Status integration and suicide among women: A survey of Gibs and Martin's theory of suicide

Gibbs and Martin build on Durkheim’s view that the degree of social integration is inversely related to the rate of suicide. According to Gibbs and Martin, which is expressed in terms of five axioms, the rate of suicide is a function of the degree of status integration in a society. This theory has been extensively subjected to experimental studies, which have supported its axioms. Most of these studies have used longitudinal data and data at macro level. Since this theory has not been introduced to Persian readers, the purpose of this paper is to introduce the main theoretical basis of the theory and to concentrate on one of its aspects; that is, the rate of women’s participation in the work force as an index of role conflict for explaining suicide among women. Gibbs and Martin believe that this theory is better than alternative theories of Durkheim and others with respect to its testability, range and prediction precision.