Read the passage carefully and choose the best answer for each question.
Emile Durkheim, the first person to be formally recognized as a sociologist and the most scientific of the pioneers, conducted a study that stands as a research model for sociologists today. His investigation of suicide was, in fact, the first sociological study to use statistics. In Suicide (1964, originally published in 1897), Durkheim documented his contention that some aspects of human behaviour---even something as allegedly individualistic as suicide---can be explained without reference to individuals.
Like all of Durkheim’s work, Suicide must be viewed within the context of his concern for social integration. Durkheim wanted to see if suicide rates within a social entity (for example, a group, organization, or society) are related to the degree to which individuals are socially involved (integrated and regulated). Durkheim describes three types of suicide: egoistic, anomic, and altruistic. Egoistic suicide is promoted when individuals do not have sufficient social ties. Since single (never married) adults, for example, are not heavily involved with family life, they are more likely to commit suicide than are married adults. Altruistic suicide, on the other hand, is more likely to occur when social integration is too strong. The ritual suicide of Hindu widows on their husbands’ funeral pyres is one example. Military personnel, trained to lay down their lives for their country, provide another illustration.
Durkheim’s third type of suicide---anomic suicide---increases when the social regulation of individuals is disrupted. For example, suicide rates increase during economic depressions. People who suddenly find themselves without a job or without hope of finding one are more prone to kill themselves. Suicides may also increase during periods of prosperity. People may loosen their social ties by taking new jobs, moving to new communities, or finding new mates.
Using data from the government population reports of several countries (much of it from the French Government Statistical Office), Durkheim found strong support for his line of reasoning. Suicide rates were higher among single than married people, among military personnel than civilians, among divorced than married people, and among people involved in nationwide economic crises.
It is important to realize that Durkheim’s primary interest was not in the empirical (observational) indicators he used such as suicide rates among military personnel, married people, and so forth. Rather, Durkheim used the following indicators to support several of his contentions:
1. Social behavior can be explained by social rather than psychological factors;
2. Suicide is affected by the degree of integration and regulation within social entities; and
3. Since society can be studied scientifically, sociology is worthy of recognition in the academic world.
Durkheim was successful on all three counts.
Higher suicide rate during rapid progress in a society is a manifestation of
Show Hint
- altruistic suicide.
- anomic suicide.
- egoistic suicide.
- None of the above.
The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
The passage says, "Suicides may also increase during periods of prosperity. People may loosen their social ties by taking new jobs, moving to new communities, or finding new mates." This sits in the paragraph on anomic suicide.
Step 2: Match the type:
Anomic suicide increases when the social regulation of individuals is disrupted. Rapid progress disrupts regulation, so the higher suicide rate is anomic.
Step 3: Rule out the others:
Altruistic suicide comes from social integration that is too strong. Egoistic suicide comes from too few social ties (for example, being single). Neither is linked to prosperity in the passage.
Final Answer:
The correct option is (2): anomic suicide.
In his study of suicide Durkheim's main purpose was
Show Hint
- to document that suicide can be explained without reference to the individual.
- to provide an explanation of the variation in the rate of suicide across societies.
- to categorize various types of suicides.
- to document that social behavior can be explained by social rather than psychological factors.
The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
The first paragraph states that in Suicide Durkheim "documented his contention that some aspects of human behaviour, even something as allegedly individualistic as suicide, can be explained without reference to individuals."
Step 2: Compare the options:
Option (1) repeats this purpose almost word for word.
Option (2): the passage looks at how suicide rates relate to social involvement. Explaining variation is the method, not the stated purpose.
Option (3): categorising suicide types (egoistic, anomic, altruistic) is a tool the study uses, not its main purpose.
Option (4): this is the general contention (1) in the last paragraph, about social behaviour as a whole. The question asks about his study of suicide, which the opening paragraph ties to option (1).
Final Answer:
The correct option is (1): to document that suicide can be explained without reference to the individual.
Increase in the suicide rate during economic depression is an example of
Show Hint
- altruistic suicide.
- anomic suicide.
- egoistic suicide.
- Both a and c.
The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
"Durkheim's third type of suicide, anomic suicide, increases when the social regulation of individuals is disrupted. For example, suicide rates increase during economic depressions."
Step 2: Match:
The increase during economic depression is the example of anomic suicide.
