Greek letter society effect on youth identity

Last updated

Greek letter society effect on youth identity happens at a time when students begin to explore and experiment to discover who they are. Greek letter societies include Greek letter organizations, sororities, fraternities, and Greek life. Members join while enrolled in tertiary education. These organizations primarily consist of solely all women or all men. A Greek letter society members share collective goals and understandings of the organization's requirements, rituals, and relationships. Membership in a fraternity or sorority generally focuses on undergraduate education, where many students begin to explore and experiment with different experiences, but it also requires a lifetime commitment to the organization.

Contents

Greek letter societies, with their emphasis on member relations, provide a platform for members to create their own identity through the organization. Identity creation for those who are transitioning to a new chapter of their life, like undergraduate students, relies heavily on who you interact with and who you build relationships with. Greek letter organizations offer opportunities for incoming students to interact with, and create relationships with, diverse individuals to mold their identity.

Greek letter societies also require a monetary commitment through the payment of initiation fees and dues, bringing a factor of privilege into the organizations. Being surrounded and bonded by others who also share, most likely, very similar classes, family situations, and financial commitments can affect how youths' identities are created in this transitional period. This causes more unanimity within the chapters, and Greek life as a whole, as only those who have the privilege to both attend secondary education and pay their organization's dues.

In addition to class, racial factors within Greek letter organizations play a large role in how identity can be created. In conjunction with class, Greek life among college students in North America consists primarily of Caucasian members. Historically, certain chapters only accepted members of a particular race or heritage. This adds to the unanimity that class and privilege create, causing members to be only surrounded by those primarily of their lifestyle.

While Greek letter organizations started in and are primarily active in the United States, there are also international chapters in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Philippines. The root traditions for Greek letter Organizations are generally constant around the world but do have different demographics and traditions. College education differentiates between countries and continents, but many of the Greek traditions of chapters remain constant such as rituals and greetings. Comparing North American and international Greek chapters differentiates American traditions and international expectations.

Greek life and relationship building

Two members of Kappa Delta Rho during a Brotherhood event. Frat boys (4656878550).jpg
Two members of Kappa Delta Rho during a Brotherhood event.

Bonds

Greek letter organizations rely heavily on the relationships among their members, both active and alumni. Through practices that bring the chapter together as a whole, fraternities and sororities emphasize the bond that is created through their shared Greek affiliation. These bonds are created through educational, social, and ritualistic bonds that build the relationships. Educational practices of these bonding practices can consist of the academic demands of membership in Greek Letter organizations. With pressure from higher education in itself and academic standards, such as a minimal grade point average requirement, members have the support of their fellow members who are also under similar pressures of success to bond and create relationships with. Members also can create mutual relationships over their coursework or availability to study aids within the chapter. [1] [2] Social practices such as sisterhoods or brotherhoods bring the chapter together as a whole, not as individual members or pledge classes. These consist of both non-alcoholic and alcoholic events that allow the members to build better relationships within the chapter. [1] Members, foremost and most concretely, are bonded through their organization's ritualistic practices. Through pledge processes, initiation, and chapter rituals throughout the membership, the members hold ritualistic practices that are, in most cases, unique and confidential within the chapter. Holding these secretive and unique practices gives the members a shared bond that transcends all other social or academic bonds.

Learning is created in an environment where there is a constant emphasis on interpersonal relationships, such as a collegiate Greek letter organization. [1] Interacting with people consistently allows for a broader exposure to different world views, educational practices, and opinions that transform a dualistic perception of the world to one that understands a multiplicity of perspectives and a larger schematic threshold. [1] Greek letter organizations provides the basis for these worldly understandings to flourish since they provide the relationships needed. These changes that are evident in relationship-building that continue to be influential into early adulthood.

