1.These days, white people’s death rate has risen dramatically in U.S. although whites have longer life expectancy than African American. Why middle ages 45-54 white peoples’ death rate is rapidly going up? This is not an individual problem. This social issue is strongly connected with social change. The main causes of their deaths are suicide, drug and alcohol abuse. White people who are without a college degree or high school degree are tend to be paid less than people who have college degree or master degree. Therefore, they get stress from the unequal working system, and they are more likely to be drug such as opioids and alcohol overdose. If they are drug or alcohol abuser, it will be difficult for them to adapt their reality again and cannot to think of their future seriously. It means there is deep relation between poverty and health problem. Another social change which is related to mortality death is a decrease of a marriage rate and increase of a divorce rate. This fact represents a social isolation. In my opinion, men are more likely to finding it hard to ask other people help. In other words, if they do not really have friends or wife who can help them, they become more lonely and depressed. That is why they tend to commit suicide. These social change drives white peoples’ death of despair badly, so the government needs to consider about the working environment in order to prevent their suicide.
2. I think this article represents a functionalist perspective. Based on Durkheim’s research, suicide could be caused by social factors not just problem of the individual person. Even though the committing suicide is an individual’s choice, it is strongly affected by society because people cannot live alone without socialized community. From the view of a functional perspective, people get satisfaction by integration within society such as having stable job and getting family support. That way, they achieve their purpose of lives. Also, functionalist perspective states each social institution such as government and education work together to maintain well balanced society. However, since death rate has been rising rapidly in current society, our society can be called dysfunctional society because of the mortality of rate differs among races. In this article, the researcher dose not clarify why the whites’ mortality rate is higher than other races’. However, as we learned in class, Hispanic and Asian people have strong bond of group like a family, so it is very easy for them to ask for help when they have a problem. Researchers should figure out why the whites have higher rate of mortality. As a consequence, we have to take an action that prevent the drives of the committing suicide, drug and alcohol abuse in whole society.
3. It was interesting for me to read this blog because I am still considering why people are trying to die and hoping that the mortality rate will decrease as soon as possible. By reading this article, I found out the fact that even though people who look like live healthy, there are a lot of people who have dark side of mind. In my country, Japan also, seems a peaceful country but actually one of the highest rate of country that people commit suicide. The top two causes for committing suicide in Japan are bullying and strain from work. Everyone has a worry about something, but I think the society needs to make an environment that they can have hope for their future. That way, we can have more communication with each other and share our thoughts.
Minami Y. has very direct points that I agree with and clearly states that people follow into certain social roles that can lead to A person's own demise. I know that this article is making a point about white middle aged men in particular just because of the phenomena. I'm sure this is all derived from somewhere but it can happen to any of us because of the way we fall under the social norm and default perspectives we have on ourselves as well as on others. As you read the article they are pointing to the direction of the emotional toll society has on the white middle aged men in the united states. If we pay attention we gather the facts that sad people look for an escape even if it is temporary, good feelings are Addicting especially when surrounded by constant negative reminders. We let these “temporal escapes” become our devotion, which forces relations with others to be pushed away and eventually distant. People unintentionally bury their own grave. I guess there is a lot of pressure on the white middle aged man to have a family, have enough to support a family, be healthy and sane, if we plant the seed that we are lacking some of those things… it engraves itself to our thoughts. When Minami wrote about men having difficulty asking for help.. It stuck to me because it heavily falls under that role that a man has to be a man… a culture we follow here in the united states. Sure you find that in other countries but ours is challenging this view currently mixing up view and allowing other realities. I have a feeling that it has something to do with that. This is absolutely relative to sociology because somehow it was pinpointed dramatically toward a group of people with similar ascribed statuses, while presented in a specific location. I think this blog requires more depth on the culture and its influences on these men and I have a feeling that Minami caught on to that.
Minami chose to write in the perspective of the functionalist so I will write through the lense of a conflict perspective. In this new view I develop the theory that it has a lot to do with the pressures of everyday social survival. Currently on the back of everyone's mind is that they need to continue to advance within society, because of all the competition. We gather that many end up leading the life of conformity were they let themselves just work to live in a home and provide for the family or just themselves. Others stress over not being able to go to school and pursue the exposure to different possibilities the future can hold for that individual. No one chooses to feel helpless but this feeling invites anyone to succumb to the seduction of any kind of escape that works.
Laritza F. 1-In The Forces Driving Middle-Aged White People's 'Deaths of Despair', the researchers Anne Case and Angus Deaton discuss the most likely causes that are resulting in an increase of suicide rates in U.S.; specifically, they refer to middle-aged white people. Although the abuse of alcohol and overdoses of prescription drugs is causing the “deaths of despair”, the main cause that they find more relevant in their study is that the lack of stability and relationships with others is the principal problem that might be conducting these people to recur to drugs and alcohol as a relive. Anne and Angus exemplify that white people without college degree have trouble to obtain a steady and well-paying job, which causes distress and social dysfunction in these individuals within the society. As result, this might be keeping them away from the desire of forming a family, that has positive effects in the economic and social supports that people need to prosper in life and to feel integrated. This is a social issue because the problems that these white americans are facing is as a consequence of the position they occupy within the society. Because of their low education level, not having a college degree reduce the opportunities to find a well pay job to live a decent life and support a family. As a result, these people become lonely and less able to form a stable marriage. For a better understanding of this social issue we can apply a theory of Durkheim: “the more interconnected and interdependent we are, the less likely we are to kill ourselves”.
