article

Truk suicide epidemic and social change

Human organization46 (4)Published In 1987 • Pages: 283-291

By: Hezel, Francis X..

AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
This article is a version of Hezel's earlier work on Chuuk suicide (see document no. 41). In this article, Hezel makes more eplicit the indirect relationship between modernization and the high suicide rate among young Chuuk males. Here, and in the other article, he describes how most suicides result from tensions in the family, especially between children and parents, and between younger and older siblings. Hezel argues that the market economy has made smaller family units more viable and independent of the matrilineage. Where before, control of property and authority rested among senior members of the wife's family, now the husband enjoys greater autonomy and authority, and also has sole responsibility for the upbringing and disciplining of his children. With the increased childcare responsibilities parents have become more strict and less flexible. Parents have delegated some responsibilities to older children, creating tensions among siblings. According to Hezel, the resulting bind adolescent males find themselves has driven some to suicide.
SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
Ingroup antagonisms
Family relationships
Lineages
Suicide
cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
Chuuk
HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
1999
RegionThe area the document pertains to
Oceania
Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
Micronesia
Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
article
Evaluation
Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
Missionary
Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
Ian Skoggard ; 1997
Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
1977-1985
Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
1970-1985
Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
Chuuk State, Federated States of Micronesia
NotesAdditional notes
Francis X. Hezel, S. J.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 291)
LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
47033317
LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
Trukese (Micronesian people)