Step 3: Rule out the rest:
Altruistic (strong integration) and egoistic (weak ties) are not tied to depressions in the passage, so option (4), "Both a and c", is wrong too.
Final Answer:
The correct option is (2): anomic suicide.
Single adults not heavily involved with family life are more likely to commit suicide. Durkheim categorized this as
Show Hint
- anomic suicide.
- altruistic suicide.
- egoistic suicide.
- Both (b) and (c)
The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
"Egoistic suicide is promoted when individuals do not have sufficient social ties. Since single (never married) adults, for example, are not heavily involved with family life, they are more likely to commit suicide than are married adults."
Step 2: Match:
The example of single adults illustrates egoistic suicide.
Step 3: Rule out the rest:
Anomic suicide relates to disrupted regulation and altruistic suicide to over-strong integration. Option (4) includes altruistic (b), which is wrong, so it is rejected.
Final Answer:
The correct option is (3): egoistic suicide.
According to Durkheim, suicide rates within a social entity can be explained in terms of
Show Hint
- absence of social ties.
- disruption of social regulation.
- nature of social integration.
- All of the above.
The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Absence of social ties is egoistic suicide. Disruption of social regulation is anomic suicide. The nature (here, excess) of social integration is altruistic suicide.
Step 2: Note what the passage says about the whole study:
Durkheim wanted to see if suicide rates within a social entity are related to how far individuals are socially involved, that is, integrated and regulated. All three causes are part of this explanation.
Step 3: Conclusion:
Since each of (1), (2) and (3) is a cause Durkheim used, "All of the above" is correct.
Final Answer:
The correct option is (4): All of the above.
According to Durkheim, altruistic suicide is more likely among
Show Hint
- military personnel than among civilians.
- single people than among married people.
- divorcees than among married people.
- people involved in nationwide economic crises.
The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
"Altruistic suicide, on the other hand, is more likely to occur when social integration is too strong." The examples given are Hindu widows and "military personnel, trained to lay down their lives for their country".
Step 2: Compare the options:
(1) Military personnel versus civilians: matches the example of altruistic suicide.
(2) Single people versus married people: egoistic suicide.
(3) Divorcees versus married people: this is a group with weak ties or disrupted regulation, not strong integration.
(4) People in nationwide economic crises: anomic suicide.
Final Answer:
The correct option is (1): military personnel than among civilians.
Basing himself on his own indicators, Durkheim was
Show Hint
- right on some counts, not others.
- vindicated on all counts.
- wrong but did not realize that he was right.
- substantially correct but formally wrong.
The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
The passage ends: "Durkheim was successful on all three counts." His contentions (1) to (3) were supported by the indicators he used.
Step 2: Match with the options:
"Successful on all three counts" is the same as "vindicated on all counts".
Step 3: Rule out the rest:
(1) says partly wrong, (3) and (4) say he was wrong in some way. The passage says nothing of that kind.
Final Answer:
The correct option is (2): vindicated on all counts.
To support his contentions, Durkheim relied on the following indicators
Show Hint
- social behaviour is explicable predominantly through social factors.
- suicide is contingent upon the degree of regulation and interaction.
- recognizing sociology is to acknowledge that society is susceptible to scientific investigation.
- All of the above.
The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
"Durkheim used the following indicators to support several of his contentions: (1) Social behaviour can be explained by social rather than psychological factors; (2) suicide is affected by the degree of integration and regulation within social entities; and (3) since society can be studied scientifically, sociology is worthy of recognition in the academic world."
Step 2: Match the options:
Option (1) restates point 1. Option (2) restates point 2. Option (3) restates point 3.
Step 3: Conclude:
All three options are what the passage lists, so "All of the above" is correct.
Final Answer:
The correct option is (4): All of the above.
Ritual suicide of Hindu widows on their husband's funeral pyres is
Show Hint
- a manifestation of strong social integration.
- an example of brutality against women.
- an example of anomic suicide.
- an example of egoistic suicide.
The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
"Altruistic suicide ... is more likely to occur when social integration is too strong. The ritual suicide of Hindu widows on their husbands' funeral pyres is one example."
Step 2: Match the options:
(1) strong social integration: yes, this is what the passage says.
(2) brutality against women: the passage does not make a moral comment of this kind.
(3) anomic suicide: no, that is linked to disrupted regulation.
(4) egoistic suicide: no, that is linked to weak social ties.
Final Answer:
The correct option is (1): a manifestation of strong social integration.
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