2- From the functionalist perspective: in Durkheim’ study on suicide, he came to the conclusion that social relationships may reduce the likelihood of suicide. The decision to commit suicide is a highly personal and individual choice, although, the causes of suicides are rooted deeply in society. Other than emotional stress, people may feel integrated with the structure of society and their social surroundings as social factors. Suicide rates are also affected by the different social contexts in which they emerge. It is the impact of society has on an individual which leads them to take such drastic measures. As a society, it is our job to put a stop to the possible factors which can lead an individual to commit suicide. In this case, society could encourage people to study to obtain a college degree by giving them the necessary tools to obtain it; example of this could be offer them short term courses to keep the motivated and financial programs to help this white americans to pay for their studies. Besides, providing them with options for their overcoming in life take them away from the idea of taking their life as a solution of their problems. It is society's job to function in a positive mannerism to ensure no one reacts in a negative way or does something which can be influenced by society itself.
3- In these blog post, students discuss topics that involves society and the individual; and the analysis of how society shapes our lives, which help us to better understand the concepts of sociology. The reason why I commented in this topic is because is contradictory how white people are more likely to commit suicide when some studies show that white people accumulate more wealth than other racial classes. So I wanted to understand this fact and I could conclude that most white americans that commit suicide have a low education level and don’t have the responsibility of having a family, while those wealthy white people are more likely to have the support of a family, a better education level and an active interactionist role within the society. In the field of sociology, suicide is relevant social issue because behind the superficial causes of death, there is a deep cause that conduce people to take their lives, and this is the real problem that sociologists need to focus on and discover throughout systematic study of individuals and their relationships within society to be able to come out with an efficient solution to these problems.
1. I agree with Laritza that the issue being focused on here isthe rise in death among white middle-aged people. I agree that they focused on how mortality and lack of stability, but I think their main focus was to show that these two things coincide and not just to focus on instability of jobs for white people without college degrees. I chose to comment on this blog post because she made very clear and well educated discussion on the topic. Something that stood out to me in her response was the fact that she made a smart choice in discussing Durkheim's theory on suicide. This issue isrelevant to sociology because it targets a specific group of people and their suicidal tendencies due to their position in society. 2. Through the conflict theory perspective it is no surprise that these suicides are occurring. This theory shows that the haves take from the have-not's. In American society white people have always had the upper hand and been apart of the Have's group. Due to the necessity of college degrees in today's society in order to obtain a prestigious job, the script is being flipped on middle aged white people who did not attend college. Before you could just work your way up in the work force but now that is becoming almost impossible in every field of work. This is making Middle-aged white people become lower status and is causing a huge impact on their lives. This impact is resulting in them becoming a Have-not and making them favor death over life.
1.Suicide rate has increased over time, even thou we actually live in a society with innovations, higher medical advances, better technology, and with a higher life expectancy suicide is taking more lives than ever; unfortunately, we are facing a bigger suicide rate on middle age white people, the lack of employment, low income wages, seems to be the cause of this social problem. At the same time the population with only a High school degree or less seems to be the most affected; However, the lack of hope for them to advance in life seems almost impossible, their income can not provide them a stable economic status, they are constantly struggling with paying bills, not able to support a family, having hard time finding a job position due to the competition that exist for limited resources, not leaving being their education level and the demand in the workforce; all these details are what makes the difference between those with higher education. For instance, seems like we are talking about a death end road they work hard and their economic situation forced them to live waiting for the next check to survive. On this article the group age between 45-54 is the more vulnerable to alcohol, drug addiction and suicide. However the society has unconsciously imposed that at age 45-54 is the age were an individual is at the peak of social integration the expectancies is to be happily married, have a stable life, (including your own house, job, relationships and a stable economy), be healthy, have a support system, unfortunately at this age these individuals who didn’t have the opportunity to fulfill these expectancies in the eyes of society or their physical health started to decreased, feel disappointed, depressed, they feel that there is no way out, that they do not belong and turned to addictions or feel so despair that the only solution they find in all this confusion is to take away their life.
2. From the conflict perspective, we can analyze that inequality and the lack of opportunities for those that have disadvantages in society are constantly increasing. The need to work to survive in life becomes a priority, and education has becomes secondary, this could be one of the reasons why individuals have low education. However people with low levels of education are exposed more to injustice from the dominant groups. Nevertheless, these individuals are force to work harder, work for low wages, making them vulnerable to be mistreated and continue in the same low economic status. With this in mind, we can try to understand why males and females when they reach the middle-age they suffer a crisis when they realize that in the eyes of society they don’t belong, because they haven’t fulfill the set of goals that society has established for that age group, as mentioned before. This is the cause of so many cases of drug or alcohol abused, and suicide for this age group. We can also mention the functional perspective in which we can recall the importance of: Durkheim's theory of suicide, where he believes that “the more interconnected and interdependent we are the less likely are to kill ourselves”, and this case is a perfect example of how society influence in our actions, and how the feeling of not belonging to a group can also make an individual to take a wrong decision in this case to take their life due to their emotional imbalance. As a functionalist is important to integrate the term of dysfunction by Merton, where we can analyze that we are living in a system were slavery still exist, and low wages are continue being offered. 3. This blog is providing us how a macro lens affects the micro lens; unfortunately the group that is being affected is increasing with time. Furthermore, society today is providing fewer opportunities to advance in life to those in the disadvantage groups (unemployed, low incomes, low education levels, less job opportunities due to gender and age…) we all have become just a number and we are replaceable in the job environment for anyone that wants to take our place. I choose this topic because it makes me realize how important is to achieve a higher education, something that before was part of a desire, now has become a need to everyone in order to advance life. This topic is important in sociology, because now finding the causes of drug and alcohol addictions, and higher ranged of suicide in the middle age group, sociologist can study and look for a solution for increasing the expectancy of life for this age group.
