For the record, if this was a designed study on hazing, singular and plural anecdotes could be used as qualitative and quantitative data. That doesn't mean that what is found at the individual-level can instantly be aggregated and generalized, which is what I was saying. :)

Stop killing one of my favorite lines with your contrasting and your specificity! There is no place for that here.

My bad. :)

ETA: I never understood why some people liked that supposed quote. A Google search reminded me of why I never understood why some liked that supposed quote. LOL.

Eh, it's a quick way to shut down the "Buuuuuuuuuut in MYYYYYY experience..." where they continue to point out an extreme exception that though it did occur doesn't represent reality, or statistical probability. Sure, it can happen but it's an outlier even if it were part of qualitative narrative data. You can't just take things you've seen an extrapolate them to the whole. Or, you can, but you shouldn't expect valid results.

But you know that. I just like it because it's laconic.

Yes, I know that. :)

However, "the plural of anecdote" isn't the same thing as saying "buuuuuut in myyyy experience." The real issue is not whether singular or plural experiences are data (they can be) but whether they are generalizeable (singular are not).

I'm more amused that people were debating over who said the original quote, what the original quote was (i.e. the claim that it really is "the plural of anecdote is data"), and yada yada yada.

This made me chuckle:
http://www.freakonomics.com/2010/04/...l-of-anecdote/

*back to eating my pineapple Chobani*

The South is a very big and, popular imagery to the contrary notwithstanding, diverse area. Unless you're familiar with Greek life -- in all its manifestations, not just NIC -- throughout the South, you're better off doing what others have suggested and speaking just to your personal experience without assuming it applies throughout an entire region.

I'm not assuming that every greek chapter in the South hazes, but rather saying that hazing is spread across the region and exists in different forms. It's the same thing someone could say about the United States as a whole, but I'm not claiming that because I don't know may people east of Arkansas, or north of Kentucky and Carolina.


Having friends in different organizations in schools in almost every southern state, has given me that perspective. I'm not claiming omniscience here, just stating what I have observed in the past four years of being in school and around greek life, particulary IFC and NPC orgs, in the South and not just on my campus.

You said it is spread "widely" across the region. Others challenged you on that, and I think your "widely" is an overgeneralization that implies "pretty much everywhere."

Moreover, why was this thread created and why is it titled "the truth about pledgeship."