Social dimension of suicide: Turgutlu case

Suicide is ending life voluntarily by the method and time of the individual's own choice. The act of suicide, which is carried out individually, is a behavior that shows that the individual has given up on life, although life is perceived as an indispensable value for human beings. That's why, suicide is a subject that has been questioned and wondered by societies for centuries. This act, which is a form of behavior that is glorified in some societies and not approved in others, continues to be committed by individuals; and the number of people committing suicide is increasing every year. The fact that a person, who is a social being, gives up on life, can create the perception that we have to search the reason for the suicidal behavior focusing on the individual herself/himself. However, the causes of suicide, which is an act that is committed individually but is a social phenomenon, are still in the society, and this reality emerges as an issue that the world of social science attaches great importance to. In this context, while Durkheim's theory of suicide reveals the social dimension of suicide, it clearly reveals how the dynamics of the society in which the individual lives affect the decisions taken by the individual and why the causes of suicide should be sought in the society. In our study, first of all, the historical development of suicide, which is a social phenomenon, is explained and then the sociological dimension of suicide, especially Durkheim's theory of suicide, is revealed. In addition, socio-demographic analysis of suicides in the world and in Turkey is carried out through statistical data. Last but not least, the social causes of suicide are revealed by examining the suicides that occur in the District of Turgutlu in Manisa Province, which is the base for research and where suicides are increasing day by day. In the study, which is a qualitative field research, 12 suicide events related to 50 suicide events between the years 2015-2020 constitute the research sample and the findings obtained from the interviews conducted with the relatives of the individuals who committed suicide are evaluated sociologically. In the light of the answers to the questions in the semi-structured interview form used in the face-to-face interviews with the participants, a descriptive analysis of the socio-demographic information of the individuals who committed suicide, such as gender, age, education, marital status, etc., and the data obtained regarding the suicide event is performed. While the fact that Turgutlu is a district that receives intense immigration forms the basis of the suicide incidents, factors such as problems in family communication, migration and urbanization, economic problems, health problems, bad habits and media are discussed in the context of suicide, from a sociological perspective.