1.) In the article, “The Forces Driving Middle-Aged White People's 'Deaths Of Despair'”, it highlights the fact that suicide rates are increasing for the middle-aged white man. Although the article is being focused on middle-aged white men, any group of people increasingly taking their lives is a social issue. The article notes the decrease of jobs and financial instability being the key causes of suicide for middle-aged white people with less than a college degree. There was a time not too long ago in the U.S. where a person with a high school degree could get a good paying job that supported him and his family sufficiently; those days are now gone. It is now true that even people with college degrees are having trouble getting jobs. The middle class is experiencing a changing social identity as the available jobs are lessened and the resources needed to care for oneself, let alone a family are disappearing. According to Durkheim, suicide is caused by external forces and the lack of social integration and regulation in society. I believe that this is a perfect example of what Durkheim’s study suggests, that these middle class white people aren't up to par with what is expected of them in society, such as having a decent job, and the resources to start a family, and this causes people to become depressed and feel like they have no purpose, and that they aren't a useful member of society. For some, having these kind of feelings can be really detrimental to their mental health and could result in a person committing suicide.
2.) Using a functionalist perspective, one could say that not having a function in society can cause a person to feel isolated and therefore interfere with healthy integration and regulation in society. When a person can meet the demands of a society they feel as if they are part of something, you can go back to your child and remember a time when you weren't picked for a team, or had the lowest test score in a class, these instances make us feel isolated from the group whether it be our classmates, or a sports team. Humans have an inherent need to feel like part of a group, and if we don't we feel as if there is something wrong with us or that we are an outsider. The functionalist perspective views society as a function of parts that create a whole, we are the parts and society is the whole. Using this perspective you could say that not being a functioning part of the whole is where the problem lies. In order to be a functioning member of society you must meet the demands of a society, and that is hard to do when there are not enough available resources to do so. I would have applied the conflict perspective but I thought that viewing it through a functionalist perspective kept with the theme on suicide and supports Durkheim's theories on suicide.
3.) I chose this blog post because I think that this is an important social issue that affects the lives of many and if it isn't brought to light it will affect many more. If any group of people are increasingly committing suicide it is a major problem that needs to be addressed. This is a hard issue to make a change in because you can't just increase jobs and pay that easily. The American model of being young, getting a job, having a family, and buying a home isn't as achievable as it once was and I can already see the effects it has on my generation and how it is different from my parents generation. We are not getting married, we aren't having children, and we are not buying homes; in a sense we are stunted. The reason why I was interested in commenting on this post is to try to have more understanding on my late friend Sunny Rae who committed suicide about 7 years ago. Its interesting how much of an impact that society can have on an individual, and on the other hand it is also interesting how after one takes their life, the resulting impact it can have on the society as well, mostly because people that feel like a part of society cannot understand what it feels like to not feel like a part of society at all.
1. According to the Article, “The Forces Driving Middle-Aged White People’s ‘Death of Despair’ ”, the graph on the bottom of the page shows us the rates of drug, alcohol and suicide rates among whites ages 45-54 are oddly enough higher than any other race in our society today. Even though, this is very shocking, this is the hard reality of it. This article also explains the main cause of why white men are committing suicide, which is job opportunities being limited to only those who have college degrees. This world wide issue had caused overdose from prescription drug rates to go up rapidly, as well as alcoholic liver disease. Even now, it is still a hassle for people without college degrees to find jobs easily. Thus, this can even lead to people becoming homeless or getting into depression, which can be a major a major trigger/cause for high suicide rates. Also noted in the article, suicide rates are much more higher and common in men then in women. This can be because men tend to not open up to people or do not have a supportive group to talk to (such as friends or family). Other parts of the country, such as Neveda and Utah, have also been affected by these rates, even though majority of the people who live there do not smoke, drink alcohol, or even tea and coffee. As stated in the article, “Utah has a very hard time coping with the opioid crisis”. The cause of this can be because people are not close to one another and so they tend to hold everything in and the only way of letting their thoughts out is by harming their body’s or even worse, by killing themselves. I believe that people who can not get a job like those with a college degree become depressed because they don’t have the financial ability to start a family or own a house to live in, hence the give up and look for other alternatives which can lead to depression or taking there own life.
2. In the functionalist perspective, a person who does not have a place in society may feel left out and therefore resort to things that are not socially acceptable, such as suicide or alcohol abuse. When someone finds there place in society, they feel better about themselves and as if they are apart of something. For example, when you are chosen for a role of a play against another person. You feel as though people appreciate you and you are valued more than the person competing against you. As humans, we all want to be apart of something and never want to feel left out. When someone makes you feel left out, you feel like you are not good enough, thus people tend to make wrong decisions which can be a huge impact on not only them, but the society as well.
3. This blog post shows us the issues that have been rising tremendously in our society today. Thus, I choose this blog post because this topic is a serious matter that will not be resolved over night, but should also not be something we close our eyes on. I am very curious as to why people resort to suicide, rather than looking for other alternatives, such as therapy/social groups or simply talking to a friend or a family member. This article does not only affect the person who is committing suicide, but also those around them. Someone who takes their own life may not know the affect this can have on the society. I believe that if more jobs were accessible to these people, suicide rates would not be as high, but this is also something that may not change because it is such a controversial topic. Everyone wants to be able to live the American Dream, but not all people are willing to work for it and because of this other changes in our society should be made for these people who were not made to go to school.
I Luzia M. reply on Suye Semerdjian Because this topic is rally sad and the percentage of suicide increasing more and more. everyone asking a question why people doing suicide in age of 15, 25, 35, 45. In all stage of age there's problems, 15 is teenagers drug, alcohol, sexual being abused can cause stage for suicide. but in this case biggest problem coming from parents. they not putting enough time on their kids for understood whats going on with kid, whats bother them. Being in Adult age there's more ways which can cause for suicide. As you grown up more you understand what going on around you, and most of people cant take that hard steps. It can be Financial problem, As Suzy said they can fined them self and then can feel lonely, and is can effect on them. It's a big social problem but in my opinion this problem can be decreased on some percentage ,it depends who's next to you who's your friend, who's helping you to get out from that problem, there's lot of people who leaving their friends and then they getting surprised if they get in suicide.
