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Sociological autopsy: An integrated approach to the study of suicide in men

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  • Scourfield, Jonathan
  • Fincham, Ben
  • Langer, Susanne
  • Shiner, Michael

Abstract

This paper’s main aim is to argue the methodological case for a particular approach to researching the sociology of suicide. By way of illustrating the use of this approach it also offers some brief examples of substantive findings about the gendered character of men’s suicides. The first half of the article explains and justifies the research approach. This is a qualitatively-driven mixed method and dual paradigm study of individual suicides. It is a sociological study which draws on the tradition of psychological autopsies of suicide; hence the term ‘sociological autopsy’. The second half of the article offers brief illustrative findings from a specific research project which employed the sociological autopsy approach. This was a study of 100 suicide case files from a coroner’s office in the UK. There is discussion of common sense assumptions about suicide in men; the construction of evidence in case files; a typology of gendered suicides where relationship breakdown seems to be the principal trigger; and the value of case-based analysis, with a single case discussed in some detail.

Suggested Citation

  • Scourfield, Jonathan & Fincham, Ben & Langer, Susanne & Shiner, Michael, 2012. "Sociological autopsy: An integrated approach to the study of suicide in men," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(4), pages 466-473.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:74:y:2012:i:4:p:466-473
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.01.054
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Andy Chung, 2009. "Gender difference in suicide, household production and unemployment," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(19), pages 2495-2504.
    2. Shiner, Michael & Scourfield, Jonathan & Fincham, Ben & Langer, Susanne, 2009. "When things fall apart: Gender and suicide across the life-course," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(5), pages 738-746, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Chris Holligan & Robert McLean, 2019. "A Durkheimian Theorization of Scottish Suicide Rates, 2011–2017," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(10), pages 1-12, September.
    2. Fitzpatrick, Scott J. & Read, Donna & Brew, Bronwyn K. & Perkins, David, 2021. "A sociological autopsy lens on older adult suicide in rural Australia: Addressing health, psychosocial factors and care practices at the intersection of policies and institutions," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 284(C).
    3. Richardson, Cara & Robb, Kathryn A. & O'Connor, Rory C., 2021. "A systematic review of suicidal behaviour in men: A narrative synthesis of risk factors," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 276(C).
    4. Joseph Osafo & Charity S. Akotia & Emmanuel N.-B. Quarshie & Kofi E. Boakye & Johnny Andoh-Arthur, 2017. "Police Views of Suicidal Persons and the Law Criminalizing Attempted Suicide in Ghana: A Qualitative Study With Policy Implications," SAGE Open, , vol. 7(3), pages 21582440177, September.
    5. Kingsley NNOROM, 2019. "Social Anomie and Suicide Phenomenon in Nigeria: Lending Credence to the Voiceless Phenomenon," RAIS Journal for Social Sciences, Research Association for Interdisciplinary Studies, vol. 3(2), pages 94-103, November.
    6. Coope, Caroline & Gunnell, David & Hollingworth, William & Hawton, Keith & Kapur, Nav & Fearn, Vanessa & Wells, Claudia & Metcalfe, Chris, 2014. "Suicide and the 2008 economic recession: Who is most at risk? Trends in suicide rates in England and Wales 2001–2011," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 76-85.

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