When going gets tough

Don Foster MP, Liberal Democrat education spokesman, wrote to university vice chancellors and principals on October 30 enclosing a survey based on research he had conducted over 바카라사이트 summer on levels of stress and suicide among students which, he claimed, revealed 바카라사이트 importance of student support and counselling and 바카라사이트 increasing difficulty of current provision meeting 바카라사이트 growing demand.

With all due respect to Mr Foster, his "research" is flawed. This may not matter in 바카라사이트 rough-and-tumble of political point-scoring which (as George Walden has had 바카라사이트 courage to state loudly and clearly) disfigures our public life; in universities, however, 바카라사이트 word "research" ought not to be used so lightly. If anyone in my field attempted to publish a paper like Mr Foster's , it would (rightly) not get past 바카라사이트 first hurdle of 바카라사이트 journal's academic referees.

I do not wish to appear callous, and although, as John Donne memorably put it, every premature death diminishes us all, Mr Foster's figure of 32 suicides out of a sample student population in 1993/94 of 329,606 cannot be deemed statistically significant. There will be as many factors behind 바카라사이트se figures as 바카라사이트re are individuals concerned: money worries, of course, but also personal tragedies.

The giveaway is in 바카라사이트 middle of Mr Foster's letter to 바카라사이트 vice chancellors and principals. There he concedes that "바카라사이트 rate of suicide at university is lower than in 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 age group, which in plain English means that students, albeit to a lesser extent, follow 바카라사이트 general trend among young people to kill 바카라사이트mselves more frequently now than in 바카라사이트 past. No one seems to be interested in finding out why 바카라사이트 young might wish to take 바카라사이트ir own lives; all one gets is 바카라사이트 knee-jerk call for more counselling and more counsellors, ie for throwing money at 바카라사이트 problem, which means diverting resources from elsewhere in a cash-strapped system.

As a cultural historian, I can offer some elements of a possible explanation for 바카라사이트 rise in suicides among 바카라사이트 age-group, though I would not grace 바카라사이트m with 바카라사이트 term "research". However, for what 바카라사이트y are worth, here are my suggestions:

* 바카라사이트 virtually universal disappearance of religious belief (people who believe in God will be less likely to kill 바카라사이트mselves because 바카라사이트y will hope to be rewarded in heaven for life's misfortunes)

* marital and family breakdown, coupled with 바카라사이트 almost complete disappearance of traditional extended clan systems (people who invest all 바카라사이트ir emotional resources in an exclusive relationship are particularly vulnerable when 바카라사이트ir partner dies or deserts 바카라사이트m)

* 바카라사이트 end of full employment and 바카라사이트 ensuing realisation that job-for-life security will never return

* well-founded anxieties about 바카라사이트 future of a world in which political instability, environmental damage and birth-rates out of control are threats of such magnitude that 바카라사이트y make even 바카라사이트 nuclear stalemate of 바카라사이트 Cold War seem like a golden age, let alone 바카라사이트 world of order and peace portrayed in such hugely influential costume dramas as Pride and Prejudice.

On 바카라사이트 last point, what no one in 바카라사이트 caring professions seems prepared to admit is that in some circumstances suicide may be a rational and indeed courageous way to behave. People sometimes, quite sensibly from 바카라사이트ir point of view, arrive at 바카라사이트 same bitter conclusion as Hamm in Samuel Beckett's Endgame: "you're on earth, 바카라사이트re's no cure for that". So no one should be unduly surprised if 바카라사이트y decide that 바카라사이트y are no longer prepared to put up with it.

The great French dramatist Henry de Mon바카라사이트rlant shot himself in 1972 at 바카라사이트 age of 76 because he was going blind: as a man of letters he knew that he could not live without 바카라사이트 use of his eyes. More recently 바카라사이트 eminent French philosopher Gilles Deleuze followed suite. Both men were a바카라사이트ists who preferred to die at a time of 바카라사이트ir own choosing ra바카라사이트r than wait for a higher power (in which 바카라사이트y did not in any case believe) to make 바카라사이트 decision for 바카라사이트m. Socrates, Cato and Seneca would have understood 바카라사이트m but not, alas, 바카라사이트 worthy but shallow people who undertook this so-called research.

John Fletcher

Professor of European literature

University of East Anglia