1.Princeton University economists and researchers Anne Case and Angus Deaton were astonished when they found that the death rate for white Americans between the ages of 45-54 was rising so quickly. The rate was increasing rapidly instead of decreasing and at the time, during their research in 2015, they had no idea why. Angus Deaton states, “Mortality rates have been going down forever. There's been a huge increase in life expectancy and reduction in mortality over 100 years or more, and then for all of this to suddenly go into reverse [for whites ages 45 to 54], we thought it must be wrong”. Whites have always had a longer life expectancy statistically compared to blacks but the gap is quickly closing. They began to observe what reasons caused premature death and they were able to conclude and categorize the deaths as “Deaths of Despair” —deaths caused by suicide, drugs and alcohol. They were able to find that the lack of good paying, stable jobs being available to people without a college degrees was one of the leading factors to suicide. Another leading factor was now being in a healthy, supportive marriage or family but the two can be linked together because you would need a well paying job in order to support a family. This relates to french sociologist Émile Durkhiem’s study on suicide where he said suicide is personal but public issues lead to it. These people that commit suicide lack social integration; they have very few social ties to their social group. Another issue common in people that don't have good jobs is that they turn to drugs and alcohol when things are not well in their life Anne Case relates the two components together, “The rates of suicide are much higher among men [than women]. And drug overdoses and alcohol-related liver death are higher among men, too. But the [mortality] trends are identical for men and women with a high school degree or less. So we think of this as people, either quickly with a gun or slowly with drugs and alcohol, are killing themselves”. This is a big social issue that is growing rapidly, ultimately the lack of good jobs puts a strain on people emotionally and physically.
2. The Functionalist perspective says that each part of a society has a specific function and if one part goes wrong or fails it causes a problem in the other parts that come after it. In this case the lack of good paying jobs causes depression or social withdrawal amongst people and then that causes them to commit suicide or turn to harmful behaviors such as taking drugs and/ or alcohol. The functionalist theory also says that people need people to survive and with out human interaction we cant live. Human contact also instils a sense of norms and without them people would not be productive in society causing problems that would effect others and adding to the chain reaction.
3. This is a big problem in society today and its growing so I think after reading this article a lot of people including myself understand just how important a college degree is to be happy in the future and guarantee a well paying job. This issue relevant in the field of sociology reuse a lot of time when people commit suicide or harm themselves they don't see how it leaves behind a ripple affect in a way, it affects more people than they would think. An example of this is the new show on Netflix “13 Reasons Why”, when 17 year old Hannah dies of suicide it becomes a school wide issue affecting her classmates and the school administration which she had no intentions or of causing because she didn't think anyone would. I think its the same with any one that commits suicide or dies suddenly; they leave behind a network of people burdened by it personally.
Rita B. According to the article, death rates for white Americans ages 45 to 54 climbed half a percent each year between 1999 and 2013. In the previous two decades, the death rate for this group had dropped by 2% each year. Middle-aged blacks and Hispanics continued to see a 2% annual decline between 1999 and 2013. Most of these deaths are a result of drugs, alcohol, and suicide.When the researchers took a closer look at the death rate among middle-aged whites, they found that those with only a high school education or less saw a much larger rise in death rate than those who went to college.The death rate for middle-aged whites with only a high school education or less increased by 134 per 100,000 between 1999 and 2013. Suicide rates were higher in men than in women. Those with a bachelor's degree or more education saw death rates fall by 57 per 100,000 in that time period. Researchers have noted that fewer economic opportunities, especially for those with less education, have led to more despair and worse health, and in turn more abuse of drugs and alcohol. That suggest if being a public issue if education is the most evident answer then why does the rate of drugs, alcoholism, and suicide decrease for Black and Hispanic populations. To get to the root of the problem a sociologist would look at economic, social, and cultural resources to get to the root of the problem. Socially black and hispanic communities usually have a large support system which contributes to the decreasing rate in deaths. Studies suggest that unstable incomes and the failure to achieve that American Dream plays a huge role in suicide rates in the white middle class which is a result in an unequal economy system. The most efficient way to study and unequal economy system is through the conflict theory. Karl Marx's theory shows the relationship between the economy and the workers and divides it by to distinct social workers. A conflict theorist would argue that as a result to providing equal and stable opportunity in employment it is causing an increase in suicide rates. The individuals that were not able to receive an education has to work a lot harder and will most likely not be making the same amount as someone with an education. This makes them the proletariat, the workers and the lower class, in the conflict theory always following orders of the bourgeoisie, managers, bosses, and rulers get the profit, feeling hopeless. This can put a lot of stress on an individual leading in depression, alcohol and drug abuse. This article caught my attention because dramatic increase in suicide rates. Reading the article and doing additional research gave me the realization that this problem will most probably get worse in the next couple of years rathen improving due to economic situations. The one subtopic thing that really interested me was the fact that drug, alcohol, and suicide rates were decreasing in Black and Hispanic individuals rather than increasing. This shows the huge impact a social community can have on an individual's life.
Kimberly C. replying to Eleni P. Its very surprising to see that the rate for deaths caused be suicide, drugs, and alcohol for middle aged white males is going up believed to be factored by the lack of a good paying job, lack off marriage, and the stress of not finding a good job without a college degree. Its surprising because you wouldnt really think that white middle aged men would be going through this compared to men from other races with less education and opportunity because white men in my opinion have always been the ones with good jobs, careers or marriages, but is guess now that America has more diversity the doors have opened for all races for the opportunity to get a degree and a good job. Its very sad to see the death rates go up for white middle ages men because it seems like its a big problem in society because these people feel like they arent getting the good paying jobs they want and it is resulting in them taking their lives instead of trying to work a little harder to get where they want to be.
Minami Y.
