How Do Interdependent Communities Differ in Suicide Rates Versus Independent Communities?

Introduction

Suicide rates differ across independent and interdependent communities. People in an interdependent society rely on each other. They thrive in groups and have a high level of cooperation. On the other hand, in an independent society, people sustain themselves individually. There is little social cohesion. The people's rate of dependency amongst each other is a strong bond that gives them hope and strength to carry on with life despite great levels of hardship. Thus, suicide rates are higher in independent communities than in interdependent communities. Communities in the urban centers tend to be independent and individualistic. On the other hand, those who dwell in the countryside tend to be interdependent and live harmoniously. However, in some cases, suicide rates are reported to be high in interdependent communities which mostly comprise of people in the reserves and natives due to taboos and the negative attitude associated with mental disorder. Due to lack of professional help to the mentally sick, many of them resort to suicide. Thus, in some cases the rate of suicide in the countryside in greater than in the urban places where medical help is readily available. According to Durkheim, the rate of suicide is an indication of a social fact. The paper examines the differences in suicide rates between independent and interdependent communities using various case studies and surveys carried out globally.

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To begin with, the indigenous communities are interdependent in nature. The suicide rates among the indigenous communities vary across the globe. such a case is indicated by examining some people from the indigenous communities in Canada. The Metis and the Inuit are some of the indigenous communities. Some of the key causes of suicide among the people in these communities are homelessness, drug abuse, low self-esteem, depression and other mental diseases. The rates of suicide in Canada is reported to be the highest among the indigenous communities (Bearman,1991). It is also rated as one of the highest in the world. This is so despite the high levels of cohesion and interdependency associated with indigenous communities. Some of the causes of the levels of suicide are the effects of stress and marginalization among the indigenous communities. The communities in most parts of the world especially in the developed countries are marginalized. The government policies tend to neglect and impoverish them. Due to such policies, the indigenous communities lose their traditional values, culture, and the traditional family stability which are the fiber that holds the people in the communities together. As a result, the people are left in despair. The marginalized communities manifest their stress through indent confusion, anxiety, depression and a feeling of marginality. Historical injustices among the indigenous communities create a sense of hopelessness. They suffer from colonization effects which exposed them to economic deprivation, cultural disintegration, and weak social fiber. The feeling of despair has been passed down the generations leading to acculturative stress. This has been the tragedy of the indigenous communities in Canada and among American Indians (Garro, 1988). Durkheim describes the causes of these kinds of suicides as a result of anomie. The rates of suicide rise up whenever there is a disruption of a social collective order.

Suicide among the indigenous communities is highly contagious. This is because the communities usually live in a cluster of related people. Whenever a member of the community despairs and give up on life. There is a tendency of a copycat suicide scenario to arise. The clusters in the communities are closely related and have a strong bond of relation. The closeness of the people raises the contagion effect in case a member of a community commits suicide. It may result in a cluster of suicides. The process may take a period of time, however, eventually, it creates a pattern of suicide which depicts an echo effect of the first suicide in the community. This kind of suicide is known as altruistic suicide. It occurs when people are so much integrated and attached to their communities (Bearman,1991).

In the US, out of a survey carried out among the African Americans and the whites, it emerged that young African Americans and the elderly white men have a high risk of suicide. They believe that the society has got no place for them (Bell, 1986).

There are many indigenous people who live in the urban places, such people face numerous challenges due to loss of cultural identity. They also face discrimination which leads to loss of economic opportunities, racism, incarceration, and discrimination. Spiritual recourse plays a big role in supporting the indigenous people. However, in the urban centers, they have no connection to their spiritual order. They are also detached from their community's elders and their lands. Such issues result in a feeling of isolation, marginalization, and despair which increases suicide rates (Allebeck et al., 1988).

However, the rate of suicide is usually lower in communities which have a strong sense of community ownership, sense of culture, and other protective factors. These kinds of communities are highly interdependent. The interdependency creates a protective cover and it shields the members from stressful factors (Kirmayer, 2007).

