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

this level, members of sororities may not get pass the superficial aspect of sorority life. Decisions
may be made based upon “pleasing others” rather than based on an understanding of the entire
sorority experience including ritual. Sorority women at Level 2 may only focus on the social and
will not move on to something more meaningful and to a deeper level of development.
It may be that Gilligan’s Level 3 would be the member within the sorority who realizes
through a number of different experiences that “she has become an active and equally valid
participant in the decision-making process.” Perhaps this development occurs not necessarily
because of the age or year of the sorority member, but because of her capacity to see her abilities
and what she has to offer the sorority. This could be attributed as to why a younger member may
become president or an officer, not because of her age or experience, but because of her
development. By this stage in their development, women are usually becoming secure enough
with themselves that they value their own moral reasoning and judgment. At this level “the
woman’s criteria for decision making is predicated upon a transformed understanding of
interpersonal connectedness and on care for others” (Muss, 1988, p. 235). Often, juniors and
seniors begin to see their role in the sorority as being the ones who share their “wisdom” with the
younger members. However, it may not be their age or year in school that enables them to
understand this role. Rather, it may be their personal development and the impact, or lack
thereof, of the sorority on their experiences that has led to their belief that they are the ones who
can make the difference. At this level, some women may also begin to see themselves as leaders
and take on leadership roles within the sorority. For some members, exceptions to this level are
that some members feel that they are outgrowing the sorority and begin to break away. It may or
may not be that, at this level, the quality of the sorority experience helps to determine whether the
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