ReplyDelete1.These days, white people’s death rate has risen dramatically in U.S. although whites have longer life expectancy than African American. Why middle ages 45-54 white peoples’ death rate is rapidly going up? This is not an individual problem. This social issue is strongly connected with social change. The main causes of their deaths are suicide, drug and alcohol abuse. White people who are without a college degree or high school degree are tend to be paid less than people who have college degree or master degree. Therefore, they get stress from the unequal working system, and they are more likely to be drug such as opioids and alcohol overdose. If they are drug or alcohol abuser, it will be difficult for them to adapt their reality again and cannot to think of their future seriously. It means there is deep relation between poverty and health problem. Another social change which is related to mortality death is a decrease of a marriage rate and increase of a divorce rate. This fact represents a social isolation. In my opinion, men are more likely to finding it hard to ask other people help. In other words, if they do not really have friends or wife who can help them, they become more lonely and depressed. That is why they tend to commit suicide. These social change drives white peoples’ death of despair badly, so the government needs to consider about the working environment in order to prevent their suicide.
Delete2. I think this article represents a functionalist perspective. Based on Durkheim’s research, suicide could be caused by social factors not just problem of the individual person. Even though the committing suicide is an individual’s choice, it is strongly affected by society because people cannot live alone without socialized community. From the view of a functional perspective, people get satisfaction by integration within society such as having stable job and getting family support. That way, they achieve their purpose of lives. Also, functionalist perspective states each social institution such as government and education work together to maintain well balanced society. However, since death rate has been rising rapidly in current society, our society can be called dysfunctional society because of the mortality of rate differs among races. In this article, the researcher dose not clarify why the whites’ mortality rate is higher than other races’. However, as we learned in class, Hispanic and Asian people have strong bond of group like a family, so it is very easy for them to ask for help when they have a problem. Researchers should figure out why the whites have higher rate of mortality. As a consequence, we have to take an action that prevent the drives of the committing suicide, drug and alcohol abuse in whole society.
3. It was interesting for me to read this blog because I am still considering why people are trying to die and hoping that the mortality rate will decrease as soon as possible. By reading this article, I found out the fact that even though people who look like live healthy, there are a lot of people who have dark side of mind. In my country, Japan also, seems a peaceful country but actually one of the highest rate of country that people commit suicide. The top two causes for committing suicide in Japan are bullying and strain from work. Everyone has a worry about something, but I think the society needs to make an environment that they can have hope for their future. That way, we can have more communication with each other and share our thoughts.
Rudy A.
DeleteMinami Y. has very direct points that I agree with and clearly states that people follow into certain social roles that can lead to A person's own demise. I know that this article is making a point about white middle aged men in particular just because of the phenomena. I'm sure this is all derived from somewhere but it can happen to any of us because of the way we fall under the social norm and default perspectives we have on ourselves as well as on others. As you read the article they are pointing to the direction of the emotional toll society has on the white middle aged men in the united states. If we pay attention we gather the facts that sad people look for an escape even if it is temporary, good feelings are Addicting especially when surrounded by constant negative reminders. We let these “temporal escapes” become our devotion, which forces relations with others to be pushed away and eventually distant. People unintentionally bury their own grave. I guess there is a lot of pressure on the white middle aged man to have a family, have enough to support a family, be healthy and sane, if we plant the seed that we are lacking some of those things… it engraves itself to our thoughts. When Minami wrote about men having difficulty asking for help.. It stuck to me because it heavily falls under that role that a man has to be a man… a culture we follow here in the united states. Sure you find that in other countries but ours is challenging this view currently mixing up view and allowing other realities. I have a feeling that it has something to do with that. This is absolutely relative to sociology because somehow it was pinpointed dramatically toward a group of people with similar ascribed statuses, while presented in a specific location. I think this blog requires more depth on the culture and its influences on these men and I have a feeling that Minami caught on to that.
Minami chose to write in the perspective of the functionalist so I will write through the lense of a conflict perspective. In this new view I develop the theory that it has a lot to do with the pressures of everyday social survival. Currently on the back of everyone's mind is that they need to continue to advance within society, because of all the competition. We gather that many end up leading the life of conformity were they let themselves just work to live in a home and provide for the family or just themselves. Others stress over not being able to go to school and pursue the exposure to different possibilities the future can hold for that individual. No one chooses to feel helpless but this feeling invites anyone to succumb to the seduction of any kind of escape that works.
Laritza F.
ReplyDeleteLaritza F.
Delete1-In The Forces Driving Middle-Aged White People's 'Deaths of Despair', the researchers Anne Case and Angus Deaton discuss the most likely causes that are resulting in an increase of suicide rates in U.S.; specifically, they refer to middle-aged white people. Although the abuse of alcohol and overdoses of prescription drugs is causing the “deaths of despair”, the main cause that they find more relevant in their study is that the lack of stability and relationships with others is the principal problem that might be conducting these people to recur to drugs and alcohol as a relive. Anne and Angus exemplify that white people without college degree have trouble to obtain a steady and well-paying job, which causes distress and social dysfunction in these individuals within the society. As result, this might be keeping them away from the desire of forming a family, that has positive effects in the economic and social supports that people need to prosper in life and to feel integrated. This is a social issue because the problems that these white americans are facing is as a consequence of the position they occupy within the society. Because of their low education level, not having a college degree reduce the opportunities to find a well pay job to live a decent life and support a family. As a result, these people become lonely and less able to form a stable marriage.
For a better understanding of this social issue we can apply a theory of Durkheim: “the more interconnected and interdependent we are, the less likely we are to kill ourselves”.
2- From the functionalist perspective: in Durkheim’ study on suicide, he came to the conclusion that social relationships may reduce the likelihood of suicide. The decision to commit suicide is a highly personal and individual choice, although, the causes of suicides are rooted deeply in society. Other than emotional stress, people may feel integrated with the structure of society and their social surroundings as social factors. Suicide rates are also affected by the different social contexts in which they emerge. It is the impact of society has on an individual which leads them to take such drastic measures. As a society, it is our job to put a stop to the possible factors which can lead an individual to commit suicide. In this case, society could encourage people to study to obtain a college degree by giving them the necessary tools to obtain it; example of this could be offer them short term courses to keep the motivated and financial programs to help this white americans to pay for their studies. Besides, providing them with options for their overcoming in life take them away from the idea of taking their life as a solution of their problems. It is society's job to function in a positive mannerism to ensure no one reacts in a negative way or does something which can be influenced by society itself.
