All the pretty faces
by May 14, 2009 2:09 pm 73 views
New research from Ohio State University suggests a growing bias against using “aging faces” in obituary photos.
The university study of obits placed in the Plain Dealer — the Cleveland newspaper — found that the number of obituary photographs showing the deceased at a much younger age than when he or she died more than doubled between 1967 and 1997.
In 1967, about 17% of the obit photos surveyed in the The Plain Dealer were “age-inappropriate” — meaning they showed the deceased at least 15 years younger than when they died. By 1997, the number had increased to 36% of the surveyed obit photos.
“Obituaries and their photographs are one reflection of our society at a particular moment in time,” Keith Anderson, co-author of the study and assistant professor of social work at Ohio State University, noted in the press release. “In this case, we can get hints about our views on aging and appearance from the photographs chosen for obituaries. Our findings suggest that we were less accepting of aging in the 1990s than we were back in the 60s.”
The researchers looked at obituary photos in The Plain Dealer — which has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Ohio — in 1967, 1977, 1987, and 1997. They didn’t examine more recent photos because the newspaper changed the format of its obituary pages, making it impossible to make accurate comparisons after 1997.
Other findings of the study include:
• Age-inaccurate photos increased steadily each decade: from 17% (1967) to 27% (1977) to 30% (1987) and finally to 36% (1997).
• Women were more than twice as likely as men to have an obituary photograph that was age-inaccurate.
• It is likely that either spouses or adult children of the deceased chose the photographs that accompanied the obituaries. They understandably wanted to choose a photo that they thought represented their spouse or parent at his or her peak, Anderson said.
• In addition to ageism, Anderson said there may be another factor in the growing use of age-inaccurate obit photos. Although there is no way to prove it, he said individuals may be living longer with chronic illnesses, and obituary photos may be selected that show these people in younger, healthier times.