Suicide and Social Areas

Abstract

areas vary to the extent the inhabitants are identified with the social group that controls and defines their activities.' Working within the general theoretical framework provided by Durkheim, the study reported here was designed to ascertain the degree of relationship between suicide rates and the Shevky-Bell indexes of economic, family and ethnic status. By the use of multiple and partial correlations the relationships between the indexes and the suicide rates are examined. An attempt is also made to interpret economic, family and ethnic characteristics in terms of the phenomenon of anomie. In our society there are few occasions or circumstances in which suicide is approved. Religions and legal or other codes, generally conceded to be important aspects of social control, emphasize the obligation of each individual not to commit suicide. Thus it is reasonable to assume that in those areas where the incidence of suicide is high, social control is least effective and adequate social cohesiveness is lacking. Various kinds of social data enable us to make statements regarding the population composition and social relationships that are peculiarly characteristic of urban sub-areas. These social characteristics of urban neighborhoods serve to differentiate them from one another. One recent attempt at urban analysis of this type is that of Shevky and Bell2 who were primarily concerned with the description and measurement of social differentiation in terms of continua of economic, family and ethnic status. The characteristics of census tracts, as defined by these continua, may be compared with the suicide rates of the tracts. Such comparisons provide a means of assessing the extent to which suicide rates vary with differences in the economic, family and ethnic characteristics of census tracts. Further, to the extent that anomie is an important factor in the etiology of suicide, we would expect anomie to be related to the Shevky-Bell continua. The relationship, however, is not clear. On the basis of Durkheim's findings and subsequent research, we have conflicting reports with regard to economic status and suicide. However, we do have consistent evidence of an association between the highest suicide rates and the most mobile, densely populated and low socio-economic areas of American cities.