Sorority Rituals - Reflections On Rites of ... - Mari Ann Callais

when an 18-year old woman joins a sorority she is not looking for ritual, but the entire premise
from which members are recruited is fundamental to the potential development of that member. I
have been asked if sororities help women be better women or do they help sorority women be
better sorority women. Based upon some of the responses that I received from the participants in
this study, it appears that sororities have the potential to help make women better women and not
just better sorority women; however, some the students’ responses indicate that, in many cases,
they separate themselves as to when they are on sorority time and when they are not. Responses
such as “when I am wearing my letters, I know that I am representing my sorority” and “when I
am at a sorority function I know that I supposed to behave a certain way” indicate that, for some
women, they see themselves as sorority women sometimes and at other times, they are on their
own time. Sororities can help women be better but they must educate their members in the
context of being better women and not just being better sorority women.
Ritual Ceremony and Behavior
While many of the comments made by the participants reflected the themes detailed in the
above sections, some of the participants indicated a clear connection to their behavior as it relates
to the ritual ceremonies, stating, “Ritual is like making a decision in everyday life. If you are
going to do it in ritual, you should believe it and do it and practice it in everyday life.”
The participants expressed that their experience concerning the ritual ceremonies varied
based upon several components. The participants shared that the members of their chapter’s
attitude toward ritual often times varied from their personal perspective. At the same time, they
provided insights about how their own beliefs affected what role the ritual ceremonies had in
their lives.
119