This book identifies and analyzes the significant regional differences in suicide rates of various age groups and different sexes among Chinese rural residents. It goes beyond the analytic dichotomy in traditional Western suicide studies and argues that the phenomena of suicide among Chinese farmers are the result of a combination of social structure and social action, rather than being determined by either of these two factors alone. This study analyses suicide rates among young married women in rural areas as well as those of elderly people in rural areas. The responsive trend for the near future is also projected. The underlying dynamics and causal mechanisms of these phenomena are carefully analyzed using an innovative "structure - action theory" framework.

Auteur

Yanwu Liu, PhD in Sociology, is associate professor in the School of Sociology, Wuhan University. His main research interests are farmer suicide, single men in rural China, rural governance, marriage and family among the rural population.