3- In these blog post, students discuss topics that involves society and the individual; and the analysis of how society shapes our lives, which help us to better understand the concepts of sociology. The reason why I commented in this topic is because is contradictory how white people are more likely to commit suicide when some studies show that white people accumulate more wealth than other racial classes. So I wanted to understand this fact and I could conclude that most white americans that commit suicide have a low education level and don’t have the responsibility of having a family, while those wealthy white people are more likely to have the support of a family, a better education level and an active interactionist role within the society. In the field of sociology, suicide is relevant social issue because behind the superficial causes of death, there is a deep cause that conduce people to take their lives, and this is the real problem that sociologists need to focus on and discover throughout systematic study of individuals and their relationships within society to be able to come out with an efficient solution to these problems.
Rebekah M.
Delete1. I agree with Laritza that the issue being focused on here isthe rise in death among white middle-aged people. I agree that they focused on how mortality and lack of stability, but I think their main focus was to show that these two things coincide and not just to focus on instability of jobs for white people without college degrees. I chose to comment on this blog post because she made very clear and well educated discussion on the topic. Something that stood out to me in her response was the fact that she made a smart choice in discussing Durkheim's theory on suicide. This issue isrelevant to sociology because it targets a specific group of people and their suicidal tendencies due to their position in society.
2. Through the conflict theory perspective it is no surprise that these suicides are occurring. This theory shows that the haves take from the have-not's. In American society white people have always had the upper hand and been apart of the Have's group. Due to the necessity of college degrees in today's society in order to obtain a prestigious job, the script is being flipped on middle aged white people who did not attend college. Before you could just work your way up in the work force but now that is becoming almost impossible in every field of work. This is making Middle-aged white people become lower status and is causing a huge impact on their lives. This impact is resulting in them becoming a Have-not and making them favor death over life.
Maryori A.
ReplyDeleteMaryori A.
Delete1.Suicide rate has increased over time, even thou we actually live in a society with innovations, higher medical advances, better technology, and with a higher life expectancy suicide is taking more lives than ever; unfortunately, we are facing a bigger suicide rate on middle age white people, the lack of employment, low income wages, seems to be the cause of this social problem. At the same time the population with only a High school degree or less seems to be the most affected; However, the lack of hope for them to advance in life seems almost impossible, their income can not provide them a stable economic status, they are constantly struggling with paying bills, not able to support a family, having hard time finding a job position due to the competition that exist for limited resources, not leaving being their education level and the demand in the workforce; all these details are what makes the difference between those with higher education. For instance, seems like we are talking about a death end road they work hard and their economic situation forced them to live waiting for the next check to survive. On this article the group age between 45-54 is the more vulnerable to alcohol, drug addiction and suicide. However the society has unconsciously imposed that at age 45-54 is the age were an individual is at the peak of social integration the expectancies is to be happily married, have a stable life, (including your own house, job, relationships and a stable economy), be healthy, have a support system, unfortunately at this age these individuals who didn’t have the opportunity to fulfill these expectancies in the eyes of society or their physical health started to decreased, feel disappointed, depressed, they feel that there is no way out, that they do not belong and turned to addictions or feel so despair that the only solution they find in all this confusion is to take away their life.
Maryori A.
Delete2. From the conflict perspective, we can analyze that inequality and the lack of opportunities for those that have disadvantages in society are constantly increasing. The need to work to survive in life becomes a priority, and education has becomes secondary, this could be one of the reasons why individuals have low education. However people with low levels of education are exposed more to injustice from the dominant groups. Nevertheless, these individuals are force to work harder, work for low wages, making them vulnerable to be mistreated and continue in the same low economic status. With this in mind, we can try to understand why males and females when they reach the middle-age they suffer a crisis when they realize that in the eyes of society they don’t belong, because they haven’t fulfill the set of goals that society has established for that age group, as mentioned before. This is the cause of so many cases of drug or alcohol abused, and suicide for this age group.
We can also mention the functional perspective in which we can recall the importance of: Durkheim's theory of suicide, where he believes that “the more interconnected and interdependent we are the less likely are to kill ourselves”, and this case is a perfect example of how society influence in our actions, and how the feeling of not belonging to a group can also make an individual to take a wrong decision in this case to take their life due to their emotional imbalance. As a functionalist is important to integrate the term of dysfunction by Merton, where we can analyze that we are living in a system were slavery still exist, and low wages are continue being offered.
3. This blog is providing us how a macro lens affects the micro lens; unfortunately the group that is being affected is increasing with time. Furthermore, society today is providing fewer opportunities to advance in life to those in the disadvantage groups (unemployed, low incomes, low education levels, less job opportunities due to gender and age…) we all have become just a number and we are replaceable in the job environment for anyone that wants to take our place. I choose this topic because it makes me realize how important is to achieve a higher education, something that before was part of a desire, now has become a need to everyone in order to advance life. This topic is important in sociology, because now finding the causes of drug and alcohol addictions, and higher ranged of suicide in the middle age group, sociologist can study and look for a solution for increasing the expectancy of life for this age group.
