IDEOLOGY

Ideology can be defined as a system of beliefs, attitudes, values and ideas that characterize the thinking of a particular group. It is interesting to consider the ideology of teen suicide as it relates to three Boston Globe articles over the span of three years that relate exclusively to suicide in one particular community. Reporting on the subject, as well as the ideology surrounding the issue has shifted dramatically.

The initial article of 2006 exudes an attitude of self-questioning and self-blame in which guilt and confusion surround the idea that suicides should not happen. It is an analytical stance which characterizes certain members of society as failures.

A shift appears in an article almost twelve months later. Along with guilt and confusion there is now an overwhelming anxiety within the report which represents a belief that youth are at risk and in danger. Along with this is a belief that people and children should be scared to talk about such a contentious issue.

This year, in 2008 there is an undeniable emotion to the article, advocating suicide awareness. Acknowledgement and identification are the main ideas behind the words. As a society which will continue to grieve and manage such an issue, we can now only stand to benefit from this most current ideology.

Youth suicide can also be related to dominant ideologies in society. It is obvious that it is a social issue that directly and indirectly affects many members of society. It is now acknowledged as a problem and controversy that in the United States is related to moral values. Other social issues include abortion, gay rights, illegal immigration, stem cell research, and sex education. All of which are regarded as taboo, in which there is a strong prohibition against discussing such issues, as they are thought of as undesirable, and offensive by certain groups, communities, and other pockets of society.

Suicide if often ignored and unseen due to an ideology that reporting and discussion may have an unintended negative effect that suggests suicide as an option for teenagers. It is thought that talking about it, draws unwarranted attention, and brings it to the minds of adolescents in a way that normalizes it. This also leads to the apparent threat of copycat suicides in which a duplication of another suicide takes place that a person knows about due to local knowledge, or accounts and depictions in the media. There is a fear and ideology of social contagion in which suicide may spread throughout a school system or community.

Social issues are related to the fabric of a given community, and the underreporting, of suicides in the United States is largely due to cultural influences on themes such as religion, honor and the meaning of life. There is an inherent ideology in the religious nature of this country that suicide is seen as an offense and crime against god due to beliefs in the sanctity of life related to Judaism, Christianity and Catholicism. International views differ in countries with less of a religious foundation. In China, suicide is frequently tolerated if not explicitly approved. It is frequently used as a means of escaping tragedy and shame. Similarly, in Japan, it is a means of maintaining one’s honor, and an acceptable way to avoid shame or dishonor upon one’s family. Within The Netherlands, the decline of religion and rise of individualism has brought about a belief, that everybody has the right to live, as well as the right to die. The Dutch will usually respect the decision made by the deceased, even if they do not know, or do not understand the reasoning behind it.

A final ideology related to suicide that is somewhat non-dominant within today’s society, is that of ageism. Ageism is the stereotyping and prejudice against an individual or group because of their age. Related to this is Jeunism which refers to the preference of young people and adolescents over adults, and that greater vitality and youth is more appreciated than the supposed greater moral and intellectual facets of adulthood. In 2005 roughly eight-eight percent of all suicides in Massachusetts were people over the age of twenty four. Yet, there is no reporting of adult suicide in the media unless it is a celebrity, and much less concern and confusion. It seems that when youth commit suicide it is a much greater tragedy, and a real loss for society, as they are young, pristine, innocent, and only at the beginning of their lives.