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

Gilligan’s point that sex differences do matter and that males and females see the world very
differently. This concept is key when looking at sororities, and specifically taking into
consideration the single sex component of these organizations.
Sororities offer an environment that has engraved within its foundations a system of rites
of passages. From the time young women become a part of a sorority, ceremonies and symbols
represent their “passing through” various phases of the organization. Most of these ceremonies
and symbols are handed down from generation to generation through rituals, creeds, and classes
of membership as a means of passing down the traditions established by the various sororities’
founders and early members in the mid eighteen hundreds and early nineteen hundreds. The most
significant rite of passage that a new member of the sorority participates in is the formal
initiation ceremony. This ceremony represents the new member’s passage from new member to a
fully initiated member. The education period that has led up to this point is designed to assist that
young woman through a similar process as the adolescence to adulthood concept.
Sorority women are challenged by their organizations to develop as individuals and learn
to understand how to be supported by the group. The sorority experience is expected to be a
growth process. From the beginning of sororities, the intent was to create environments where
young women could grow and support one another. The importance of this relationship and this
developmental process is key to understanding how they operate and grow within the sorority.
Group Dynamics
A sorority is known as a group. The members of the group influence one another by the
mere fact that they are a group. Taylor, Peplau, Sears (1997) define a group as "people who are
interdependent and have at least the potential for mutual interaction (p. 286). They further state
61