Introduction
Involvement in Greek organizations has been a part of college students’ undergraduate experiences for over a hundred years. Fraternities and sororities were originally assembled for the furthering of social and academic aspects of college, as well as for developing professional skills and making connections for life beyond graduation. There are different types of Greek organizations, including social organizations and honor societies. Social fraternities or sororities are the organizations which first come to the minds of people when greek life is mentioned. The first social fraternity that still exists is the Kappa Alpha Society, which was founded in 1825, and the first sorority that still exists today is Alpha Delta Pi,
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There are also assets to schools that host Greek communities, primarily in finances. Students who decide to participate in a Greek organization can develop and mature into fine people of society, going on to become leaders and successful people in their respective career fields. Entrance into these career fields can be aided due to the network of connections that is constructed during the years at the university, especially in a sorority or fraternity. Only 2% of the male population is or has been involved with a Greek organization. This means that the number of people in prestigious positions or career fields around the country who are in a fraternity is highly disproportionate to those who are not. Past all of the benefits brought by membership in a fraternity is a gray area which includes the theory that Greek organizations don’t have effect on the student, as Beth McMurtrie says here:
“One of the largest studies… concluded that Greek life may have less influence on behavior than previously thought. But that’s largely because Greek organizations draw students who already drank more heavily and were more socially engaged than their peers in high school. In other words, fraternities may not produce socially active, hard-partying members so much
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The three main factors which the members of the chapters included in the study were whether or not the fraternity had a house, how large the fraternity is, how old the fraternity is or how long it has been on campus, and the amount of resources available to the fraternities. Having a house is often a deciding factor when potential new members are considering the different fraternities. According to the members in the study, it is also associated with the heavy alcohol consumption, because the house offers a place for this consumption to happen. Pressures on the fraternities to complete fill their house to comply with campus policies can also cause the active members to “lower the standards” during new member selection, strictly to reach the numbers required by the school, letting in people who are joining the fraternity for the wrong reasons. The next characteristic associated with the stereotypes is the size of the fraternity. “If you have more people, a [larger] percentage would drink and party,” said an individual in the study. The relationship between the active members and the pledges would also assumed to be lessened, because of the size of the group, and this would be when the pledges are less likely to be treated well. The last characteristic mentioned in the study that is associated with negative stereotypes on fraternities is the age
The Greek Life at Baylor University is a community of twelve fraternities and eight sororities. However, the communities within Baylor University are not treated equally. The University of Baylor favors the sororities over the fraternities at Baylor. There are multiple different things that Baylor allows the sororities to attain that the fraternities are prevented from pursuing or accomplishing. This bias between the Greek Life of Baylor and the university itself is one major reason for strain between the relationships of the groups. The sororities at Baylor are supplied a meeting place, allowed to have mixers before rushing on Baylor campus, and are allowed to return to Baylor early after breaks for events. The university must resolve these problems in order to become a more unbiased university and community.
So what allows a campus fraternity to fall under the category of a social institution? Social institutions are commonly conceived as the necessary focuses of a social organization, which is common to most of society and usually deals with the problems and procedures of structured social life. General characteristics of a social institution involve regulated patterns of behavior that are specific, continuous, and organized. The patterns become the regulated norm, and are carried on from generation to generation, allowing the social institution to continue on through the years. Fraternities were first developed back in the late seventeen hundreds and continued to expand over the past couple of hundred years. Today there are about sixty different fraternities all over the United States, represented by different letters of the Greek Alphabet, with several chapters and various schools. Fraternities is a ‘member only’ social institution that is just for guys, (women have similar institution called sororities). Every fraternity has a board of members that they personally e...
Every year students at an accredited university have a decision to join groups/activities. In many cases a lot of students choose to join either a fraternity or a
Additionally, analyzing the overall structure of the Greek System will allow me to understand why students feel inclined to become a member of these organizations, while others don’t. In order to comprehend this student subculture, however, it is imperative to define what the Greek System really is and what core values they are based on. The Greek System, composed of different fraternity and sorority communities, are organizations that focus on academic, social, and professional support.... ... middle of paper ... ...
That standard of academic excellence pushes you to become a great student, “if students want to become affiliated with academic discourse communities, or even if they want to succeed in school, they have to make considerable sacrifices,” (Johns 326). Johns’ outline of success academic discourse communities is on point. Fraternities are academic communities along with social. Much sacrificed time has to be taken to be apart and contribute to fraternity, for example a leadership role. A fraternity offers many opportunities of leadership opportunities.
