Numerous studies have reported that suicide rates tend to be affected by temporal variables (month, day of the week, day of the month, holidays). Few authors have provided convincing explanations of these relations, and no one except Durkheim has suspected that they display similarities which indicate that they might have some causal origins in common. This article attempts to look at several temporal correlations as examples of the same underlying dynamics and to offer a theory which helps to organize a traditionally enigmatic body of research.
Social Forces is a journal of social research highlighting sociological inquiry but also exploring realms shared with social psychology, anthropology, political science, history, and economics. The journal's intended academic readers include sociologists, social psychologists, criminologists, economists, political scientists, anthropologists, and students of urban studies, race/ethnic relations, and religious studies.
Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. OUP is the world's largest university press with the widest global presence. It currently publishes more than 6,000 new publications a year, has offices in around fifty countries, and employs more than 5,500 people worldwide. It has become familiar to millions through a diverse publishing program that includes scholarly works in all academic disciplines, bibles, music, school and college textbooks, business books, dictionaries and reference books, and academic journals.
This item is part of a JSTOR Collection.
For terms and use, please refer to our
Social Forces