Throughout centuries, suicide has had different connotations in different cultural environments. From the historical perspective it is interesting as it reflects values, fears and prejudices of the societies in each period. In the period under consideration those who would commit suicide transformed from criminals and sinners into patients: suicide was decriminalised in accordance with the civilizational norms and moved into the area of social pathology (along with alcoholism, idleness, adolescent unrest, and certain sexual deviations), only to later finally become a choice that enabled people to take the process of dying into their own hands instead of surrendering it to fate or coincidence.
The symposium provides us with the opportunity to discusshow attitudes towards suicide have changed and how the phenomenon of suicide was perceived by the different segments of society: how did psychiatrists, social scientists, jurists, theologists, politicians, the media and the public opinion search for and interpret the various reasons for the increasing suicide rates through the period under consideration. We also seek to determine whether and to which extent the suicide data became a mean of manipulation and proof that a personal crisis could be linked to broader social and national events and circumstances and who were the alleged culprit for that.
Over the course of centuries, suicide has undergone diverse conceptualizations within distinct cultural contexts. A historical examination of suicide proves intriguing, as it serves as a reflective mirror showcasing the values, fears, and prejudices prevailing in societies during each epoch. Noteworthy is the transformative evolution of the perception of individuals contemplating suicide, transitioning from being branded as criminals and sinners to being regarded as patients. This metamorphosis aligns with the decriminalization of suicide in accordance with evolving civilizational norms, relocating it within the realm of social pathology. Consequently, suicide has been positioned alongside phenomena such as alcoholism, idleness, adolescent unrest, and certain sexual deviations. Subsequently, it has emerged as a contemplative choice, affording individuals agency in managing the process of their own demise, as opposed to relinquishing it to the capricious forces of fate.
The symposium serves as a platform for a comprehensive exploration of the shifting attitudes toward suicide and the varied societal perspectives on this phenomenon. This examination extends to diverse segments of society, including psychiatrists, social scientists, jurists, theologians, politicians, the media, and public opinion. The symposium aims to delve into how these stakeholders sought to understand and interpret the multifaceted reasons behind the escalating suicide rates during the considered period. Additionally, it endeavours to elucidate whether suicide data became a tool for manipulation, serving as evidence that personal crises could be intricately linked to broader social and national events and circumstances. Furthermore, the symposium endeavours to identify those deemed responsible for such alleged correlations.
Our research questions include but are not limited to:
- Gender perspectives on suicide
- Scientific, medical, moral and media discourse on suicide
- Social and economic crisis and suicide
- Suicide and literature
- Public perception of suicides: Suicide as an act of rebellion
- Youth suicide vs suicide as a geriatric phenomenon
- The evolution of suicide prevention
- The perceived causes of suicidal behaviour: genetics, alcoholism, progressive degeneration etc.
We welcome scholars at all stages of their academic careers.
Please send a thematic proposal (up to 300 words) and a short CV by 31 March 2024, to the following address: meta.remec@inz.si.
Those selected to participate will be notified by the end of April 2024.
The international symposium will be held within the project Sin, shame, symptom: suicide and its Perceptions in Slovenia (1850-2000), No. J6-3123, financed by the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency.
For more information about the project visit: https://samomor1850-2000.inz.si/