Greek organizations, such as, fraternities and sororities have been a part of the college experience for centuries. We pride ourselves in brotherly and sisterly love, academic success, and helping others. There are countless stereotypes and myths that surround the “Greek life” name. Just some myths include: all Greeks haze their members, they only care about physical looks not personalities, and they go to college just to party and get drunk. Kappa Delta Sorority upholds none of these stereotypes. We have a strong no haze policy. Hazing is defined as an activity or situation that can cause emotional, mental, or physical discomfort. If a member is caught hazing or if a new member is caught allowing herself to be hazed, there will be major consequences, such as, national probation or deferral of initiation. Kappa Delta also does not look at physical appearance as the only quality for possible new members. We look at personality and qualifications that can benefit our sorority; instead of having a group of women that are pretty and popular, we like to have women with strong morals, work ethic, and have the willingness to love each and every member of Kappa Delta. Kappa Delta Sorority is like no other fraternity or sorority on campus; we do not waste our time with partying and drinking. We pride ourselves in our historical background, philanthropies, and our values. I know Kappa Delta is the best sorority not only on MTSU campus but in the whole country.
"Some have argued that fraternities are places where rape is likely to occur on college campuses and that the students most likely to accept rape mouths and be more sexually aggressive are more likely to live in fraternities and sororities, consume higher doses of alcohol and drugs, and place higher value on social life at college." according to the article "Fraternities and Collegiate Rape Culture: Why Are Some Fraternities More Dangerous places for Women?" written by A. Ayres Boswell and Joan Z. Spade. The article ...
Greek organizations are debatably the most undervalued and misconceived aspect of college campuses. Most people don’t see the benefits that fraternities and sororities bring to college campuses and their communities. Some see these organizations as large beneficial clubs and others see them as potential problems. Many of the allegations put forth by individuals that discredit the benefits and good deeds done by Greek organizations are weak justifications for their removal from college campuses. Greek organizations provide campus communities with academically responsible students, philanthropic activities and increase community involvement.
I decided to investigate what qualities the fraternities of Oklahoma State have, so I interviewed the girlfriends of several fraternity men. This gave me the chance to view other girls’ relationships in certain fraternities and if the girls’ relationships are different in each fraternity or if there are similarities. I interviewed girlfriends and fiancées of all sorts: the ones who had been there from the very beginning, before they were in a fraternity, the girlfriends who didn’t meet their partner until after the guys were already in fraternities, and the fiancées who experienced fraternity relationships from their sophomore year until their senior year.
I came to college with a negative look on sororities. All my knowledge of greek life came from the media. Sororities are portrayed in a dismissive
The article starts off with interesting statistics about the success that Greek Life has brought to people's lives. “85% of Fortune 500 executives were part of Greek life. The first female astronaut was Greek. So was the first female senator. And college graduation rates are 20% higher among Greeks than non-Greeks.” This part of the article immediately had me intrigued because it shows how impactful Greek Life can be to your life. “I really see that there’s a great correlation between those skills being developed and the ability to be successful in any endeavor,” she said. “Not necessarily just famous-successful, like a president or CEO, but successful as a community leader or as a small business owner.” This source in its entirety was good insight about how Greek Life’s main focus is not to party but to better yourself like many of today's leaders. The article is an attractive read to students who are skeptic about the purpose of joining these
The mission of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated is to cultivate and encourage high scholastic and ethical standards, promote unity and genuine friendships among college women, aid in issues concerning girls and women in order to come up with solutions to eliminate or ease the circumstances they may face, maintain an ongoing interest in college life, while also being of service to all mankind. This sorority has not only empowered women to help others, but it
Day in and day out we hear about high school and college students wanting to pursue a sorority and/or a fraternity based on the stereotypes these organizations uphold, well I chose to differ. I told myself if I ever decided to become a member of a sorority it would be based solely on their ethical standards, history, and values they are founded upon. Alpha Kappa Alpha, Incorporated consists of ladies of distinction and exemplary character who excel in scholarship, leadership, and service, which are qualities I have chosen to uphold. From my perspective, I encourage myself to maintain a respectable appearance and reputation which doing so inspires me to embrace my self-concept; which helps me confidently excel academically and professionally as a “lady of distinction” and “exemplary character.” Most importantly, I continuously remain involved in community service, being involved allows me the opportunity to learn and understand the lives and circumstances of others by opening my mind, heart, and soul. Overall these qualities strengthen my passion to be a member of the prestigious Alp...
Kimbrough, Walter M. Black Greek 101: The Culture, Customs, and Challenges of Black Fraternities and Sororities. Cranbury: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2003. Print.
Walking into college, I always wanted to join a brotherhood. But, it was hard to find the one for me at first. After striking out on a few other fraternities at SEMO, I didn’t know if Greek Life was for me. But after talking one night with Brian Smith, I would give my one last shot to Sigma Nu. Looking back, I couldn’t have been happier with my decision. Over the past few months I have grown into a better person and have achieved goals I wouldn’t have even thought about being able to achieve. Looking back throughout my candidate process I can say I have strived for Love, Truth, and Honor.