A fraternity, as defined by the The American Heritage Dictionary is "a chiefly social organization of male college students, usually designated by Greek letters."(pg. 523) This definition, however, is very limited and leaves plenty of space for short sighted people to believe the stereotype conveyed by the popular media, where fraternity members are depicted as drunks who accomplish nothing either scholastically or socially. Unfortunately, both this definition and media portrayals fail to mention
Of 24 documented cases of alleged gang rape by college students, fraternity men perpetrated 13. The problem of group sexual assault on college campuses mainly occurs in an environment where group behavior and acceptance is important to the men involved, i.e. fraternities (Bechhofer & Parrot 144). Looking at the environment surrounding this type of group one can see what causes the prevalence of this type of assault in fraternities. Why does this violence occur within these groups and how is it handled
College Fraternities College fraternities have always struck me as being an organization of guys who spend their time drinking beer and having their "social gatherings" (parties). Just moving to Austin recently (which is by no doubt a "college city") has made me want to know more about the sole purpose of these fraternities. For these reasons I chose to select this culture for my essay. The definition of a fraternity is defined as " chiefly social organization of male college students, usually
Fraternity Hazing When most people hear the term "hazing" it brings up images of fraternities, or they just don’t know what it is. In even though hazing occurs in many places including fraternities and sororities, the military, athletic teams and student organizations (marching bands) at both the high school and collegiate levels. Many believe that hazing in fraternities and in general are nothing more than silly tricks and harmless pranks like those from the 1980s hit comedy Animal House. The
Fraternities and Why They are Misunderstood Fraternities have been a major part of student life at universities all over the world since the beginning of the 20th century. For many students they have offered an improvement in social life, more friends, opportunities for athletics, and a great sense of brotherhood. Unfortunately, since their beginning fraternities have been questioned about their activities. Many people today think that they subject their members to harmful acts better known
In colleges all around the country, fraternities and sororities are thriving with life. With many activities and involvement on campus, they seem as if they would be the best option for all college students. Greek life is great for creating new relationships, being involved, and creating better career opportunities after college. While there are many positive outlooks from joining a fraternity or sorority, there are also many negative consequences. When making the decision whether to join or not
students’ dream to join a fraternity or sorority. The question is ‘have they really thought this through?” There are many aspects of Greek society one should consider before making a decision that will affect them for the rest of their life. Anyone contemplating joining a Greek organization, needs to be educated on both the positive and negative effects they tend to have on people. Students should take special care in deciding whether it is really wise to be part of a fraternity or sorority because they
A Mirage of Benefits from Fraternities and Sororities The first Greek letter organization was founded in 1776 at the College of William and Mary. This organization was a fraternity called Phi Beta Kappa and set forth many of the modern norms and traditions of fraternities and sororities. The traditions include: a secret ritual, a secret handshake, a badge, mottos, and a code of laws. Later, in the 1850s, Ladies followed suit and created the first sorority: Alpha Delta Pi (Jones). These organizations
On the October of 1996, members of the Kappa Alpha Fraternity at Texas University traveled to a ranch north of their school to commence the annual initiation of their new pledges. Jonathan Culpepper a leader of their university clan poured a can of beer on John Warren a freshman pledge, and ordered him to do push ups while Culpepper sat on his back. He then pulled up viciously on his underwear, this eventuating two days later in one of his testicles being removed. This story is only one of many documented
such as the military, sports, clubs, and fraternities, have been constructing their interpretation of masculinity. One major social institution that is active in thousands of Universities across the United States is campus fraternities. Campus fraternities create their own sense of masculinity by generating certain requirements and characteristics a man must hold in order to represent them as a part of their fraternity. So what allows a campus fraternity to fall under the category of a social institution
The Evils of Fraternities and Sororities Joining fraternities and sororities has been a long tradition among many college and university students within the United States. As the number of students entering colleges and universities grow, the influence and pressure to join fraternities and sororities grow as well. According to a research project conducted by Dr. Gary D. Malaney, associate professor of education and director of student affairs at the University of Massachusetts, “58.6% [of 413
Hazing at Fraternities and Sororities Many pledges join sororities and fraternities in search of friendships that will last throughout life. However, quite a few young people get caught in life-threatening situations because they are not aware of the commitments to which they are swearing themselves. The idea behind joining a house is to form a relationship in which the members are one big family at heart, yet many sorority and fraternity members – while advocating status, popularity, and togetherness
have been studying is fraternities. Fraternities are more than just partying and “hangin’ with the bros.” Fraternities are over 100 years old and filled with traditions, values, and brotherhood. Fraternities have stood strong since the early 1800’s, with rich history and culture. Every fraternity has founding fathers that represent a certain value of the fraternity. I have gained access to this community through pledgeship in Sigma Chi, one the most prestigious fraternities in the nation, with the
The Tragedy of Fraternity Hazing Hazing (subjecting newcomers to abusive or humiliating tricks and ridicule) has always been seen as a secretive campus activity when it comes to fraternities and pledging. As a result, Dr. Mark Taff resorted in his article that, "..a series of 168 cases of injuries and deaths related to fraternity hazing activities...[occurred] in the United States between 1923 and 1982" (2113). Young college men are being hospitalized and even worse, dying, just for a couple
The Positive Influences of College Fraternities According to Webster's New World Dictionary the definition of a stereotype is: a fixed or conventional notion or concept. While attending college I have noticed that stereotypes are a part of every day life. Day in and day out people are judged for who they are and what they believe in. These stereotypes are especially relevant in fraternities. The negative stereotypes associated with college fraternities have recently been blown way out of proportion
Fraternities Are Not All Bad A fraternity is a men's student organization, formed chiefly for social purposes having secret rites and a name consisting of Greek letters. Fraternities get a lot of bad publicity, as with the hazing problems at U.T. Many people think of guys involved in fraternities as stupid, drunken fools running around pulling pranks and partying, but there is another side to fraternities that many people do not see. Fraternities do have plenty of social events, but they also
form of Greek life across the nation and the numbers are growing? (“National” 3). There are fraternities and sororities that everyone can join in colleges or universities. A university is the definition of diversity. Universities are meant for gaining a higher education as well as learning to go into adulthood. Many fraternities and sororities can be exciting and have an uplifting experience. Fraternities and sororities can help with becoming an adult as well.They can help build friendships and help
my visit to this peculiar school: fraternities and sororities. I had not known what they were, until my visit made their concept clear. Even though I was not an integral part of them, I could see what they were all about. I would define each one of them as a separate subculture with their own rules and rights. The school I visited was Dartmouth College. It is located in Hanover, NH - a very small town, where restaurants and hotels are scarce, but fraternities and sororities are plentiful. A little
People these days often believe everything on the Internet or television without knowing the truth behind it. One of those is sororities and fraternities. People often think them as a party club or social club instead of a club that helps raise money for causes. Sororities and fraternities in college have strict rules, close relationship with one’s another, and their philanthropies that raise money for certain causes. First of all, just like schools and other clubs on campus, sororities also have
Recently, the idea of partaking in a fraternity has become more prevalent. Young adults are captivated with wanting to live the Greek life. The clothes and parties seem to drawn in teens like a magnet. However what these teens do not realize is the terrible things associated with fraternities. Many fraternities have a reputation for turning college students into drunks, treating women vulgarly, enacting violent hazing against other fraternity members and disrupting the true reason why students go