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

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In addition to the advantages realized by sorority members, the parents of college women also realized the benefits of sorority life. Nuwer (1999) also discusses why the popularity of sororities was important to parents during the formative years of the sororities: The rise in popularity of sororities can be traced to protective parents’ deductions that sorority-house life provided a better moral atmosphere for the female undergraduate than did the average rooming house. Most female undergraduates were sexually inexperienced, and their professors, who also acted as chaperones, made sure that they would remain that way while they are in school (p. 149). These statements reflect the culture that surrounded the early founding of the sororities. Rituals were written for sororities to establish specific standards and expectations that would encourage the development of strong women with clear values. The concepts of truth, justice, love and honor are several examples of the shared values and beliefs that were encouraged among sorority women by most of the national sororities. “Women joining these first Greek-letter societies were reminded not to disgrace themselves, lest they bring shame on their sorority” (Nuwer, 1999, p. 150). The national sororities encourage sorority women to represent themselves and their organizations in a way that will reflect positively on them as young women and on their sororities. The purposes for which sororities were originally founded hold true today, although the challenges that confront sorority women may be different from those challenges of early sorority women, or at least recognized as different. The founding principles of the groups are still apparent although the issues faced today vary from those faced in the past: Today, literature distributed by the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) and by many national sororities trumpets the advantages of diversity. Some sorority members embrace many of the beliefs associated with the feminist movement. Sororities today are committed to supporting ‘awareness and education’ about societal problems, women’s 10
issues, and topics …that formerly would have been avoided as taboo, according to Marilyn Bullock, national vice president of Kappa Kappa Gamma (Nuwer, 1999, p. 151). The role of ritual in today’s sorority experience must be examined in the context of the founding and purpose of these organizations. The concepts explained in the ritual and taught to generations of women must be assessed to determine if they are lofty ideals with no basis in daily life or if they remain pertinent to today’s college women. This research has been guided by the question as to whether sorority rituals have an impact on the behavior and values of contemporary sorority women. Back to the Roots of Sororities Administrators, parents, other non-affiliated students, and the public question the value of membership in Greek letter organizations often. Each year, institutions across the United States question and evaluate the effectiveness of Greek letter organizations in assisting with the promotion of the college or university’s mission and purpose. A few of the many recent examples of this questioning by universities are: Santa Clara University has decided to end its fraternity and sorority system over the next two years (Kellogg, 2001) and Alfred University’s Board of Trustees establish a task force and question the future of the Greek system on campus (Alfred University Press Release, Feb., 2002). Members of higher education list serves such as the Association of Fraternity Advisors (AFA), the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), and the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) receive articles that discuss campuses and the status of fraternities and sororities on those campuses. In addressing these and other concerns, many leaders of national sororities have verbally commented that going back to the ritual is one way to educate sorority members as to the original intent and expectations of sororities. The basic concept of “going back to our roots” is intended 11
Page 1 and 2: SORORITY RITUALS: RITES OF PASSAGE
Page 3 and 4: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am very grateful
Page 5 and 6: for teaching me that a group of peo
Page 7 and 8: TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION ......
Page 9 and 10: CHAPTER V: SUMMARY, DISCUSSION, REC
Page 11 and 12: CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Each year th
Page 13 and 14: The member groups of the National P
Page 15 and 16: hopes of the founders rather than t
Page 17 and 18: ceremony is complete, that person i
Page 19: 80,000 women join sororities. On mo
Page 23 and 24: when do we use it? How do we use it
Page 25 and 26: the sorority experience has on the
Page 27 and 28: The lack of information concerning
Page 29 and 30: of the NPC member groups, and to co
Page 31 and 32: CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE Thi
Page 33 and 34: Ritual Ceremonies and Symbolism in
Page 35 and 36: Robson writes further: In a world c
Page 37 and 38: strengthened by encountering differ
Page 39 and 40: student initiated and created to au
Page 41 and 42: Gradually, however, they took over
Page 43 and 44: Following the founding of Kappa Alp
Page 45 and 46: efer to themselves as "service" org
Page 47 and 48: Alpha Xi Delta Fraternity Lombard C
Page 49 and 50: What Is Ritual? In order to explain
Page 51 and 52: theorist/researcher in the area of
Page 53 and 54: Ritual as a Rite of Passage Underst
Page 55 and 56: we are and giving meaning to us wit
Page 57 and 58: am I? Well, as I see it, I am a per
Page 59 and 60: Value Congruence Research conducted
Page 61 and 62: the majority of authors . . . have
Page 63 and 64: To better understand Gilligan’s F
Page 65 and 66: only women, all with varying opinio
Page 67 and 68: member transitions to a leader/role
Page 69 and 70: development. The isolation period a
Page 71 and 72:
Gilligan’s point that sex differe
Page 73 and 74:
undergraduate members. Understandin
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not an option. Actual observance of
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Role of the NPC Research Committee
Page 79 and 80:
the chapters were part of large nat
Page 81 and 82:
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
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participated in my sorority ritual,
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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
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chapters ranging in size from 150 t
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participants’ feelings about the
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A few of the participants expressed
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Several of the participants related
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One of the participants explained w
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During new member education, you le
Page 111 and 112:
Women’s Development within the So
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Comments from several of the partic
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When I first joined my sorority, I
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the participants referred to other
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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
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internal value system or they know
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sorority women’s length of member
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when an 18-year old woman joins a s
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ehavior of sorority women, it must
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* The level of responsibility and /
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to evaluate sorority women and the
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they are and what role ritual has i
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numbers vary from chapter to chapte
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that those ceremonies can bring to
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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
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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
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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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