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The person contemplating suicide, the recovered survivor of a suicide attempt, the family members of a publicized suicide, and the volunteers and professionals at a suicide prevention center all share one vitally important characteristic: They are functioning in a society that has established norms regarding the meaning of the act of suicide and the act of attempted suicide; with varying degrees of success they have been socialized to live in this society. The study, treatment, and efforts at prevention of suicide inevitably take place within a cultural milieu.These statements, albeit truisms and platitudes, are nonetheless, relatively ignored. The emphasis expressed both in the academic and nonacademic writing on suicide and in the treatment and prevention of self-destructive persons has been on the individual, his significant others and relevant health, and on the mental health specialists. Little if any comment is made regarding the community or the broader society within which these selfdestructive acts and attempts to treat or prevent the self-destructive acts Occur. A search of the literature was conducted to determine whether any previous study investigated the attitudes of the general population regarding various aspects of suicide. No such research was located, although items inquiring about suicide and self-destructive behavior have been included in investigations of other phenomena and in unpublished surveys and polls (Shneidman, 1971).The authors took advantage of an ongoing study of death and bereavement in a cross-ethnic context to initiate exploration of this concern.

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