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

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determine if that affects their perception of the role of the ritual ceremonies. Further research could be conducted to determine if the results are consistent in chapters from various geographical regions. Qualitative study could be conducted on women who are members of historically black sororities from the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) to determine if they have the same perception of ritual ceremonies as the sorority members of National Panhellenic Conference (NPC). The recruitment process of new members of sororities could be studied to determine the ways that the recruitment process affects their perceptions of the role of ritual ceremonies in the sorority experience. Further research would be warranted on many aspects of sorority life. How is the lifetime commitment of sorority women impacted by the ways in which they were taught the meaning and performance of the ritual ceremonies? What role does ritual have on the chapter’s discipline processes (i.e. standards board, discipline board, etc.)? This research study created a foundation from which other studies on other populations and other aspects of sororities could be conducted. Future studies on similar populations would allow researchers and other entities to generalize their findings to other situations outside of this study. By broadening this study, greater generalizing would be achieved and would benefit the general body of knowledge concerning sororities and similar populations (i.e. other single sex organizations, other organizations that use ritual as part of their process, students of color, fraternity men). In the future, other studies could incorporate their findings concerning the impact of ritual ceremonies on the overall sorority experience. These findings would provide future opportunities 124
to evaluate sorority women and the role of ritual in their sorority experience and in their development as women. Implications for Practice The major implication for this research is the lack of prior studies concerning sororities in general and the ability to generalize these findings. With this in mind, it may be that sorority women need to be taught the meaning and purpose of the ritual ceremonies in their sorority experience. Another aspect that may strengthen the sorority women’s understanding of the ritual ceremony may be for national sororities to facilitate and encourage discussion and develop workshops that would address the purpose of the ritual ceremonies and the ways in which they can be used to enhance the sorority member’s experience. Undergraduate Sorority Women Evidence in this study suggested that sorority women understand that ritual is a part of their sorority experience, but do not usually understand why. Chapters might consider implementing orientations for new members to address this conclusion. The orientations or workshops would stress the importance of the ritual ceremonies in the overall sorority experience. These activities would allow the new members to better understand how they should expect the ritual ceremonies to enhance their sorority experience and to help them to develop a connection to the members of their chapter as well as to the sorority itself. Sorority Advisors and Alumnae Similar to undergraduate sorority women, sorority advisors and alumnae might consider creating opportunities for undergraduate members to form relationships with them which would allow the undergraduate sorority women to better understand ritual and lifetime commitment to their sororities. These opportunities might be formal or informal interactions. These interactions 125
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SORORITY RITUALS: RITES OF PASSAGE
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am very grateful
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for teaching me that a group of peo
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TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION ......
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CHAPTER V: SUMMARY, DISCUSSION, REC
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CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Each year th
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The member groups of the National P
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hopes of the founders rather than t
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ceremony is complete, that person i
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80,000 women join sororities. On mo
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issues, and topics …that formerly
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when do we use it? How do we use it
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the sorority experience has on the
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The lack of information concerning
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of the NPC member groups, and to co
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CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE Thi
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Ritual Ceremonies and Symbolism in
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Robson writes further: In a world c
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strengthened by encountering differ
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student initiated and created to au
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Gradually, however, they took over
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Following the founding of Kappa Alp
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efer to themselves as "service" org
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Alpha Xi Delta Fraternity Lombard C
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What Is Ritual? In order to explain
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theorist/researcher in the area of
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Ritual as a Rite of Passage Underst
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we are and giving meaning to us wit
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am I? Well, as I see it, I am a per
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Value Congruence Research conducted
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the majority of authors . . . have
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To better understand Gilligan’s F
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only women, all with varying opinio
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member transitions to a leader/role
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development. The isolation period a
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Gilligan’s point that sex differe
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undergraduate members. Understandin
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not an option. Actual observance of
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Role of the NPC Research Committee
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the chapters were part of large nat
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where I was able to travel based up
Page 83 and 84: a whole. I piloted the interview qu
Page 85 and 86: These categories were reflective of
Page 87 and 88: participated in my sorority ritual,
Page 89 and 90: sorority women was a cognitive asse
Page 91 and 92: In addition, only one participant w
Page 93 and 94: school. Sixteen (31%) sophomore par
Page 95 and 96: itual among themselves outside of t
Page 97 and 98: was founded in 1978. Their average
Page 99 and 100: chapters ranging in size from 150 t
Page 101 and 102: participants’ feelings about the
Page 103 and 104: A few of the participants expressed
Page 105 and 106: Several of the participants related
Page 107 and 108: One of the participants explained w
Page 109 and 110: During new member education, you le
Page 111 and 112: Women’s Development within the So
Page 113 and 114: Comments from several of the partic
Page 115 and 116: When I first joined my sorority, I
Page 117 and 118: the participants referred to other
Page 119 and 120: I think that ritual has made me a b
Page 121 and 122: The reasons that the participants g
Page 123 and 124: This study included both private an
Page 125 and 126: internal value system or they know
Page 127 and 128: sorority women’s length of member
Page 129 and 130: when an 18-year old woman joins a s
Page 131 and 132: ehavior of sorority women, it must
Page 133: * The level of responsibility and /
Page 137 and 138: they are and what role ritual has i
Page 139 and 140: numbers vary from chapter to chapte
Page 141 and 142: that those ceremonies can bring to
Page 143 and 144: Butler, E. R. (1990). Initiations r
Page 145 and 146: Kuh, G. D., & Arnold, J. C. (1992).
Page 147 and 148: Pennington, D., Zvonkovic, A. C., W
Page 149 and 150: Taylor, S.E., Peplau, L.A., C Sears
Page 151 and 152: APPENDIX A CONSENT FORM 141
Page 153 and 154: APPENDIX B PROFILE QUESTIONS 143
Page 155 and 156: APPENDIX C INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 145
Page 157 and 158: general? What would you say that th
Page 159 and 160: APPENDIX D (LETTER TO THE GREEK ADV
Page 161 and 162: APPENDIX E NATIONAL PANHELLENIC CON
Page 163 and 164: six months doing literature researc
Page 165 and 166: common knowledge similarities--the
Page 167 and 168: Correspondence II To: Shelia Barnes
Page 169 and 170: I truly appreciate your guidance an
Page 171 and 172: Application for Exemption from IRB
Page 173 and 174: VITA Mari Ann Callais was born in 1
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