Fraternity and Sorority Article Reflection Paper

Changing Trends in the Undergraduate Fraternity/ Sorority Experience: An Evaluative and Analytically Literature Review      

This week’s readings were very interesting but a little repetitive in nature. This was probably for a reason but it felt like all the articles were stating the same statistics and overall themes. The meta-analysis Changing Trends in the Undergraduate Fraternity/ Sorority Experience: An Evaluative and Analytically Literature Review had a lot of great research and facts presented to its readers. The subjects the authors chose to highlight in their literature review gave the reader a better sense of what research has been done to help the student affairs profession better understand the inner workings of fraternity/ sorority organization. As I was reading this literature review, I could not help but think of how helpful this information would be when organizations try to end the perpetuation of stereotypes that surround their group. The first section of the lit review focuses on alcohol abuse which is a big problem looming over Greek organizations. The stereotype for these organizations is that all students involved in these groups are heavy drinkers and this review gives light to what is actually going on. The research presented does say that statistically affiliated students do drink way more than their non-affiliated counterparts but the point is also made that students are made to think that is the norm therefor perpetuating the problem.

            Hazing was another topic that was covered in this lit review also plagues Greek organizations. One interesting quote that I took away from this section was “hazing and pledging activities seem to be viewed similarly by fraternity/sorority members, except when asked to determine responsibility” (Perkins et. Al, 2011). The lit reviews states that most Greek organizations lay blame for hazing on different people depending on their gender. Fraternity men laid blame on the organization president and the brothers who hazed whereas the sorority women and non-members laid blame on the initiation process and the organization itself. (2011). This allows student affairs professions to tailor their anti-hazing campaigns to fit the viewpoints of the type of organizations.

The section on sexual assault was probably the most disturbing yet unsurprising section in the lit review. The authors discuss the preconceived notions fraternity men had about drinking and the ability to give consent. The lit review says “A few of these nonverbal signals included a woman flirting with a man, remaining in close proximity or contact with a man, undressing in front of a man, and dancing with a man… these men also described consent as being contextual.. Some believed that if a man and woman were in a dating relationship, consent was assumed” (2011). This idea is not new to me but is frightening to think that this idea is still perpetuated on college campuses today. The lit review also referenced an article that found fraternity men were more likely to respond to an rape prevention course more if a survivor was present to tell their story than if they were just sat in a room and given a lecture. This idea should be incorporated into rape prevention courses for fraternity and sorority organizations as well as education on breaking the stereotypical rape culture thinking.

The Effects of Fraternity/ Sorority Membership on College Experiences and Outcomes: A Portrait of Complexity.

The other piece we read this week looked at how being in a Greek organization effected college experiences and outcomes. The study looked at academic and social engagement, a culture of drinking, and college outcomes. Most of the information flipped what the stereotype of Greek members being unintelligent by showing that the students who are involved in these organizations are academically sound for many reasons. Some of those reasons are how involved they are with faculty members, how civically engaged they are as well as incorporate diversity initiatives into their lives. The most surprising data that the authors presented were the statistics of binge drinking. When I read these I was floored because there was no way these students were drinking this much on a regular basis. “the net odds of senior fraternity/ sorority members binge drinking twice, three to five times, and six or more times in a two-week period were respectively 3.0, 2.6 and 3.5 times greater than the odds of unaffiliated seniors doing so” (Asel et. Al, 2009). My first thought was how these students have so much time and money on their hands that they can drink that much their senior year and then I thought how it would affect them academically. That much of a distraction much take its toll on them academically in a time when they really cannot afford to slip up. 

Resources

Asel, A., Seifert, T., and Pascarella, E. (2009) The Effects of Fraternity/ Sorority Membership On College Experiences and Outcomes: A Portrait of Complexity. The Research Journal of the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors: 4(2), 1-15.

Perkins, A., Zimmerman, D., and Janosik, S. (2011). Changing Trends in the Undergraduate Fraternity/ Sorority Experience: An Evaluative and Analytical Literature Review. The Research Journal of the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors: 6(1), 65/73.