Running head: SORORITIES CULTURE

Sororities and Their Culture Today

Grant Mook
University of Kentucky

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Abstract
This paper seeks to explore the Greek culture and life at Universities but more specifically the
sorority life, the culture, and the traditions they have developed and are still developing.
However, this article does not seek to defend in any way the definition of sororities or to change
your mind on the idea of them. Furthermore, this paper examines very specific examples
gathered through exploring this culture such as the recruiting process, the stereotypes if you are
involved, and the exclusivity some members or organizations may perceive. This paper simply
presents you with ideas and facts that can help you better understand the sorority culture as a
whole and more importantly make a more logical decision on your opinions of sororities.

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Sororities and Their Culture Today

There are many cultures that are defined solely on race, religion or location today. But a
culture can be defined as the particular beliefs, customs, arts, and ways of life in a particular
society or group. Sororities are a perfect example of a lush, deep culture that can be traced back
hundreds of years. Sororities are not only a predominant reason many people come to a college,
but they dictate many events around the college as well. Overall, I explored sororities through
one; my in life experiences such as parties and the observations I made while there, two; the fact
that I am adopted by a sorority, and three; the articles and facts I found validated with
researchers around the country. In this article I seek to explain the behavior girls feel like they
need to have while being recruited, the stereotypes received by being in a sorority, substance
abuse while being in one, the benefits of being in a sorority, and the exclusivity of sororities as a
whole.
First, the question that surprised me the most in the three interviews I did conduct with
each sorority member was Did you feel like you couldnt be yourself during the recruitments
process and had to fake your personality? I thought that they would say they were completely
themselves because for the selective process you want the sorority that best fits your character
and ideals. When I asked the President of Alpha Phi, Emily Blankenship, she told me that to a
certain extent she had to not be herself. She said I felt like I had to be more outgoing and
generally happy (Personal communication, Oct. 4 2014).This was not the answer I thought I
was going to hear from the president. In contrast, when I asked the two freshman I interviewed
who have just joined a sorority, they believed that they were completely themselves and the
sorority that they joined was the perfect fit. I suppose there is a big disconnect as far as the
maturity of each member and how they actually view their sorority and how they joined, but I

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would think that it would be hard to be myself being recruited in such a judgmental and seriously
analyzed environment. Every move you make is carefully analyzed. Similarly to showing up to a
job interview, are you going to be the same the whole time? Probably not. You will put on a
show of someone you really arent so that you have a better chance of getting the job. This is the
same as rushing (the first week of selection) for sororities. You are always being superficial and
not true to yourself because you are constantly being analyzed for which sorority will select you.
Rush week can be insanely tedious and over demanding on the girls attempting to join a sorority.
That comes with an enormous amount of pressure, and with that an enormous amount of time
spent on outside appearances. Recruiting is solely opinionated too. How social you are at the
beginning may not mean you arent or are social when you actually get to know the people you
are around. Which brings me to my next point.
Stereotypes in Greek life have always been very prevalent, but especially after movies
like Animal House came out and decided to set the bar as far as parties and how a person
involved in Greek should live. Consequently, this created a very big gap on the reality of what
actually happens and what the public perceives to happen. A significant stereotype sororities are
trying to overcome is the idea that every member is narrow minded and dumb. Just from
personal experience I can tell you I have met some of the smartest people I know in sororities,
even before they joined them back home. I think a big reason for this is the small percentage of
members who actually did just join to party and not pay attention in school, which seriously
degrades the image that most sororities have. All sororities on campus have a minimum GPA
required and although they may not be high for a student not involved in sorority life, they are
high for someone who is. A lot of sororities even have large study groups and sessions to help

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with grades. With all the events they hold and social gatherings they have, its tough to balance
both worlds but they manage to do it. Some sororities even require a 3.0 or above to stay in it.
Dont get this wrong though, another big problem all across the country is the
continuation of hazing. In Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities by Alexandra Robins the
pledge class had to drink straight vodka when they got the question wrong. They were also
presented with a sharpie, a knife, a hammer and a dildo and the sisters said if they got enough
wrong they would be violated with one of those four (Robins, 2014). In contrast, many
sororities across the nation are trying to dispel this notion that everyone does it, because it
doesnt happen everywhere. Particularly here, the ladies I talked to, including the president of
Alpha Phi and two of its freshmen members, said they would never participate in a situation that
could be considered hazing. I do know that particularly at the University of Kentucky hazing is
taken very seriously and is not tolerated at all. Whether it still happens we may never know but
just off of the interviews I did get, the girls were very adamant about a no hazing policy.
Although, 9 out of 10 individuals who have experienced hazing in college dont consider

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themselves to have been hazed (National Criminal Justice System, 2011).

