Émile Durkheim's Suicide: A Study in Sociology.

Anomic suicide is a leading cause of death in modern times.

In sociology, the classic and most influential framework for understanding suicide was developed by French sociologist Émile Durkheim in his 1897 work, Suicide: A Study in Sociology. Durkheim argued that suicide is not just an individual act. It is ofcourse driven by psychological distress but is also a social phenomenon influenced by the degree of social integration and social regulation in a society. 

Durkheim identified four types of suicide: 

Egoistic suicide:

Egoistic suicide results from a lack of social integration, leading to social isolation of an individual making him feel detached from society.

When social bonds are weakened, and the individuals feel they have no place, they are more susceptible to egoistic suicide.

Durkheim found this pattern among unmarried individuals and Protestants during his research.

Altruistic suicide:

Altruistic suicide occurs when an individual is overly integrated into society and sacrifices their life for the collective good or a group's beliefs.

Altruistic suicide also occurs when an individual is overly integrated into society and sacrifices their life for a group's beliefs.

Here, the individual's life is seen as less important than the society's needs. It is altruistic suicide when a soldier dives on a grenade to save comrades. Sati, dying along with the husband on the pyre, used to be called altruistic suicide and a historical practice in India.

Anomic suicide:

Anomic suicide is a result of a sudden breakdown of social norms often caused by dramatic social or economic upheaval.

In this state of "normlessness," individuals feel confused and lack direction, as their aspirations are no longer defined or restrained by societal ethics. Anomic suicide can occur during economic crises or periods of rapid industrialization, excessive taxation or technological development like AI or GAI.

Fatalistic suicide:

Fatalistic suicide is caused by social regulation, where a person's future is blocked by oppressive discipline and control, leading them to feel trapped and hopeless as is very common in India when girl is forced into marriage. It is the opposite of anomic suicide.

Examples include enslaved people or prisoners in abusive, over-regulated conditions, who may choose death rather than endure their circumstances. 

Émile Durhheim' work is foundational in sociological theory, establishing that suicide can be studied as a "social fact" influenced by forces and factors outside the individual.

Émile Durhheim' classification demonstrates that both a lack of social connection and an excess of social control can lead to different forms of suicide.