Suicide from a Functionalist Perspective
From a functionalist perspective, suicide disrupts social equilibrium and damages the cohesion of communities; thus, functionalist theorists can argue that strengthening social institutions, such as family and education, can mitigate suicide rates. Interventions can focus on improving community bonds and providing proper support systems (Knipe et al., 2022).
Suicide from a Conflict Theory Perspective
It is important to note that conflict theorists view suicide as an outcome of the class struggle – the poor do not have enough resources for sustenance and growth; hence, they end this unfair existence. From such a perspective, the solution is not about a person but the entire society; therefore, conflict should shift the power for the benefit of the oppressed (Choi et al., 2019). As a result, policies that address economic inequities, such as poverty, can help in reducing suicide rates.
Suicide from a Symbolic Interactionist Perspective
Symbolic interactionism provides a different view of the problem – it focuses on the micro-level experiences as well as social interactions that lead to suicide. It promotes better mental health help so they can adequately identify signs and factors leading to suicide (Goldstein et al., 2022). In other words, the proposition includes creating sound mental health treatment programs as well as proper channels for communication so that people can seek out help.
Suicide from a Feminist Perspective
In the case of the feminist perspective mainly focuses on how gender roles contribute to suicide rates – the patriarchal structure of society oppresses both men and women. For example, it is stated that the patriarchal system is a significant cause of why Nepalese women commit suicide due to systemic oppression on the basis of gender (Kasaju et al., 2021). Similarly, a man can be discouraged from expressing his emotions in order not to look ‘weak,’ which is why he decides to end the pain with suicide. The feminist point of view is all about dismantling gender roles and patriarchal institutions to liberate both men and women from the confines of gender.
References
Choi, J. W., Kim, T. H., Shin, J., & Han, E. (2019). Poverty and suicide risk in older adults: A retrospective longitudinal cohort study. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 34(11), 1565-1571. Web.
Goldstein, E. V., Prater, L. C., & Wickizer, T. M. (2022). Preventing adolescent and young adult suicide: Do states with greater mental health treatment capacity have lower suicide rates? Journal of Adolescent Health, 70(1), 83-90. Web.
Kasaju, S. P., Krumeich, A., & Van der Putten, M. (2021). Suicide and deliberate self-harm among women in Nepal: A scoping review. BMC Women’s Health, 21, 407. Web.
Knipe, D., Padmanathan, P., Newton-Howes, G., Chan, L. F., & Kapur, N. (2022). Suicide and self-harm. The Lancet, 399(10338), 1903-1916. Web.