The Changing Face of the Deathcare Industry

The funeral industry is undergoing a quiet but substantial demographic transformation. Over the last four decades, female enrollment in mortuary science programs has surged from approximately 5 percent to roughly 75 percent of recent graduating classes. This shift is moving the profession away from its historical image as a male-dominated field and toward a new generation of practitioners who view deathcare as a blend of medical science, artistic restoration, and high-stakes emotional service.

This transition is partly a reaction to the long-standing stigma of 'Big Death.' Since the publication of Jessica Mitford’s 1963 exposé, The American Way of Death, the industry has struggled with a reputation for corporate greed and the exploitation of grieving families. Modern morticians, many of whom come from backgrounds in cosmetics or fine arts, are working to counter these stereotypes. They describe their work not as a profit-driven enterprise, but as a craft requiring 'emotional dexterity.' For these practitioners, the goal is to provide a sense of grace and ritual, focusing on what they can control—the presentation of the decedent—to supplement the despair of the bereaved.

This image illustrates the shift toward providing a sense of grace and ritual in modern mortuary practices.

The technical side of the job has also evolved with the influx of women with specialized skills. Modern embalming is described as a creative practice akin to portrait sculpture or cosmetic surgery, where practitioners use color-correcting fluids and facial reconstruction techniques to ensure a decedent looks like themselves. While the work remains physically demanding—requiring the manual manipulation of bodies and the use of heavy pulley systems—the focus has shifted toward the 'alchemy' of restoration. However, while individual morticians may focus on this personal craft, the broader industry continues to face structural changes, with large corporations and private equity increasingly absorbing the traditional 'mom-and-pop' funeral homes that once defined the landscape.