Coping and Suicide amongst the Lads

Felicia Garcia holds a Master's Degree in Social Anthropology from Stockholm University, Sweden, based on a field study of malandros (gangsters) in Caracas, Venezuela. She concluded a second Master's degree in Developing Democracy in 2008 at the University of Uppsala, Sweden. She received her PhD in Anthropology at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Republic of Ireland.

• 1. Introduction2. Theorizing Social Change in Ireland3. Low Income Youth: Autonomy and Independence4. Neo-Traditional Masculinity and Social Change5. Policing and Schooling Gender Appropriate Behavior 6. Consuming the Craic, Destroying the Body 7. Concluding Discussion

"This analysis of the causes of suicide among young working class Irish males is timely and the author's conclusion - that the origins are mainly socio-cultural - is accurate. High levels of unemployment prevent these men from establishing autonomous lives in the traditional sense and the internalization of outmoded forms of masculinity constrain them from seeking help. In this time and emotional vacuum alcohol becomes the main support in cushioning reality and achieving a collective identity." - Anne Cleary, Deputy Head of School, School of Sociology,University College Dublin, Ireland "Felicia Garcia is an extraordinary scientist of the modern time who demonstrates her research findings in a way that policy makers and practitioners can easily grasp. The interview techniques that Garcia applied in her research provide useful insights into the conditions that provoke suicide among the lads in Ireland. This is a 'must read' book for everyone!" - Sarah Wamala, Former Director General of the Swedish National Institute of Public Health and Professor of Health Policy and Leadership at the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden. Co-editor of The Handbook of Global Health Policy (2014)