Qualitative Study of the Phenomenon of Self-Immolation in Ilam

Subject Areas : Quarterly Journal of Woman and Society

Khadijeh Safiri ¹ (Professor of sociology and the head of women 'studies of Al Zahra University)
Zahra Rezaeinasab ² (Ph.D. student of sociology, Al Zahra University)

Received: 2016-06-27 Accepted : 2016-06-27 Published : 2016-03-20

Keywords: Domestic Violence, Patriarchy, Self-Immolation, Suicide Fatalistic,

Abstract :

Suicide is defined as knowingly harming oneself to escape from an intolerable situation that is in fact regarded as an unfortunate phenomenon, which includes recognized psychological, social, cultural, and biological dimensions, as well as human and economic consequences. Attempted suicide by self-immolation is the most violent and painful Approach towards the termination of life. Self-immolation means the death of a life for the women who could find no solution better than self-immolation as a reaction against challenges of life after years of patience. The purpose of this research is to study the phenomenon of self-immolation among women of Ilam city by using qualitative method. To achieve this purpose in-depth interview with 12 women who had attempted suicide in recent years was conducted. The theoretical background of this research is looking at two theories. One is Durkheim's theory of suicide, claiming that women's self-immolation in Ilam is a version of Durkheim's fatalistic Suicide. The other theory was the feminist view that explains that patriarchal culture in Ilam society plays the most significant role in harming women. Findings of this qualitative study include general elements of suicide phenomenon such as illiteracy, unemployment, and so on, in addition to some specific elements such as traditional gender patterns (in the form of patriarchy and fanaticism, violence), labeling, deprivation, and depression of women attempting self-immolation. These categories, with reference to the data collected from the interviews suggest multidimensional nature of the phenomenon of self-immolation of women in the city of Ilam.

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