Relationships in identity creation

Relationship building is a component of identity creation in young adults. Attending college is the next step for many privileged high school students when transitioning into adulthood. [3] Before college, young people who attend rely more heavily upon their parents or parental figures for guidance through difficult transitions or stressful life situations. [4] As young people begin to take on more responsibilities that are linked with adult life, they transition from relying on their parents to relying on their peers. These relationships include friendships and romantic relationships. These relationships, and their quality, become a factor in how young adults create their identity and use them to transition into adulthood. The greater support accumulated from peer relationships allowed for flourishing academics, greater mental health, and more confidence in self characteristics. [4] The quality of peer relationships has been seen as a sign of how well the student is adjusting to college and their next steps into life. Greek letter organizations give students an option to create or seek out these relationships at an early, and vulnerable step in their new journey. But, these relationships created at such an infantile stage in their development can also cause students to adopt values and perceptions that may not have surfaced without the influence of their fraternity brothers or sorority sisters. [5]

Class and privilege

Monetary commitments

Members of Phi Mu Sorority on their Bid Day. Many members will pay for extra amenities on Bid Day. Phi Mu (6731893681).jpg
Members of Phi Mu Sorority on their Bid Day. Many members will pay for extra amenities on Bid Day.

Greek organizations require a monetary commitment for membership with the requirement to pay dues. [6] While varying across locales, they generally include chapter fees, national dues, and sometimes social or facility charges. Outside of the member payments, other costs exist. Social events, including appropriate clothes, nightlife, Greek "family" gifts, and letter apparel all are optional, but are additional costs. [7] While they are not mandatory, they are seen as part of the Greek culture, and can then cause pressure for members who can not afford all of the extra expenses. These financial burdens can deter lower-income college students from joining a chapter. [8] College level extra-curricular involvement statistics within United States Greek membership saw 79% of its members as being in the Upper Middle Class.

Greek membership does not require a certain income or social class to join, allowing its lower-income members to still be involved despite monetary obligations. One study found that 82% of the working class students worked part-time jobs while 36% were still involved in Greek life. [9] Scholarships are available to members based on their academics and membership. Both nationally, and regionally, alumni will donate to scholarship funds for members who may struggle with the financial aspect of membership.

Class and identity creation

Socioeconomic class affects how an individual's identity is created.[ neutrality is disputed ] Because it is based heavily upon the social class and wealth of parents, young people generally have little mobility while in their youth to change their social class. Social class, both high and low, affects the future of youth. For many, it outlines what their future may hold and the availability of opportunity. College education, in itself, is a privilege because of increasing costs. As expectations inflate, more is needed to just meet bare-minimum requirements for success, and a college education has progressively become a norm, instead of a privilege. [10] Upper middle-class students in higher education were also more likely to be involved in internships and off-campus studies in conjunction with Greek Life. [8] Factoring in, as well, the opportunities that can arise from being involved in Greek life, such as job opportunities, networking opportunities, and employment through the organization, socioeconomic class becomes a determiner in later success in life [9] Greek letter organizations provide connections to members across the world, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Philippines. Members. [11] Members are automatically connected to active and alumni members of their chapters, and any Greek letter organization across the world. [12] Members' connections gained through these privileged organizations offers opportunities and potential for success outside of just merit-based success. Class, in its ability to gain these connections, begins, then, to offer success in life, no longer just relying on merit or advances through individual improvement.

Race and culture

Greek letter organizations welcome any race or culture in their organizations. Because they are national organizations, they are not legally able to discriminate against a potential new member's race or culture. [13] Because race and class are so closely linked when looking at privileged organizations like Greek life, the two both affect the membership. Just like class causes potential new members to be discouraged because of cost or financial pressures, those who do not fit the majority race of Greek letter organizations can also feel discouraged from joining. In the United States, African American youth have lower educational opportunities, creating a gap between races. [14] Since they are primarily affiliated with upper-middle class members, Greek letter organizations are also affiliated with Caucasian members, since lower income can be linked to those of color. [13]

Greek letter organizations are primarily Caucasian institution on college campuses. While they may not be outwardly discriminatory, historical links to Caucasian participation in Greek letter organizations cause a racial divide between members and nonmembers. Members of different cultural backgrounds, such as women and men of Asian or Latino descent, may feel excluded or marginalized with the unanimity found in many chapters. [15]

Black Greek letter organizations

Members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Alphaepsilon.jpg
Members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority

While many Greek letter organizations allow for any race or culture to be accepted, there are also specific organizations that affiliate with a specific race or culture. These organizations seek to fill the racial gap among black involvement in Greek life in college. Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs)are Greek life specifically for those who identify as African American. These organizations are not known as prominently as traditional Greek letter organizations but consist of many similar attributes such as pledging, sisterhood/brotherhood, hazing, and ritual. [16] The National Panhellenic Council recognizes nine BGLO's, referred to as the "Divine Nine", including: [17] Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, Omega Psi Phi fraternity, Delta Sigma Theta sorority, Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, Zeta Phi Beta sorority, Sigma Gamma Rho sorority, and Iota Phi Theta fraternity.

