ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the terrain of farmer distress and the possibility of suicide is contoured by the interstices between subjectivity and the political, cultural, social, economic and climatic conditions in which farming occurs. It aims to contribute to understanding how political, economic, social, ethical and emotional conditions underpin and generate distress and thus render suicide a possibility for farmers. The chapter describes that social work as a discipline and as a profession has a skill set that enables the bridging of macro and micro contexts to enhance knowledge but also farmer suicide prevention strategies. It concerns an understanding of the interstices between farmer subjectivities and the political and moral economies and communities in which farmers live. The chapter discusses the notion of success and individual responsiveness to the market and demonstrates that community norms, responses of the nation state and global markets create a political and moral economy that implicates the subject in feelings of shame.
