide has never been subjected to a formal test-nor is it testable (Gibbs & Martin, 1964, pp.7-8). The object of this report is to present some preliminary results for Durkheim's model of suicide rates. as explicated by Johnson. The sample used in the study consisted of 75 census tract populations differentiated and stratified in a social area typology on the basis of economic, family and ethnic status with high, moderate, and low races of suicide computed for rhe period 1965-1974 (Shevky & Bell, 1955). The dependent variable is the suicide rate for each of the nine social area types, and the independent variable, based on a measure of the strength and number of interpersonal dependency relationships, were correlated with the suicide rate for each social-area population. Probability area samples were drawn from each social-area population, and each of the social areas was rated on the integration score and suicide rate. It was found that the total social integration measures (using Goodman and Kruskal's Gammo) were significantly correlated (0.68) with the suicide rate of each social area. Johnson's reformulation of Durkheim's model predicted that the more integrated a group, i.e., a social-area population, the lower is suicide rate. It may be concluded that ( a ) the concept of social area defines an adequate population of a society for a test of the hypothesis; , ( b ) social integration as operationalized in this study accounts for the variation in the suicide rate over social areas; and ( c ) the data empirically support Durkheim's original formulation that the suicide rate varies inversely with the "stability and durability" of social relationships within a population.
1314
F. V. WENZ
To validate the model further i c is necessary to operationalize the variable of social regulation and to examine the interaction of social integration and social regulation as the basic determinant of the suicide rate of a collectivity. A social-area population may be highly integrated internally and little inregrated within the larger society. It is possible that a social collectivity may swing between polar extremes of integration during a given period and possible co consider different types of integration-disintegration at the individual and aggregate levels. I n sum, more attention in theoretical formulation and empirical investigation needs be directed to conditions of high and low social integration and their consequences for suicide. REFERENCES
DOHRENWEND, B. Egoism, anomie, altruism and fatalism.
American Sociological Review, 1959, 24,467-473. DOUGLAS, J. The social meaning o f suicide. Princeton: Univer. of Princeton Press, 1967. DURKHEIM, E. Suicide. Glencoe: Free Press, 1955. Glees, J. P., & ~ R T I N W. , T. Social integration and srdicide. Eugene: Univer. of Oregon Press, 1964. HENRY,A. F., & SHORT,J. F. S~licideand homicide. Glencoe: Free Press, 1954. JOHNSON, B. Durkheim's one cause of suicide. American Sociological Review, 1965, 30, 875-886. SHEVKY,E., & BELL,W. Social area analysis. Stanford: Stanford Univer. Press, 1955. Accepted April 27, 1976.