Black Greek letter organizations hold many of the same expectations and experiences as predominantly white organizations including their recruitment process, involvement in Greek life as a community, and societal norms like hosting parties for other members of the Greek community to partake in. BGLOs face different arrangements and expectations than the predominantly white Greek letter organizations. BGLOs have less access to economic resources such as Greek houses and alumni endowments that many other organizations base large portions of their identity. [18] These limited resources create a larger divide between white and black Greek letter organization, deepening the institutional unanimity. BGLOs also face much higher reputational constraints than predominantly white organizations. There are generally fewer BGLOs on college campuses than predominantly white organizations, increasing their visibility among students, staff, and media. Members must be more conscious of their decisions and actions, lacking the higher anonymity that predominantly white Greek letter societies hold.

Along with the BGLO, the National AIPA Panhellenic Association, consists of sororities with members who come from Asian Pacific American cultures.

International Greek letter societies

Greek letter organizations started in the United States, and have been the most prominently publicized and known within the American culture. Many chapters within the United States have expanded internationally, expanding American culture and prompting new, non-American Greek letter organizations to charter in respective countries. [19]

Canada

Some of the first chapters to be chartered internationally were instituted in Canada, with Zeta Psi being the first at the University of Toronto. These chapters were deemed similar to the American chapters based on their size, reputation, and exclusivity. [20] McGill University in Canada also holds Greek letter organizations, many of the same as the University of Toronto, but hold less weight and campus involvement as many of their American Chapters.

The Greek organizations on Canadian campuses hold similar effects to American Greek letter organizations. In a student's first year in college, they will have a higher GPA after being involved in on-campus organizations, like Greek letter societies. [21] Students who are involved in these organizations have more support and can gain resources more easily, broadening their intellectual and social education. But, like in American Greek life, involvement also creates opportunities for over-exertion and detrimental involvement in activities such as binge drinking and bar presence. [21] Both negative and positive forms of involvement have large influences on a youth's changing identity in college.

Many American-based Greek letter organizations, such as Kappa Alpha Theta, have international chapters in Canada.

Philippines

The Philippines has chartered many chapters of Greek letter organizations at their universities. They have both American chapters chartered in their country, as well as new lettered organizations in just their country. These chapters mirror American Greek letter organizations with the cultural importance and competition between chapters. [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delta Sigma Phi</span> American collegiate fraternity

Delta Sigma Phi (ΔΣΦ), commonly known as Delta Sig, is a fraternity established in 1899 at The City College of New York (CCNY). It was the first fraternity to be founded based on religious and ethnic acceptance. It is also one of three fraternities founded at CCNY.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phi Iota Alpha</span> American Latino interest collegiate fraternity

Phi Iota Alpha (ΦΙΑ), established on December 26, 1931, is the oldest Latino Fraternity in existence, and works to motivate people, develop leaders, and create innovative ways to unite the Latino community. The organization has roots that stem back to the late 19th century to the first Latin American fraternity, and the first Latin American student organization in the United States. The brotherhood is composed of undergraduate, graduate, and professional men committed towards the empowerment of the Latin American community by providing intensive social and cultural programs and activities geared towards the appreciation, promotion and preservation of Latin American culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alpha Gamma Delta</span> International collegiate womens fraternity

Alpha Gamma Delta (ΑΓΔ), also known as Alpha Gam, is an international women's fraternity and social organization. It was founded on May 30, 1904, by eleven female students at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, and thus it is the youngest member of the Syracuse Triad of North American social sororities that also includes Gamma Phi Beta (1874) and Alpha Phi (1872). Since its founding, Alpha Gamma Delta has, as of December 2021, initiated over 201,000 members and installed 199 collegiate chapters and more than 250 alumnae groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pi Beta Phi</span> North American collegiate sorority

Pi Beta Phi (ΠΒΦ), often known simply as Pi Phi, is an international women's fraternity founded at Monmouth College, in Monmouth, Illinois on April 28, 1867, as I. C. Sorosis, the first national secret college society of women to be modeled after the men's Greek-letter fraternity.

