6 Bureaucratization and Longevity

A bureaucracy is a method of administrative system governing any large institution, private or public. These institutions are enduring and impersonal in asserting and sustaining power. Bureaucracy has significantly impacted the funeral profession from a business and customer perspective. Funeral homes, crematories, and cemeteries are regulated. They must be compliant with multiple bureaucratic organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and several other governing bodies or laws.

Institutions are another social organizing facet of the funeral industry, which includes large, formal secondary groups. A bureaucratic organization model guides them. Industrialization has fueled the expansion of institutions like health care, banking, education, and food services. Hospitals, retirement communities, and nursing homes are examples of societal, institutional life that funeral directors/embalmers deal with daily. Due to medical discoveries and technology in these institutions, the dying process for many people has been delayed into late age. People live longer than they once did (greater life expectancy). This has helped contribute to the modern taboo of death since it is less visible in our society. This has also created a concern in the funeral industry regarding longevity. People are outliving their savings and retirement and may need more funds to cover their final arrangements.