Keeping Up Appearances – The women taking over the funeral industry
The deathcare industry, traditionally male-dominated and criticized for corporate greed, is quietly undergoing a profound gender shift, with women now comprising 75% of mortuary science graduates. This surge is driven by a renewed "ethic of care" that prioritizes dignity and compassion over profit, sparking robust discussion among Hacker News readers about industry corporatization and societal attitudes towards death.
The Lowdown
The funeral industry, long associated with corporate avarice and stark commercialism, is experiencing a quiet revolution as women increasingly take the helm, bringing with them a profound "ethic of care." This demographic shift, where female enrollment in mortuary programs has soared to 75%, challenges outdated perceptions and aims to transform deathcare from a disembodied commercial service into an intimate, compassionate practice.
- Over the past four decades, female representation in mortuary science programs has drastically increased from 5% to 75% of graduates.
- Many new entrants are young women, often identifying as "goth girls" or queer, drawn to the profession not by profit but by a deep-seated calling to provide dignity and respect to the deceased.
- Motivations include personal experiences with grief, a desire for compassionate care, and a drive to offer better services than what they or their families received.
- The article contrasts this new generation with the industry's historical criticisms, notably Jessica Mitford's 1963 exposé, "The American Way of Death," which lambasted the exploitative practices of profit-driven funeral corporations.
- Morticians face significant physical and emotional demands, performing complex restorations while navigating intense grief, yet they find purpose in their work, treating decedents with profound respect.
- The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical yet under-resourced role of funeral homes, forcing staff to improvise amidst unprecedented workloads and lack of institutional support.
- The author suggests that this new wave of female morticians, much like queer communities during the HIV/AIDS crisis, steps in to provide care when formal institutions fail, restoring a community-based approach to deathcare.
Ultimately, this generational and gender-based transformation is reshaping a traditionally invisible industry, emphasizing that for these new morticians, proximity to death fosters a more radical engagement with life, viewing each decedent as a "baby" to be cared for until the very end.
The Gossip
Corporate Consumption & Cemetery Capitalism
Many commenters express concern over the corporatization of the funeral industry, specifically citing private equity's acquisition of local funeral homes. They fear this trend leads to a loss of local character and an increase in profit-driven upselling, echoing concerns about other essential service industries like plumbing and HVAC. There's a strong sentiment that private equity prioritizes profit over the vulnerable state of grieving families.
Mitford's Mortuary Musings & Modern Practices
The discussion frequently references Jessica Mitford's "The American Way of Death," agreeing with her critique of the industry's exploitative practices, particularly expensive embalming and caskets. Many commenters argue against the necessity of embalming and elaborate burials, advocating for simpler, more environmentally friendly alternatives like cremation or natural burials, emphasizing that these practices are for the living, not the dead.
Gendered Greed & Generalizations
A specific quote from the article, "Men are the problem?" I ask. She nods: "They ruin everything," sparked considerable debate. Some commenters expressed strong disapproval, calling it "random hate" and questioning the generalization of greed by gender. Others contextualized the statement, pointing out that private equity firms, often blamed for industry exploitation, are predominantly male-led, or suggesting that historically, women's roles were less about business and more about care.