Discussion and analysis of Marx, Durkheim and Freud, ideologies
INTRODUCTION
This essay attempts a discussion, analysis and evaluation of the ways, Marx, Durkheim and Freud applied sociological and psychological theories to define and understand the social world. It also does the same to Marx’s work on alienation and its impact on health, Freud’s work on psychoanalysis and its impact on contemporary understanding of mental illness and Durkheim’s work on suicide and its explanation of the causes of the types of death and death rates.
The social world
Marx looked at the social world from the material production angle describing it as the most fundamental of all human activities. Emphasising the significance of food, clothing and shelter in such activities, He opined that these were …show more content…
He noticed that individual suicide behaviour was largely based on aggregate statistics emanating from suicide rates in Protestants and Catholics. He examined and found that deaths due to illness or unspecified cause and sudden deaths separated Protestants and catholics in terms of classification. While they were interpreted as suicides in Protestants they were not by catholics.
According to Durkheim, suicides among catholics were fewer than in Protestants concluding that these were due to stronger controls and cohesion among Catholics than in Protestants. He also found suicide to be less common in women compared to men. Suicides were also more prevalent among single persons than those in relationships or in some form of sexual affairs. Psychological effects such as depression and non social or independent causes were identified as increasing suicide. He explained that these variables were also influenced by larger social forces. He described suicide, as a positive or negative act of the victim which is traceable to his/her death directly or
INTRODUCTION
This essay attempts a discussion, analysis and evaluation of the ways, Marx, Durkheim and Freud applied sociological and psychological theories to define and understand the social world. It also does the same to Marx’s work on alienation and its impact on health, Freud’s work on psychoanalysis and its impact on contemporary understanding of mental illness and Durkheim’s work on suicide and its explanation of the causes of the types of death and death rates.
The social world
Marx looked at the social world from the material production angle describing it as the most fundamental of all human activities. Emphasising the significance of food, clothing and shelter in such activities, He opined that these were …show more content…
He noticed that individual suicide behaviour was largely based on aggregate statistics emanating from suicide rates in Protestants and Catholics. He examined and found that deaths due to illness or unspecified cause and sudden deaths separated Protestants and catholics in terms of classification. While they were interpreted as suicides in Protestants they were not by catholics.
According to Durkheim, suicides among catholics were fewer than in Protestants concluding that these were due to stronger controls and cohesion among Catholics than in Protestants. He also found suicide to be less common in women compared to men. Suicides were also more prevalent among single persons than those in relationships or in some form of sexual affairs. Psychological effects such as depression and non social or independent causes were identified as increasing suicide. He explained that these variables were also influenced by larger social forces. He described suicide, as a positive or negative act of the victim which is traceable to his/her death directly or