A WIRTHLIN REPORT STUDY OF CREMATION CUSTOMERS RECENTLY SUGGESTED THAT ABOUT 75% OF PEOPLE DO NOT CHOOSE CREMATION BECAUSE OF PRICE. GIVE YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON WHY YOU THINK THIS IS THE CASE. FOR THIS BLOG POSTING, TALK TO AT LEAST TEN PEOPLE ABOUT THEIR PREFERENCES. REPORT ON THE SPECIFICS OF YOUR INTERVIEWS. INCLUDE DATA REGARDING BURIAL VS. CREMATION NUMBERS AND SPECIFIC REASONS WHY PEOPLE ARE CHOOSING CREMATION AS FINAL DISPOSITION. SUPPORT YOUR POSTING WITH QUOTES OR NARRATIVE STORIES FROM YOUR INTERVIEWING. (NOTE: PLEASE TRY TO DIVERSIFY YOUR POPULATION WITH AN EMPHASIS ON "BABY BOOMERS". A SUGGESTED BREAK DOWN MIGHT BE AS FOLLOWS:
- TWO 20-35 YEAR OLD
- TWO 36-49 YEAR OLD
- THREE 50-65 YEAR OLD
- THREE OVER 65 YEAR
PLEASE REMEMBER THIS POSTING SHOULD BE ABOUT 150-250 WORDS (BUT LONGER IS ACCEPTABLE) THIS ASSIGNMENT MUST BE POSTED NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2010 BY 12NOON (EST).
I have researched 12 people ages ranging from 19 to 73 and asked them their preferences on burial or cremation. Out of the 12 people that I researched only 3 people would like to buried, which means 9 chose cremation. In studies of cremation, it was said that 75% of people chose cremation for other reasons besides cost. In my study, only 1 person chose cremation due to economic cost. Of the other 8, 3 people choice cremation because there family tradition, 4 chose cremation on their own, despite their family’s decision, and the last one wants to be cremated so his cremated remains can be scattered in his favorite fishing spot.
ReplyDeleteTo further understand the cremation trend, I broke my findings into several age groups. First group the ages were ages 19-35, the second group was 36-49, the third group was 50-65 and the last group was 66+. In my first group I had 3 people chose cremation. The one girl in this group chose cremation as her own choice despite their family’s beliefs. The other girl chose cremation because that is what her family has been doing for years. The one guy in this group chose cremation so that he could get his cremated remains scattered into his favorite fishing spot. The second group there was two people who chose cremation. Both ladies chose cremation despite the fact that their family would not accept this decision. The third group was two ladies. The one lady chose cremation because of its economic value and so that her cremated remains could be combined with the cremated remains of her pets. The other lady chose cremation because that is what her husband’s family has been doing for as long as she can remember. In my last group I had a husband a wife that had two totally different reasons why they wanted to be cremated. The husband wanted to be cremated because he figured no one would be around to take care of his grave. Plus No one else in his family was cremated and he wanted to break the mold and start a new tradition. His wife on the other hand had cremation in mind ever since she was little. Her whole family on both sides were cremated, “always have and always will be” she said.
Looking at my findings, i have found that younger generation is choosing cremation despite what their family’s want for them. As for the older generations, they chose cremation because of their family tradition. I also found that my group of findings does not fit into the statistic of 75% choose cremation for other reasons besides cost; my statistics found that 90% of people chose cremation for reasons other than cost.
KU
I used the recommended age groups for this study. My study was also done in rural West Virginia. The study found that the people that choose cremation are not doing it because of price. In my area, cremation is really not any cheaper than burial. There is also a state assistance benefit of $1,250 for those who qualify. This helps low income families with the cost of funeral expenses. The cost of burial does not seem to be an issue, thus leaving it the preferred method of disposition. The two male subjects that I talked to from the 20-35 age group said they didn’t really care how their families handled their disposition. I then talked to a male and a female from the 36-49 age group. They said they would prefer a simple burial with no visitation, but had thought about cremation. They said the price wasn’t an issue, they just didn’t want the families to go through a drawn out process. The next two groups I talked to were the 50-65, and the over 65 group. There were three females, and three males. Both groups gave the same answers. They all wanted a traditional funeral. All but two wanted burial as the final disposition. Those two chose cremation after a full service. They said that the price was not an issue; it was just a personal preference.
ReplyDeleteJT
Personally, I feel that the percentage of people choosing cremation because of price is higher than 25%. People do not want to be viewed as “cheap” when it comes to arranging funeral arrangements for a loved one. I think that very few people would openly admit when asked that they chose cremation based on price. In addition, parts of our industry promote cremation as not only being economical but also green and very flexible when planning funeral services, so people might read these reasons, and decide that “being green” sounds better than “being cheap”. I feel that the percentage really choosing cremation because of price is probably closer to 50%.
ReplyDeleteI spoke with several people in my age group and several people who were 55 or older. Since I was looking for reasons why people choose cremation, I ignored people in my study who said they wanted a traditional funeral. I found that in my age group, most people said it’s about practicality and being environmentally friendly, as they said they can’t see taking up all that space in the ground for a casket. In addition, price was also mentioned.
When interviewing older people, it took a lot longer to find people who were going to chose cremation. Among those wanting cremation, some admitted that they would rather leave money to family over spending on their funeral. Another issue that was raised was older people wondering who would take care of their graves if they had a traditional funeral. I think that the spreading of families across the country as compared to in the past can also influence the decision to choose cremation.
AY
I interviewed 11 people on their perspectives on cremation. The interviewer’s age ranged from 20’s through their 50’s. In my study I found that the younger generation found that they would not want to be cremated. They thought that god didn’t want them to be cremated and they thought it was disrespecting their loved one. Out of the 11 people I interviewed, I found that only 6 of them wanted to be cremated. This population ranged no younger than their mid 30’s. They were all men. The 2 men in their 30’s said they wanted to be cremated, so that their families could have a little extra in their pocket. It was important to them that their families were taken care of, but also that they were taken care of respectfully. The 3 men I interviewed in their 40’s said they wanted to be cremated fro the convenience of their family. They said that price had nothing to do with it. To them it was just easier to have a memorial service after they were done mourning. The last 2 men were in their late 50’s; these men found that cremation was more personal. Instead of being buried in the ground, they could be shared amongst their family members and be with them throughout their lives. In conclusion, over half the people I interviewed wanted to be cremated. Some decided because of cost, but the majority wanted cremated to make their families lives more at ease.
ReplyDeleteKMB