Pitilessly blocked futures and violently choked passions: A case for fatalistic suicide in understanding student suicide in South Korea

Abstract

Durkheim's Le Suicide outlined four distinct types of suicide, of which three were greatly in detail. The fourth, fatalistic suicide, was developed only within the confines of a footnote in Durkheim's work. In this paper, I propose that the largely neglected concept of fatalistic suicide is a useful model for potentially understanding student-suicide in South Korea. Korea has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, especially among the student-aged bracket. More specifically, I contend that the Korean education system creates a fatalistic social environment for many Korean students. I argue that fatalistic suicide is the most appropriate suicide-type to theoretically classify these suicides when juxtaposed with the other three types. Moreover, this paper discusses fatalism in Korea in relation to its possible socio-emotional and psychological effects on Korean students, making for an approach that attempts to address the gap between social forces and individual behavior.