Modernization and the Male–Female Suicide Ratio in India 1967–1997: Divergence or Convergence?

Modernization and the Male–Female Suicide Ratio in India 1967–1997: Divergence or Convergence?

1. Della M. Steen BA (Hons)^*, 
2. Peter Mayer PhD

Article first published online: 6 JAN 2011

DOI: 10.1521/suli.34.2.147.32782

The traditional view that modernization is likely to increase male vulnerability to suicide while protecting females from such self-destruction was offered by Durkheim (1951). This implies a theory of divergence of suicide rates such that the male–female suicide ratio should increase with modernization. Contemporary researchers have questioned whether modernization has had such an impact. We conducted a time series analysis of male and female suicide data to determine the impact on the suicide ratio for India for the years 1967 to 1997. We developed a modernization index comprised of urbanization, female literacy, and female work participation rates. Moreover, to improve methodological efficacy, we controlled for the passage of time. However, we found that there is no significant relationship between modernization and the male-female suicide ratio. Our conclusion is that using national male–female suicide ratios to determine modernization effects may mask significant regional gender and age differences, particularly in developing countries such as India.