ESSAY ON: Anthony Giddens’ Response to Emile Durkheim’s “Suicide”

Number of Pages 6

This research paper: This is a 6 page paper discussing Giddens’ response to Durkheim’s suicide. Anthony Giddens is a modern day sociologist who has proposed a new theory of “structuration” which he considers as his “concern to develop an ontological framework for the study of human social activities”. In doing this, Giddens offers a more expansive and open method in the study of society and institutions in which he hopes will offer an alternative to many of the traditional sociological methods used. Emile Durkheim in his study on “Suicide” provided one of the first systematic presentations of suicide as a sociological phenomenon. Consistent with the functionalist theories however, Durkheim offered three definitions of suicide, egoistic, altruistic and anomic, which were all functional aspects of society. Giddens believed that the functionalist argument could not possibly account for the various factors influencing suicide and within his argument and general dismisses much of Durkheim’s definitions. He also presents other misunderstandings and controversies which surrounded Durkheim’s study on suicide which somewhat validate his claim that the functionalist perspective is not complete in its relation to the discussion of suicide. Bibliography lists 7 sources.


File: D0_TJGidde1.rtf


Send me this paper »

« Back to Topic Listings

Copyright © 2000-2024 The Paper Store Enterprises, Inc. & Fast Papers On-line.
All rights reserved. Search for your essay here.

U.S. based premium essay, research and
term papers service since 2000.