Which sociologist pioneered the methodology of studying suicide and emphasized the role of social bonds?

Emile Durkheim is best known for pioneering the sociological study of suicide and for his emphasis on the influence of social bonds on individual behavior. In his groundbreaking work, "Le Suicide," published in 1897, Durkheim classified suicide into different types based on the degree of integration and regulation within society. He argued that a person’s likelihood to commit suicide is greatly influenced by their social environment, including factors such as family, community, and social ties.

Durkheim introduced key concepts such as "egotistic," "altruistic," "anomic," and "fatalistic" suicides, each illustrating how variations in social integration and regulation lead to different outcomes in terms of suicide rates. For instance, individuals with weak social ties (egotistic suicide) are more likely to take their own lives than those who have strong connections to family and community. This work laid the foundation for understanding how societal factors can profoundly impact individual actions, establishing sociology as a discipline that studies the relationship between individual behaviors and social structures.