From a survey carried out among the faithful in the society. It is established that religion in the society is also a great determiner of the rate of suicide. In the US, African American women have a low risk of suicide due to being highly religious compared to their white counterparts. According to Durkheim, suicide rates differ across various religions. For example, it is highly prevalent among the Protestants compared to the Catholics. This is because of Catholics teachings emphasis more on a sense of a community which creates a social cohesion and interdependency among the faithful. The rituals performed by the Catholic faithful create a sense of social solidarity and cohesion. The closely-knit hierarchical Catholics community contributes to a lower rate of suicide rates among them. The togetherness creates a sense of belonging which in itself have a way of dealing with the various pressures that arise in life such as social, economic, and emotional pressures. This is a similar case with the Jews (Bearman,1991). On the other hand, protestants except Anglicans tend to be independent in nature and less embedded in the society or community.

Social integration is a big factor that gives people the motivation to live. Communities that have a high rate of social solidarity have low rates of suicide. Durkheim described social solidarity as a determiner of suicidal rate. The structure of a society determines its levels of integration. A society with high levels of labor division is usually disintegrated. This is in contrast to the view that division of labor creates high levels of interactions. The high levels of interaction do not translate to close integration. The people in such settings find themselves in a state of emptiness and detachment thus get more disposed to egoistic suicide. From the survey, it is established that unmarried men are more likely to kill themselves than the married ones. Couples who are divorced are also likely to commit suicide than the married (Zonda, 1999). The survey indicated that these people live in areas of low social integration and have a high risk of committing suicide.

Interdependent communities provide a safety net which dissuades people from committing suicides thus resulting in lower death rates compared to independent communities. The close integration in interdependent communities is directed by regulations which create responsibilities, duties, obligations, and oversight. It also provides a sense of belonging, care, comfort, and love. The closeness of the bond in an interdependent community helps rescue the members who are prone to commit suicide.

Social integration varies across various geographical regions. The different institutional arrangement is a leading factor in suicide at the societal level. This explains why in the UK, many suicides victims below the age of 35 years are found to have no social connection or ties. Surveys carried out in Denmark and Norway further attests to this. The surveys indicate that the levels of social integration in Norway have been decreasing compared to that of Denmark where social integration among the young men is high. As a result, cases of suicide among the young men in Norway has been increasing. The survey indicated that due to decreasing levels of integration and regulation, cases of suicide have been increasing over the period since 1945. Ireland also reported high suicidal rates between 1970 and 1985. During this time, social cohesion in the country was high marked by declining rates of marriage and a large number of marriage separations (Swanwick and Clare, 1997). The societies from other Northern European societies such as Austria and Finland are at high risks of suicide. The post-Soviet countries such as Russia and Hungary also show similar tendencies to the societies from the Northern European. China and Japan who are Confucian societies have a higher rate of suicide compared to other Asian societies. Changes in political, social, and economic status resulted in the high death rates during the period.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the societies with high rates of suicide have low levels of connectedness at the family and at the community level. Lack of support from the society and the closed ones make life distressful for victims suffering from job loss, rape, and bereavement (Barefoot et al., 2000).

References

Allebeck P, Allgulander C, Fisher LD. 1988. Predictors of completed suicide in a cohort of 50,465 young men: Role of personality and deviant behaviour. British Medical Journal, 297(6642): 176-178.

Bearman, P. S. (1991, September). The social structure of suicide. In Sociological Forum (Vol. 6, No. 3, pp. 501-524). Kluwer Academic Publishers-Plenum Publishers.

Bell CC. 1986. Impaired black health professionals: Vulnerabilities and treatment approaches. Journal of the National Medical Association, 78(10): 925-930

Barefoot JC, Brummett BH, Helms MJ, Mark DB, Siegler IC, Williams RB. 2000. Depressive symptoms and survival of patients with coronary artery disease. Psychosomatic Medicine, 62(6): 790-795.

Garro LC. 1988. Suicides by status Indians in Manitoba. Arctic Medical Research, 47 (Suppl 1): 590-592.

Swanwick GR, Clare AW. 1997. Suicide in Ireland 1945-1992: Social correlates. Irish Medical Journal, 90(3): 106-108.

Zonda T. 1999. Suicide in Nograd County, Hungary, 1970-1994. Crisis, 20(2): 64-70.