Critical suicide studies, between methodology and ethics: Introduction

Chandler, Amy; Cover, Rob; Fitzpatrick, Scott J.

doi:10.1177/13634593211061638

Cited by 14 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Thus, this is also a call for more intensive qualitative rather than extensive quantitative research. Whilst the latter – the counting of risk factors that tend to be isolated from their contexts – is abundant (Hjelmeland, 2016), we need more qualitative studies that ‘situate suicides in relation to wider cultural contexts and structures and, crucially, relations of power’ (Chandler et al, 2022, p. 4), that is, aim at contextualised understanding why, how, where and when some of the agents choose suicide as a response to their sadness, shame or anger.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, while medical disciplines can and do identify many important factors common to individuals who die by suicide, sociology might substantially contribute to the debates by contextualising such factors and deepening an understanding of why some (but not all) of those sharing these factors might become suicidal. Research situated within critical suicidology (Button, 2016; Chandler, 2019; Chandler et al, 2022; Fincham et al, 2011; Mills, 2018) aims to move beyond such individualising/pathologising medical and psychological approaches and therefore adds to the above-mentioned contextualisation of suicide. In other words, we cannot talk of why and how people die by suicide without also examining its cultural and structural underpinnings, that is, an interplay between processes at the intra-, inter- and supra-individual levels.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Why (not) suicide: Habitus in hysteresis and the space of possibles

Doblytė

2022

European Journal of Social Theory

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Sociological theory on the phenomenon of suicide continues to rely heavily upon the Durkheimian perspective. While such accounts are valuable additions to the field, engagement with alternative theoretical traditions may likewise be stimulating and provide distinct concepts to delve into the issue. This article contributes to expanding sociological understanding of suicide by drawing upon Pierre Bourdieu’s theory, a relatively untapped resource in the study of suicide. I suggest that the concept of hysteresis – a mismatch between embodied and objectified structures – enables an understanding of under what circumstances agents may become vulnerable to suicide. I then theorise how socioeconomic, political, and cultural dynamics may deepen the hysteresis effect and increase the chances that individuals in specific social positions experience it. Finally, I argue that individuals’ responses to such distress depend on their space of possibles: the culturally laden idea of suicide and alternatives to it.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Why (not) suicide: Habitus in hysteresis and the space of possibles

Doblytė

2022

European Journal of Social Theory

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“…Targeting structural/systemic determinants, critical suicidology rejects dogmatically quantitative, positivist, and typically pathologizing explanatory paradigms that focus on the suicidal individual [11,43,44]. Instead, the socio-cultural forces and power asymmetries that act upon individuals and communities are interrogated, embracing a diverse methodological toolkit that draws from social science and the humanities [16]. The discipline prioritizes attention to the political determinants of suicide, which disproportionately impact marginalized populations.…”

Section: Critical Suicidology: Principles and Perspectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘What Destroys a Person When that Person Appears to Be Destroying Himself?’ Intrapolitical Discourses on r/SuicideWatch

Skeen,

Contreras,

Culotta

2024

Preprint

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Passive suicidality is endured by 1 in 10 adults, yet remains understudied. Ideation-to-action theories in suicidology offer explanatory reach: a capacity to understand phenomenologies of suicidal ideation, and to examine questions of why certain individuals are afflicted with a desire for death. Critical suicidology implicates oppressive societal hierarchies and cultural scripts in undermining human worth intra-psychically. The internalization of these systemic, “intrapolitical,” drivers of hopelessness may represent a key pathway to suicidal ideation. We fine-tuned theoretically grounded pretrained BERT models to detect expressions of perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, self-hatred, and loneliness among 988 r/SuicideWatch posts. Embracing a radically reflexive methodology, which highlights and interrogates investigator subjectivity amid the act of knowledge creation, thematic analysis isolated potential psychopolitical determinants of suicidality: impossible expectations of accomplishment, physical beauty, and self-mastery; self-convictions of undeservingness of life, futurity, and emotional support; and the negligence and collapse of traditional caregiving institutions. Modeling post authors’ own comments as textual confounders, these posts were shown to elicit greater aggregate positivity across their 15,616 direct-response comments. These dialogues demonstrate implicit anti-suicidist practice, rejecting pathologizing lenses and acts of silencing, as an r/SuicideWatch-specific injunctive norm. We discuss the implications of over-specified theoretical subconstructs challenging the distributional hypothesis, and share insights and tensions surfaced during reflexive interrogation.

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“…Suicide is one of the three pillars of deaths of despair ( Case and Deaton, 2022 ) and a major global health problem ( WHO, 2021 ). In the mainstream literature, suicide is an individual act (deliberate and voluntary) of attempting to end one’s own life ( Chandler et al, 2022 ). However, such individual-level perspectives often overlook the impact of concepts such as psychological resilience, which may shift the focus from institutional responsibilities to individual issues in addressing suicide.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Institutional suicide as anomie: decedents speak out for work-related suicides through a Durkheimian exploration of suicide notes in a context without institutional responsibilization for suicide prevention

Ozbilgin,

Erbil,

Demirbağ

et al. 2024

Front. Sociol.

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IntroductionDrawing on Durkheim’s historical theorization of suicide, we extend his concept of anomic suicide, which is suicide due to a lack of social regulation, to introduce the concept of institutional suicide. We define institutional suicide as suicide due to the absence or decline of institutional policies, practices, and discourses for prevention. In this study, we explore the mechanisms for institutional suicides based on suicide notes Turkey, in a context without institutional responsibilization for prevention. Turkey provides a significant context for studying institutional suicides as policies, practices, and discourses for suicide prevention have been declining for some decades.MethodsDrawing on publically available suicide notes and narratives in Turkish media outlets, we analyze 17 suicide notes and responses from their institutions of work and friends, family, and colleagues.Findings and DiscussionWe identify two mechanisms that lead to institutional suicides: (1) dehumanization due to lack of recognition and (2) misrecognition through a devaluation of potential. We extend the theory of anomie to institutional settings and offer social policy suggestions to improve institutional responses based on co-design based on suicide notes to prevent institutional suicides and call for institutional responsibilization for preventing work-related suicides.

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Critical suicide studies, between methodology and ethics: Introduction

Cited by 14 publications

References 18 publications

Why (not) suicide: Habitus in hysteresis and the space of possibles

Why (not) suicide: Habitus in hysteresis and the space of possibles

‘What Destroys a Person When that Person Appears to Be Destroying Himself?’ Intrapolitical Discourses on r/SuicideWatch

Institutional suicide as anomie: decedents speak out for work-related suicides through a Durkheimian exploration of suicide notes in a context without institutional responsibilization for suicide prevention

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