Dartmouth College is host to many fraternities and sororities, and a significant percentage of the undergraduate student body is active in Greek life. In the fall of 2022, 35 percent of male students belong to a fraternity and 36 percent of student belong to a sorority. Greek organizations at Dartmouth provide both social and residential opportunities for students and are the only single-sex residential option on campus. Greek organizations at Dartmouth do not provide dining options, as regular meal service has been banned in Greek houses since 1909.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commons club</span> American collegiate organization

A Commons Club is a type of social organization whose membership is "open" rather than selective based on personal introduction and invitation. It may also refer to the lodge or other meeting facility associated with such a club and used for its activities. Usually, Commons Club refers to a type of men's social organization which flourished at institutions of higher education in North America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Panhellenic Conference</span> Organization of 26 US and Canadian sororities

The National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) is an umbrella organization for 26 national and international women's sororities throughout the United States and Canada. Panhellenic refers to the group's members being autonomous social Greek-letter societies of college women and alumnae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phi Beta Sigma</span> International historically African American collegiate fraternity

Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. (ΦΒΣ) is a historically African American fraternity. It was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C., on January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students with nine other Howard students as charter members. The fraternity's founders, A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse, and Charles I. Brown, wanted to organize a Greek letter fraternity that would exemplify the ideals of Brotherhood, Scholarship and Service while taking an inclusive perspective to serve the community as opposed to having an exclusive purpose. The fraternity exceeded the prevailing models of Black Greek-Letter fraternal organizations by being the first to establish alumni chapters, youth mentoring clubs, a federal credit union, chapters in Africa, and a collegiate chapter outside of the United States. It is the only fraternity to hold a constitutional bond with a historically African-American sorority, Zeta Phi Beta (ΖΦΒ), which was founded on January 16, 1920, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., through the efforts of members of Phi Beta Sigma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Pan-Hellenic Council</span> African American fraternity & sorority organization

The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) is a collaborative umbrella council composed of historically African American fraternities and sororities, commonly called the Divine Nine, and also referred to as Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs). The NPHC was formed as a permanent organization on May 10, 1930, on the campus of Howard University, in Washington, D.C., with Matthew W. Bullock as the active Chairman and B. Beatrix Scott as Vice-Chairman. NPHC was incorporated under the laws of the State of Illinois in 1937.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iota Phi Theta</span> International historically African American collegiate fraternity

Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. (ΙΦΘ) is a historically African American fraternity. It was founded on September 19, 1963, at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, and is the fifth largest Black Greek Lettered Fraternity. Members of the close-knit afrocentric fraternity proudly embrace the organization’s youth, uniqueness, individualism and modern idealism. As a contemporary organization, many members have had the great honor of meeting, fellowshipping with, and/or engaging in personal or virtual discussions with one or more of their founders. Today there are over 301 undergraduate and alumni chapters, as well as colonies located in 40 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, The Bahamas, Colombia, South Korea, and Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alpha Phi</span> North American collegiate sorority

Alpha Phi International Women's Fraternity is an international sorority with 175 active chapters and over 270,000 initiated members.

The North American fraternity and sorority system began with students who wanted to meet secretly, usually for discussions and debates not thought appropriate by the faculty of their schools. Today they are used as social, professional, and honorary groups that promote varied combinations of community service, leadership, and academic achievement.

In North America, fraternities and sororities are social organizations at colleges and universities. They are sometimes collectively referred to as Greek life. Generally, membership in a fraternity or sorority is obtained as an undergraduate student but continues thereafter for life. Some accept graduate students as well. Individual fraternities and sororities vary in organization and purpose, but most share five common elements:

  1. Secrecy
  2. Single-sex membership
  3. Selection of new members based on a two-part vetting and probationary process known as rushing and pledging
  4. Ownership and occupancy of a residential property where undergraduate members live
  5. A set of complex identification symbols that may include Greek letters, armorial achievements, ciphers, badges, grips, hand signs, passwords, flowers, and colors

Racism in United States college fraternities and sororities has been linked to the experience of microaggressions, fewer opportunities to use the networking system built into Greek life, and harmful stereotypes. This fuels the experiences of people of color throughout their lives in various academic, work, and personal spaces, including Greek Life Organizations (GLOs). Many have argued that through the creation of these organizations, there has been a legacy of racism, which has fueled the elitist structure that has negatively impacted people of color the most.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National APIDA Panhellenic Association</span> Greek letter umbrella organization