-Joseph Johnson
ReplyDelete1.) In the article, “The Forces Driving Middle-Aged White People's 'Deaths Of Despair'”, it highlights the fact that suicide rates are increasing for the middle-aged white man. Although the article is being focused on middle-aged white men, any group of people increasingly taking their lives is a social issue. The article notes the decrease of jobs and financial instability being the key causes of suicide for middle-aged white people with less than a college degree. There was a time not too long ago in the U.S. where a person with a high school degree could get a good paying job that supported him and his family sufficiently; those days are now gone. It is now true that even people with college degrees are having trouble getting jobs. The middle class is experiencing a changing social identity as the available jobs are lessened and the resources needed to care for oneself, let alone a family are disappearing. According to Durkheim, suicide is caused by external forces and the lack of social integration and regulation in society. I believe that this is a perfect example of what Durkheim’s study suggests, that these middle class white people aren't up to par with what is expected of them in society, such as having a decent job, and the resources to start a family, and this causes people to become depressed and feel like they have no purpose, and that they aren't a useful member of society. For some, having these kind of feelings can be really detrimental to their mental health and could result in a person committing suicide.
2.) Using a functionalist perspective, one could say that not having a function in society can cause a person to feel isolated and therefore interfere with healthy integration and regulation in society. When a person can meet the demands of a society they feel as if they are part of something, you can go back to your child and remember a time when you weren't picked for a team, or had the lowest test score in a class, these instances make us feel isolated from the group whether it be our classmates, or a sports team. Humans have an inherent need to feel like part of a group, and if we don't we feel as if there is something wrong with us or that we are an outsider. The functionalist perspective views society as a function of parts that create a whole, we are the parts and society is the whole. Using this perspective you could say that not being a functioning part of the whole is where the problem lies. In order to be a functioning member of society you must meet the demands of a society, and that is hard to do when there are not enough available resources to do so. I would have applied the conflict perspective but I thought that viewing it through a functionalist perspective kept with the theme on suicide and supports Durkheim's theories on suicide.
3.) I chose this blog post because I think that this is an important social issue that affects the lives of many and if it isn't brought to light it will affect many more. If any group of people are increasingly committing suicide it is a major problem that needs to be addressed. This is a hard issue to make a change in because you can't just increase jobs and pay that easily. The American model of being young, getting a job, having a family, and buying a home isn't as achievable as it once was and I can already see the effects it has on my generation and how it is different from my parents generation. We are not getting married, we aren't having children, and we are not buying homes; in a sense we are stunted. The reason why I was interested in commenting on this post is to try to have more understanding on my late friend Sunny Rae who committed suicide about 7 years ago. Its interesting how much of an impact that society can have on an individual, and on the other hand it is also interesting how after one takes their life, the resulting impact it can have on the society as well, mostly because people that feel like a part of society cannot understand what it feels like to not feel like a part of society at all.
ReplyDeleteSuzy Semerdjian
ReplyDelete1. According to the Article, “The Forces Driving Middle-Aged White People’s ‘Death of Despair’ ”, the graph on the bottom of the page shows us the rates of drug, alcohol and suicide rates among whites ages 45-54 are oddly enough higher than any other race in our society today. Even though, this is very shocking, this is the hard reality of it. This article also explains the main cause of why white men are committing suicide, which is job opportunities being limited to only those who have college degrees. This world wide issue had caused overdose from prescription drug rates to go up rapidly, as well as alcoholic liver disease. Even now, it is still a hassle for people without college degrees to find jobs easily. Thus, this can even lead to people becoming homeless or getting into depression, which can be a major a major trigger/cause for high suicide rates. Also noted in the article, suicide rates are much more higher and common in men then in women. This can be because men tend to not open up to people or do not have a supportive group to talk to (such as friends or family). Other parts of the country, such as Neveda and Utah, have also been affected by these rates, even though majority of the people who live there do not smoke, drink alcohol, or even tea and coffee. As stated in the article, “Utah has a very hard time coping with the opioid crisis”. The cause of this can be because people are not close to one another and so they tend to hold everything in and the only way of letting their thoughts out is by harming their body’s or even worse, by killing themselves. I believe that people who can not get a job like those with a college degree become depressed because they don’t have the financial ability to start a family or own a house to live in, hence the give up and look for other alternatives which can lead to depression or taking there own life.
Delete2. In the functionalist perspective, a person who does not have a place in society may feel left out and therefore resort to things that are not socially acceptable, such as suicide or alcohol abuse. When someone finds there place in society, they feel better about themselves and as if they are apart of something. For example, when you are chosen for a role of a play against another person. You feel as though people appreciate you and you are valued more than the person competing against you. As humans, we all want to be apart of something and never want to feel left out. When someone makes you feel left out, you feel like you are not good enough, thus people tend to make wrong decisions which can be a huge impact on not only them, but the society as well.
3. This blog post shows us the issues that have been rising tremendously in our society today. Thus, I choose this blog post because this topic is a serious matter that will not be resolved over night, but should also not be something we close our eyes on. I am very curious as to why people resort to suicide, rather than looking for other alternatives, such as therapy/social groups or simply talking to a friend or a family member. This article does not only affect the person who is committing suicide, but also those around them. Someone who takes their own life may not know the affect this can have on the society. I believe that if more jobs were accessible to these people, suicide rates would not be as high, but this is also something that may not change because it is such a controversial topic. Everyone wants to be able to live the American Dream, but not all people are willing to work for it and because of this other changes in our society should be made for these people who were not made to go to school.
I Luzia M. reply on Suye Semerdjian Because this topic is rally sad and the percentage of suicide increasing more and more. everyone asking a question why people doing suicide in age of 15, 25, 35, 45. In all stage of age there's problems, 15 is teenagers drug, alcohol, sexual being abused can cause stage for suicide. but in this case biggest problem coming from parents. they not putting enough time on their kids for understood whats going on with kid, whats bother them. Being in Adult age there's more ways which can cause for suicide. As you grown up more you understand what going on around you, and most of people cant take that hard steps. It can be Financial problem, As Suzy said they can fined them self and then can feel lonely, and is can effect on them.
DeleteIt's a big social problem but in my opinion this problem can be decreased on some percentage ,it depends who's next to you who's your friend, who's helping you to get out from that problem, there's lot of people who leaving their friends and then they getting surprised if they get in suicide.
