Invisible Lives: Women, Men and Obituaries

Abstract

Differences between the obituaries of men and women were examined in this study. All obituaries ( n = 595) published between November 15, 1992 and January' 15, 1993 in two newspapers, The Boston Globe and The Sacramento Bee, were analyzed. The content and length of the obituaries were coded by gender, age, and occupation of the deceased. In addition to being awarded significantly fewer obituaries, women were found to have shorter obituaries than their male counterparts. Women received the longest obituaries if they were a relative of a famous man. These findings are discussed in a framework which maintains that obituaries are a measurement of life achievement suggesting that women's accomplishments are devalued, even after death.