Citation

Porterfield AL, Gibbs JP. Am. J. Sociol. 1960; 66(2): 147-152.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1960, University of Chicago Press)

DOI

10.1086/222843

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In this analysis victims of suicide in New Zealand are rankled by class origin and class at death. The highest rank in occupational prestige attained by the father is taken as indicating the class of the victim's family of orientation; the victim's class is indicated by the prestige rank of his occupation at death. The data indicate that upper-class fathers produce more than their proportion of suicidal sons, that suicide rates are significantly higher among persons of high prestige, and that victims of suicide, born at whatever level, freely change position between generations on the prestige scale.

Language: en