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

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understanding sororities. I believe that this research will ultimately change the way sororities educate their members and enhance the overall sorority experience. Chapter Summaries Following this introduction, chapter two presents a review of literature on the development of the sorority movement and the nature of sororities. This chapter also presents explanations of rituals and rites of passage and their role in various cultures, specifically to what their significance is within the sorority culture. Also presented are theories concerning adolescence to adulthood development, as well as student development theory as it relates to women specifically. These theories have been integrated as they relate to the sorority environment. The third chapter describes the methodology I used for this study. It explains parameters for the interview process and procedures. The methodology chapter describes the type of research that was conducted as well as the interview questions that were used for the study. The last two chapters will provide a detailed account of the findings of the interviews, as well as a discussion of their implications. Operational Definitions In order to understand the organizational structure and development of sororities, it is important to have a clear understanding of terms that are presented throughout this research. Sorority refers to an all-female, national organization with exclusive membership that identifies itself by a series of two or three Greek letters and utilizes various forms of rituals for induction of new members as well as for other ceremonial events. National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) is an organization established to foster inter- sorority relationships (ways in which sororities on a national and campus level create a working relationship in order to have camaraderie within the sorority system), to assist collegiate chapters 18
of the NPC member groups, and to cooperate with colleges and universities in maintaining the highest scholastic and social standards. NPC was founded in 1902 and is comprised of the twenty-six member groups. National Pan-Hellenic Council Sororities (NPHC) are referred to as the Historically Black Sororities. These groups are members of the umbrella organizations called the National Pan- Hellenic Council that is comprised of the five men's fraternities and four women's sororities. These organizations refer to themselves as service fraternities and sororities and not social fraternities and sororities. Their recruitment process is called Intake and is very different from the NPC organizations. National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO) are referred to as the Latino fraternal organizations. NALFO was officially founded in 1999 and is comprised of 7 men’s fraternities and fifteen women’s sororities. Local Sororities exist only on one campus with no governing structure from a national organization. Local sororities in most cases were founded by a group of women on a particular campus and occasionally expanded from that campus. They often times are governed only by groups of students who are members with very little support from alumnae of that group. Many other challenges on college campuses, specifically with hazing and risk management involve local sororities. This information is from my personal experience from working with various college campuses. Literature concerning local sororities is practically nonexistent. Greek Community is comprised of both sorority women and fraternity men. Open/Closed Rituals include rituals that are opened to initiated members and prospective members. These would include big sister ceremonies and senior farewell ceremonies. Closed Rituals include rituals that are open only to fully initiated members of the sorority. 19
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 and 20: 80,000 women join sororities. On mo
Page 21 and 22: issues, and topics …that formerly
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: The lack of information concerning
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
Page 75 and 76: not an option. Actual observance of
Page 77 and 78: 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
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These categories were reflective of
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participated in my sorority ritual,
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sorority women was a cognitive asse
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In addition, only one participant w
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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
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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
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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
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Kuh, G. D., & Arnold, J. C. (1992).
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Pennington, D., Zvonkovic, A. C., W
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Taylor, S.E., Peplau, L.A., C Sears
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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
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APPENDIX D (LETTER TO THE GREEK ADV
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APPENDIX E NATIONAL PANHELLENIC CON
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six months doing literature researc
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common knowledge similarities--the
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Correspondence II To: Shelia Barnes
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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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