Suicide prevention and social capital: a Samoan perspective.

ABSTRACT

This paper draws on the example of Samoa to argue that Western models of health promotion and suicide prevention, especially those which draw on conventional understandings of social capital, are not appropriate for non-Western communities, for they are generally not sensitive to cultural beliefs, values and rituals. As such, the value of homogenously promoting social capital as an adjunct to suicide prevention strategies needs to be questioned. Suicide prevention and resilience strategies must be culturally relevant and developed 'by the people for the people', to address the nature of the suicide problem in Samoa.

KEY WORDS

New Zealand Maori; Samoa; social capital; sociology; suicide prevention; suicide resilience

Introduction

Social capital has been identified as an important concept for explaining certain social and economic variations within communities and countries (World Bank 1999). Indeed, social capital has been labelled the 'missing link' or final piece in the development jigsaw (Willis 2005:111). Accordingly, strategies to measure, promote and build social capital have been incorporated into social research, policy and practice, both in the West and the Third World (Portes 1998:1). In relation to health, Cullen and Whiteford (2001) are just two of many who suggest that high social capital levels correlate with low rates of attempted and successful suicides. Consequently, a multitude of policy documents now feature the building of social capital as a strategy for preventing suicide.

However, the underpinnings of many of these arguments are informed by Western conceptions, which does little to account for differing cultural contexts. Thus, it is argued in this paper, by using the Samoan example, that the nexus between social capital and suicide resilience needs to be established culturally before an effective social capital approach to suicide prevention can be promoted. Furthermore, it is maintained that any approach to suicide prevention needs to actively consider the community it is meant to represent, reflect the values and beliefs of the culture, and occur in partnership with the community. Without the cooperation of the 'grass roots' community, mental health promotion and suicide reduction strategies are unlikely to be successful.