Figure 1 shows hazing examples used within sororities and the problems it creates (2008).

Hazing isnt the only stereotype that can be found troublesome for sororities to face. A
big thing to realize is that like with all cultures there are going to be stereotypes no matter the
situation. But, I also think that like with all these cultures many times a small portion of the
organization is represented by a smaller number of people. One example to compare too is
scientists are constantly ridiculed when they make mistakes and are questioned on their
authenticity and validation. On the other hand, when scientists predict something correctly, they
arent praised for it we just act like it was their job. This idea can be put into place very similarly
with sororities. A small portion of sororities across the country may participate in hazing or

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drinking but a large portion of them are trying to change that outlook and idea people get when

thinking of sororities. There are obviously a lot of other stereotypes and misconceptions that
sororities have to deal with, but hazing and the idea of narrow minded members I think are the
biggest common thoughts you think of when you are talking about an average sorority member.
Ill admit that even I had those thoughts. After doing the research and talking to the President of
Alpha Phi I discovered that a huge part of being involved in a sorority is trying to get out of this
image in the public eye or to someone who isnt actually involved. A small portion of members
unfortunately represent a greater culture. Many of these stereotypes are just not true, although
they still happen in some parts, the majority of the time they just dont occur. I think these
stereotypes will continue to exists as long as these groups of small members continue to do this.
Drinking and substance abuse has always been a problem sorority members are trying to
overcome. According to the U.S. Department of Education's Higher Education Center, 62% of
sorority members engaged in binge drinking versus 41% of non-sorority members.(2012).
Whether sorority members like to admit it or not, a large portion of their social events a purely
based off of the chance to drink. Many sorority members even complain about how awkward
they are if they are sober and would prefer to be drunk at social events. 75% of students living
in fraternity and sorority houses were heavy drinkers, compared to 45% of students who lived in

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non-Greek housing and 35% of the overall student population (Harvard School of Public

Health).
Figure 2 shows sorority girls chugging alcohol at a football game (2004).

Not only that, according to a 2004 article published in the journal Addiction, white fraternity
members and sorority members had the highest rate of abusing non-medical prescription
stimulants. (2012). I think that these statistics really do show just how much abuse of
substances that sororities have and how much it is the focus of their college life. Not only that
but I dont think that they will ever get out of this habit. Time after time sororities are being
kicked off campuss across the nation for drinking too much or having too much of a drug
problem. If they were going to stop, they wouldve done it a long time ago. Used in moderation,
these drugs and substances can obviously be fine. But as you saw above, they arent used
moderately, they are significantly abused. Even when I was out partying with them I saw an
overconsumption of alcohol, almost every girl would either black out or attempt too. I even had
to experience taking a girl to the hospital because she was so intoxicated. So overall you can see
that substance abuse in sororities may not stop but I certainly believe it will slow down. With

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more people being moderate drinkers the idea of a member who is always doing drugs and
always abusing alcohol will soon fade. Not to mention the countless counter measurements
universities are beginning to take in order to crack down on underage drinking and binge
drinking as a whole.
Sororities also bring a lot to the table as far as life benefits. First, you get a lot of
community service opportunities that you wouldnt get otherwise. Being in these types of
organizations exposes you to new opportunities in general that you may never have had if you
werent in such a socially conducive environment like a sorority. The professional network you
get after college as well is even more beneficial. You can tap into alumnis networks and be
higher up on a job application just because you relate to the person hiring you. A boss would be
more likely to hire someone they know the background of and their life experiences. Sororities
almost carry a secret get in for jobs if the boss is an alumni of the same sorority you were in.
Not only that though, you can get a full academic support network because you are in a sorority.
Members can instantly have access to all the best professors, departments, and majors. And if
youre struggling in your classes you can ask your sisters as great resources for tutoring and
other academic advice.
Second, you can get the best leadership experience you may ever be able to receive.
Sororities require a high level of work and commitment. Perhaps you have never held a
leadership position but in a sorority there are many opportunities that can expose yourself and
help you develop those leadership skills. Sororities in general as far as actual life skills are
concerned is one of the best places to get it. A lot of members are happy with their decision to be
in one solely based off the fact that they gain so many life skills that they can immediately apply

