SUICIDE - A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

• NCJ Number: 53301
• Journal: Social Forces Volume: 57 Issue: 2 Dated: SPECIAL ISSUE (DECEMBER 1978) Pages: 644-653
• Author(s): S STACK
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 10 pages
• Corporate Author: University of North Carolina Press
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

LEVEL OF INDUSTRIALIZATION, RATE OF ECONOMIC GROWTH, AND DEGREE OF FEMALE PARTICIPATION IN THE LABOR FORCE ARE EXAMINED IN THEIR EFFECT UPON SUICIDE RATES IN 45 NATIONS.

Abstract

THE MODEL OF SUICIDE TESTED IS BASED ON ASPECTS OF STATUS INTEGRATION, ANOMIE, AND INDUSTRIALIZATION THEORY. EACH OF THESE THEORIES IS BRIEFLY DISCUSSED. LEVEL OF INDUSTRIALIZATION, RATE OF ECONOMIC GROWTH, AND DEGREE OF FEMALE PARTICIPATION IN THE LABOR FORCE ARE THE VARIABLES MEASURED. IT IS THEORIZED THAT INDUSTRIALIZATION AFFECTS SUICIDE DIRECTLY BY PROMOTING NORMATIVE CONFUSION AND STATUS INCONSISTENCY, AND INDIRECTLY THROUGH ITS ASSOCIATION WITH THE INDEX OF STATUS INTEGRATION, THE RATE OF FEMALE PARTICIPATION IN THE WORK FORCE. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THE MORE INDUSTRIALIZED NATIONS WILL HAVE MORE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR FEMALES THAN THE LESS INDUSTRIALIZED NATIONS. IT IS ASSUMED THAT THE RATE OF ECONOMIC GROWTH AFFECTS SUICIDE DIRECTLY BY PROMOTING ANOMIE AND INDIRECTLY BY MAKING POSSIBLE GREATER FEMALE PARTICIPATION IN WORK. DATA ON ALL THREE INDEPENDENT VARIABLES WERE GATHERED FOR EACH OF 45 NATIONS. UNITED NATIONS DATA ON SUICIDE RATES IS USED. THE EXTENT OF FEMALE PARTICIPATION IN THE LABOR FORCE IS MEASURED IN TERMS OF FEMALE WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS AS A PERCENT OF ALL WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS. THE RATE OF ECONOMIC GROWTH IS MEASURED AS THE AVERAGE PER CAPITA INCREASE IN THE GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT BETWEEN 1960 AND 1972. THE LEVEL OF INDUSTRIALIZATION IS MEASURED IN TERMS OF THE PER CAPITA GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT. A MULTIPLE REGRESSION ANALYSIS DETERMINED THAT THE DEGREE OF FEMALE LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION, A VARIABLE IN THE STATUS INTEGRATION THEORY, WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT CORRELATE OF SUICIDE RATES. A PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF SEX-SPECIFIC SUICIDE RATES DEMONSTRATES THAT FEMALE LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION IS MOST CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH MALE SUICIDE, INDICATING THAT MARRIED MALES MAY EXPERIENCE MORE ROLE CONFLICT FROM THEIR WIVES WORKING THAN THE WIVES THEMSELVES. DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)