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Death personification in the Kevorkian era.
1Department of Communication, Arizona State University, Tempe, USA.
Death Studies
|February 6, 1997
Summary
Death personifications have evolved, with more females portraying death as gentle and males as cold. Grim imagery remains infrequent, and a Kevorkian-type image did not emerge despite his recognition.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Cultural Studies
Background:
- A 1971 study examined death personifications among various student groups.
- Contemporary perceptions of death personification require updated research.
- The potential influence of public figures like Jack Kevorkian on death imagery was unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate changes in death personifications over 25 years.
- To compare current death personifications with a 1971 study.
- To assess the emergence of a Jack Kevorkian-associated death image.
Main Methods:
- Surveying 123 nursing students and 324 general university students.
- Asking respondents to personify death as a movie character using fixed choices.
- Investigating the sources and models for these death personifications.
Main Results:
- Male personifications of death remain dominant, but female personifications increased, particularly among women.
- The association between age and "Gentle Comforter" personification weakened.
- Significant divergence in sex-based personifications: females prefer "kind and gentle," males prefer "cold, remote."
- Grim and terrifying death images were infrequently selected.
- No evidence of a "Kevorkian-type" personification, though he was widely recognized and viewed favorably.
Conclusions:
- Death personifications show evolving gendered trends, with increased female representation.
- Age is a less significant factor in "Gentle Comforter" personifications.
- While Jack Kevorkian is recognized, he has not become a dominant contemporary death archetype.