É. DURKHEIM AND THE STUDY OF SUICIDE - CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE

Na področju sociologije se je s problemom samomorilnosti prvi ukvarjal Émile Durkheim v delu Le Suicide (1897). S pomočjo uradnih statističnih podatkov, ki so bili dostopni v Evropi v 19. in 20. stoletju, je želel dokazati znanstveno resnico, ki se nanaša na družbena dejstva o samomorilnosti. Oblikoval je koncept družbene integracije in regulacije, s pomočjo katerega je razdelal tipologijo samomorov. Tako jih glede na osnovne značilnosti deli na egoistične, altruistične, anomične in fatalistične. Poleg poimenovanja imajo v raziskavi pomembno vlogo tudi različni družbeni dejavniki, zlasti dolžnosti in obveznosti, ki jih posamezniku vsiljuje družba. Durkheimova študija je tako prikazala, da si v povprečju življenje pogosteje vzamejo moški, poročene ženske brez otrok in samski ljudje. Primerjal je tudi samomorilnost v odnosu do verske pripadnosti: v katoliških državah je samomorilnost nižja kot v protestantskih in višja kot pri judih. Na samomor pa vplivajo tudi drugi družbeni dejavniki, predvsem politični prevrati, revščina in izobrazba. Mnogi sociologi so želeli Durkheimove trditve ponovno preučiti in potrditi njihovo pravilnost, spet drugi so iskali dokaze o nesprejemljivosti te teorije. Danes se znanstveniki zavedajo, da samomora ne gre pripisovati zgolj sociološkim dejavnikom, ampak je potrebno upoštevati vse vidike tega fenomena.Émile Durkheim was the first one who dealt with sociological research of suicide in his work Le Suicide (1897). With public records, available in Europe in 19th and 20th century, he tried to prove scientific truths, applied to social facts of suicide. In order to elaborate typology of suicide, he formed the concept of social integration and regulation. Considering basic characteristics, he named suicides egoistic, altruistic, anomic and fatalistic suicide. The study is not only important for suicide types, but also for describing different social factors: commitments and obligations forced on individuals by the society. Durkheim’s study demonstrates that, in average, men, women without children, and single people kill themselves more frequently. He also compared suicide rate with religious affiliation: Catholic countries have less suicides than Protestant countries, and more that Jewish communities. Other social factors also have the influence on the suicide, for example political overthrows, poverty, and education. Some sociologists are trying to repeat and validate accuracyothers are searching for the evidence of inadmissibility of Durkheim’s theory. Scientists today comprehend that a suicide cannot be ascribed only to sociological factors but also other aspects of this phenomenon must be taken into the consideration