The National APIDA Panhellenic Association (NAPA) is an umbrella council for twenty Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi American fraternities and sororities in universities in the United States.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Reuter, Timothy H., et al. "A Values-Based Learning Model to Impact Maturational Change: The College Fraternity as Developmental Crucible". Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors, Inc. (AFA) 2012. 19-36.
  2. ↑ Winston, R. B.; Saunders, S. A. (1987). "The Greek experience: Friend or foe of student development?". New Directions for Student Services. 1987 (40): 5–7. doi:10.1002/ss.37119874003.
  3. ↑ Greek-Letter Membership and College Graduation: Does Race Matter Severtis, Ronald E. Jr.; Christie-Mizell, C. Andre Page 99-101
  4. 1 2 Lisa M. Swenson, Alicia Nordstrom, Marnie Hiester"The Role of Peer Relationships in Adjustment to College" Journal of College Student Development. 2008. Vol. 49 pp. 560-563
  5. ↑ Winston, Roger B.; Saunders, Sue A. (1987). "The Greek experience: Friend or foe of student development?". New Directions for Student Services. 1987 (40): 5–20. doi:10.1002/ss.37119874003.
  6. ↑ Carnevale, A.P. & Rose, S.J. (2003). Socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, and selective college admissions. New York: The Century Foundation.
  7. ↑ Doherty, Risa C. (2014-10-28). "Greek Letters at a Price". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2015-11-21.
  8. 1 2 Biddix, J. Patrick (Fall 2012). "THE NECESSITY FOR RESEARCH ON FRATERNITY/SORORITY CULTURE". Oracle: The Research Journal of the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors.
  9. 1 2 Stuber, Jenny M. (2009). "Class, Culture, and Participation in the Collegiate Extra-Curriculum". Sociological Forum. 24 (4): 877–900. doi:10.1111/j.1573-7861.2009.01140.x.
  10. ↑ Furlong, Andy (2013). Youth Studies: An Introduction. New York, NY: Routledge. pp. 74–76.
  11. ↑ "How Sorority and Fraternity Ties Can Help You". Entrepreneur. September 2006. Retrieved 2015-11-21.
  12. ↑ "Pros and cons of choosing fraternity or sorority". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Archived from the original on August 8, 2013. Retrieved 2015-11-21.
  13. 1 2 "A VALUES-BASED LEARNING MODEL TO IMPACT MATURATIONAL CHANGE: THE COLLEGE FRATERNITY AS DEVELOPMENTAL CRUCIBLE" (PDF). c.ymcdn.com. Retrieved 2015-11-24.
  14. ↑ Greek-Letter Membership and College Graduation: Does Race Matter Severtis, Ronald E. Jr.; Christie-Mizell, C. Andre Page 99-100
  15. ↑ Park, J.J. (2008). Race and the Greek system in the 21st Century: Centering the voices of Asian American women. The NASPA Journal, 45(1), 103-132.
  16. ↑ Parks, Gregory S., "Black Greek Letter Organizations in the Twenty-First Century". The University of Kentucky Press. 2008"
  17. ↑ "Black Greeks - BlackGreek.com". www.blackgreek.com. Retrieved 2015-11-21.
  18. ↑ Ray, Rasyawn (August 2010). "Getting Off and Getting Intimate: Now Normative Institutional Arrangements Structure Black and White Fraternity Men's Approaches Toward Women". Indiana University.
  19. ↑ Torbenson, Craig LaRon; Parks, Gregory (2009-01-01). Brothers and Sisters: Diversity in College Fraternities and Sororities. Associated University Presse. ISBN   9780838641941.
  20. ↑ DeSantis, Alan (2007-10-12). Inside Greek U.: Fraternities, Sororities, and the Pursuit of Pleasure, Power, and Prestige. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN   978-0813172774.
  21. 1 2 Grayson, J. Paul (1997-12-01). "Academic Achievement of First-Generation Students in a Canadian University". Research in Higher Education. 38 (6): 659–676. doi:10.1023/A:1024955719648. ISSN   0361-0365.
  22. ↑ Bresnan, John (2014-07-14). Crisis in the Philippines: The Marcos Era and Beyond. Preface by David D. Newsom. Princeton University Press. ISBN   9781400858101.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.