Suicide, Homicide, and the Socialization of Aggression

While emphasizing the separation from psychology, Durkheim believed that sociological explanation could be facilitated by a knowledge of psychological variables. This viewpoint is brought to bear on some of the theory and data of Henry and Short's Suicide and Homicide. After presentation of a theory relating sociological variables to the socialization of aggression, hypotheses are derived similar to those of Henry and Short. These hypotheses are tested, employing an index of preference for suicide or homicide, the Suicide-Murder Ratio (SMR). Consideration of the socialization process as it is related to the American class structure resolves some issues raised by Henry and Short's theory of external restraint and effectively predicts the findings. The results are considered in terms of Durkheim's belief that the choice of suicide or homicide resulting from anomie is purely a psychological problem and from the standpoint of Henry and Short's assertion that the choice is in part determined by sociological variables.