“One big race”, narrow paths and Golden spoons: fatalistic narratives among young South Koreans

Abstract Durkheim’s Le Suicide outlined two distinct types of suicide that depend on an individual’s level of social regulation. While one of these, anomie/anomic suicide has been greatly explored by both Durkheim and subsequent literature, the concept of fatalistic suicide has been neglected due to Durkheim’s own proclamation that it had little contemporary importance. In this article, I report narratives related to suicide gathered from interviewing South Koreans aged 20–30 that mirror elements of fatalistic suicide, such as violently blocked passions and oppressive discipline. South Koreans in this age group often discussed that they have constantly felt immense pressure from society to achieve particular life goals by certain ages, and not achieving these expectations essentially means that one’s life is over. Furthermore, I contend that achieving these lofty expectations, such as going to what is considered a prestigious university or getting a well-respected first job is hardly possible for the masses, and instead sets up many students and postgraduates for inescapable failure. The reaction to this failure of being able to meet goals and expectations can be understood in terms of Durkheim’s anomie, given that people’s goals can no longer be regulated by society once they have failed. This article posits that individuals move between extremes of Durkheim’s social regulation.