Rita b
ReplyDeleteEleni P.
ReplyDelete1.Princeton University economists and researchers Anne Case and Angus Deaton were astonished when they found that the death rate for white Americans between the ages of 45-54 was rising so quickly. The rate was increasing rapidly instead of decreasing and at the time, during their research in 2015, they had no idea why. Angus Deaton states, “Mortality rates have been going down forever. There's been a huge increase in life expectancy and reduction in mortality over 100 years or more, and then for all of this to suddenly go into reverse [for whites ages 45 to 54], we thought it must be wrong”. Whites have always had a longer life expectancy statistically compared to blacks but the gap is quickly closing. They began to observe what reasons caused premature death and they were able to conclude and categorize the deaths as “Deaths of Despair” —deaths caused by suicide, drugs and alcohol. They were able to find that the lack of good paying, stable jobs being available to people without a college degrees was one of the leading factors to suicide. Another leading factor was now being in a healthy, supportive marriage or family but the two can be linked together because you would need a well paying job in order to support a family. This relates to french sociologist Émile Durkhiem’s study on suicide where he said suicide is personal but public issues lead to it. These people that commit suicide lack social integration; they have very few social ties to their social group. Another issue common in people that don't have good jobs is that they turn to drugs and alcohol when things are not well in their life Anne Case relates the two components together, “The rates of suicide are much higher among men [than women]. And drug overdoses and alcohol-related liver death are higher among men, too. But the [mortality] trends are identical for men and women with a high school degree or less. So we think of this as people, either quickly with a gun or slowly with drugs and alcohol, are killing themselves”. This is a big social issue that is growing rapidly, ultimately the lack of good jobs puts a strain on people emotionally and physically.
2. The Functionalist perspective says that each part of a society has a specific function and if one part goes wrong or fails it causes a problem in the other parts that come after it. In this case the lack of good paying jobs causes depression or social withdrawal amongst people and then that causes them to commit suicide or turn to harmful behaviors such as taking drugs and/ or alcohol. The functionalist theory also says that people need people to survive and with out human interaction we cant live. Human contact also instils a sense of norms and without them people would not be productive in society causing problems that would effect others and adding to the chain reaction.
3. This is a big problem in society today and its growing so I think after reading this article a lot of people including myself understand just how important a college degree is to be happy in the future and guarantee a well paying job. This issue relevant in the field of sociology reuse a lot of time when people commit suicide or harm themselves they don't see how it leaves behind a ripple affect in a way, it affects more people than they would think. An example of this is the new show on Netflix “13 Reasons Why”, when 17 year old Hannah dies of suicide it becomes a school wide issue affecting her classmates and the school administration which she had no intentions or of causing because she didn't think anyone would. I think its the same with any one that commits suicide or dies suddenly; they leave behind a network of people burdened by it personally.
Rita B.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the article, death rates for white Americans ages 45 to 54 climbed half a percent each year between 1999 and 2013. In the previous two decades, the death rate for this group had dropped by 2% each year. Middle-aged blacks and Hispanics continued to see a 2% annual decline between 1999 and 2013. Most of these deaths are a result of drugs, alcohol, and suicide.When the researchers took a closer look at the death rate among middle-aged whites, they found that those with only a high school education or less saw a much larger rise in death rate than those who went to college.The death rate for middle-aged whites with only a high school education or less increased by 134 per 100,000 between 1999 and 2013. Suicide rates were higher in men than in women. Those with a bachelor's degree or more education saw death rates fall by 57 per 100,000 in that time period. Researchers have noted that fewer economic opportunities, especially for those with less education, have led to more despair and worse health, and in turn more abuse of drugs and alcohol. That suggest if being a public issue if education is the most evident answer then why does the rate of drugs, alcoholism, and suicide decrease for Black and Hispanic populations. To get to the root of the problem a sociologist would look at economic, social, and cultural resources to get to the root of the problem. Socially black and hispanic communities usually have a large support system which contributes to the decreasing rate in deaths. Studies suggest that unstable incomes and the failure to achieve that American Dream plays a huge role in suicide rates in the white middle class which is a result in an unequal economy system.
The most efficient way to study and unequal economy system is through the conflict theory. Karl Marx's theory shows the relationship between the economy and the workers and divides it by to distinct social workers. A conflict theorist would argue that as a result to providing equal and stable opportunity in employment it is causing an increase in suicide rates. The individuals that were not able to receive an education has to work a lot harder and will most likely not be making the same amount as someone with an education. This makes them the proletariat, the workers and the lower class, in the conflict theory always following orders of the bourgeoisie, managers, bosses, and rulers get the profit, feeling hopeless. This can put a lot of stress on an individual leading in depression, alcohol and drug abuse.
This article caught my attention because dramatic increase in suicide rates. Reading the article and doing additional research gave me the realization that this problem will most probably get worse in the next couple of years rathen improving due to economic situations. The one subtopic thing that really interested me was the fact that drug, alcohol, and suicide rates were decreasing in Black and Hispanic individuals rather than increasing. This shows the huge impact a social community can have on an individual's life.
Kimberly C. replying to Eleni P.
ReplyDeleteIts very surprising to see that the rate for deaths caused be suicide, drugs, and alcohol for middle aged white males is going up believed to be factored by the lack of a good paying job, lack off marriage, and the stress of not finding a good job without a college degree. Its surprising because you wouldnt really think that white middle aged men would be going through this compared to men from other races with less education and opportunity because white men in my opinion have always been the ones with good jobs, careers or marriages, but is guess now that America has more diversity the doors have opened for all races for the opportunity to get a degree and a good job.
Its very sad to see the death rates go up for white middle ages men because it seems like its a big problem in society because these people feel like they arent getting the good paying jobs they want and it is resulting in them taking their lives instead of trying to work a little harder to get where they want to be.