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to the job market or to real life whereas many students come out of college not knowing how to
live their life.
Another thing I learned about Greek life very quickly was the exclusivity that they
portray. I wanted to understand why they portray such and intimidating figure. I think after going
to the sorority house and being adopted by one for the soccer team, which is where they give us
food and we get to hang out with them occasionally, I learned that sororities and their members
really are exclusive. Despite what they may tell you, sororities frown upon people who try and
get involved with them who they think dont have permission or the right. Countless time at
events being held by them I felt like they were constantly judging me. This could be for my
dashingly good looks but unfortunately I think it is a more underlying problem. Elitism I think is
the biggest negative trait I found when working with sororities. A number of parties I went to
with girls I knew from the sorority were nice to me because I was friends with them, but as for
the girls I didnt know I found it hard to even think about approaching them. A majority of the
girls I was around gave off and aura of elitism that I have never experienced in my life. Not only
that, but there is an elitism between the sororities themselves as well. Each sorority makes up
slogans for each other like alpha phi, hurts to pee. This further reiterates the elitism that
sororities portray, as a whole and individually. They cant even get along with their fellow
sororities. For the most part I dont even think it is the upperclassmen that have this mindset,
instead the majority of this idea comes from the underclassmen. I suppose since they think that
they have such a control of the party life here, they think that they are better than everyone else.
In conclusion, sororities are more beneficial than they are detrimental. Sororities give you
a life experience that you can never get anywhere else. Although they might be superficial, they
allow you to make new friends you would never meet. Sororities have many stereotypes they

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face every day and many members are actively trying to pursue turning these around, while a
minority of these members are living up these stereotypes. Sororities are notoriously known for
substance abuse with alcohol and drugs. Sororities can come off as exclusive and elite compared
to the people not involved in these organizations or have never experienced the members. And
despite all the negative acts and environments I learned while exploring this culture, I never
came away thinking that sororities werent the wrong culture to be involved with or that the
majority of them ever lived up to some of the social stereotypes that are thrown at them. You
rarely hear of a sorority member not enjoying their time in college. In fact, these sororities also
give you life benefits and skills you can never get anywhere else like community service
opportunities and leadership skills. I think to say that sororities should not be here is an extreme
opinion that many people hold and is completely over dramatic. Sororities bring to life what
other organizations cant, and that is a diverse, deep and overall a great culture to be apart of.

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References
Ball, Sarah. (11 Sept. 2009). Greek Letter Organizations Are Unfairly Portrayed in Popular
Culture. Greenhaven Press, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Hollywood, Stop
Hazing Sorority Girls." Newsweek Opposing Viewpoints in Context.
Berbery, Lisabeth A. (2008). Even the Good Girls Have Their Moments: Sorority Womens MisRepeats of Ladylike Discourse. Vol. 20 Issue 8, p947-964. 18p
Caron, Sandra L., Cindy A. Hovey, and Eilean G. Moskey. (2004). Alcohol use among fraternity
and sorority members: looking at change over time. Journal of Alcohol & Drug
Education 47.3 Opposing Viewpoints in Context.
Farrington, Elizabeth Leigh. (July 2009). Sororities Are Out of Touch with Today's Members.
Greenhaven Press, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "How to Help Sororities
Survive in Today's World." Women in Higher Education 18: 22-23.
Huchting, Karie K. (2011). Comparing Greek-affiliated students and student athletes: an
examination of the behavior-intention link, reasons for drinking, and alcohol-related
consequences. Journal of Alcohol & Drug Education 55.
Stevens, Ashlei N. (2008). Greek Members Are More Likely to Binge Drink and Use Drugs.
Greenhaven Press, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Report: Fraternity, Sorority

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Members More Likely to Drink, Use Drugs than Non-Greeks." Spartanburg HeraldJournal: A1.

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