Why is Greek life more popular with women than men?
 

On almost every site for colleges/universities or Greek life which includes statistics, the percentage of women who join sororities is substantially higher than the percentage of men who join fraternities. In some cases it is a large difference. To what do you attribute this? I have some opinions but would love to hear from some of you who are much closer to the current situation.

Chicks like joining things.

The End.

I think the alumnae involvement is more prevalent and more consistant in women's groups which makes for a more stable organization. Look at the contrast of numbers of alumnae who attend their National Conventions vs. the alumni for the men's groups.

Maybe Panhellenic as a whole does a better job of attracting women to the Greek Community?

Maybe because there are all these complex mechanisms (like the release figure method) designed to maximize the number of registered women matching with a chapter?

On my campus, more women than men are involved in many of the campus activities. Student government, Student Activities Committee, all sorts of things.

As my oldest son gets closer to going off to college, I've been wondering if he'll want to join a fraternity or not, so I hope some of the guys will weigh in on this one.

For the girls, we do like joining stuff, being part of a pack, structured social activities we can put on our calendar...and we don't mind the getting dressed up to go to meetings or following all the rules that much.

I'm kind of interested to know whether some of these "balanced man" or "man of principle" type programs really work. Because if being a fraternity man now means you just hang out with a bunch of guys who want to get high or drunk and what have you, I don't think my son will be all that interested.

I think that depends on the chapter...whether they are really doing it or just filling out the paperwork to make it look like they're doing it. Sorority chapters can be the same way, as far as that goes.

This is somewhat of a tough question.

I can tell you that when I was in high school there was absolutely no talk of sorority/fraternity life. There were no "teas" or "introductions" by an alumnae association in my area. The whole idea was just not there growing up in the area that I was from. I would say based on what I know and what was mentioned above is the fact that women overall do like to join organizations. Women seem to be excited to be a part of multiple organizations/events and they tend to multi-task quite well. It just all works nicely together.

at my campus it seems about even. But that could be because not many women here approach greek life and many fraternities seem more open to membership. I personally think it has something to do with the desire of really wanting to be apart of something beneficial. I heard that women are instructed at young ages to be more attracted to sentimental things. And i consider greek life very sentimental; the rituals, the retreats, the meanings of a specific brother or sisterhood. So perhaps, some guys just find fraternity life un attractive.

It may also include that males are into sports or ROTC. They feel more independent than Females.

Oh, of course, this must be it.

Because there are no female athletes in college or females in ROTC.

I won't deny that male nature may be more "individual" (not independent) while female nature may incline them more toward groups, but the way you said it and tried to support it sucked, Tom.

How could members of sports teams and ROTC feel independent?

You mean, they feel like they are already a member of a "brotherhood," of sorts? That would mean that the women on sports teams and ROTC already feel they are part of a "sisterhood," of sorts. Neither may be too eager to join a GLO on some campuses. That's a possible explanation for some campuses.

Men's nature doesn't incline them more toward individualism. All humans, in general, have an innate desire to connect with others. Variations wouldn't be based on biological sex.

It is gendered expectations that tell women which types of groups they should aspire to as compared to those that men aspire to. However, both men and women are socially inclined to associate with groups. It's just a matter of which ones they associate with (e.g. sports teams versus hanging with buddies versus joining a GLO, etc.)

Also consider that there are more women than men in college, in general. This gender gap is even greater for African Americans as compared to other racial and ethnic groups.

Combine this gender gap in enrollment to the different activities, such as sports scholarships, that many men are involved in at a larger percentage than women on some college campuses (on some campuses GLOers are also on sports teams while on other campuses the student athletes tend not to join GLOs/or join in lower percentages).

Then combine that with varying social expectations of joining GLOs versus other associations.

Ok, then change "nature" to "nurture" in my statement. I was responding more to Tom and his usual diminution of women in general, the topic of the thread itself doesn't particularly interest me.

Cool. :)

Could this be because sororities take in a higher amount of new girls than do guys?

It always seems like the numbers of PNMs that the sororities take are huge.........and the number of pledges the fraternities take in can be pretty small. You know, the "quota" aspect of it?

Well, quota is only as big as the number of people rushing. I mean, if you have 5 sororities and only 15 girls go thru rush, quota is 3. It varies from year to year. You have to have the girls come out to rush to begin with.

Joining a sports team or ROTC makes you part of a GROUP, last time I checked.

Sorority numbers vs. fraternity numbers
 

On some campuses, number are determined simply by the way rush is done. Most fraternties do not have a formal IFC-run rush, so they may invite and pledge as they wish number-wise, even if it is within a certain time period. Sororities, on the other hand, agree to split a certain percentage of those women who choose to go through rush, no matter how large (or small) that number. At some campuses, the average sorority pledge class might be 50 or 60 or even 79 or 80; the average fraternity class might be 25 or 30. The question nobody asks is this: given the opportunity to rush and pledge exactly who they wish number-wise, how many sororities would end up with 150-200 total members? Nobody will ever know, nor will they know how many guys would sign up for a mass rush where each fraternity ended up with a certain percentage of those remaining in rush, no matter how large that final number might be.

It is true, though, that more women are entering college than men number-wise, so that is certainly part of the equation. It's easy to say that men are less social or less gregarious, but the current system does not allow for that argument to be played out. I think fraternities are happy being smaller and--therefore--closer and able to be more selective. But there are fraternites who take huge classes, too.

Fraternities haze. Not everyone wants to do that.

Not all fraternities haze, and some sororities haze worse than fraternities do.

I hate to make generalizations, but, and this spans a number of the schools, the majority of my male friends were "hazed." I use quotations because there a good deal of range in terms of what they did.

Only one of my girlfriends was hazed.

I think this is the best answer.

Then don't make them.

Greek Life extends beyond your circle of friends, and hazing incidents have occurred with members of both fraternities and sororities.

Fraternities are much more likely to haze, at least here. I couldn't tell you why less men join GLOs than women honestly.

I think that some men have more of a tendency than women do to join an organization for a specific reason or purpose, such as a club sport team or ROTC, rather than a general-purpose organization such as a sorority or fraternity.

I've also heard that there's been a marked decline in men's post-college fraternal and community organizations, ("Bowling Alone", anyone?) so this might be a broader societal issue, rather than a social fraternity-specific one.

I believe that has to do with 1) women demanding men be at home more/help w/ child rearing 2) super long commutes that by the time you get home, you can barely stay awake for dinner, let alone go to a Kiwanis/Jaycees/etc meeting.

Then again, you make time for what's important to you.

Greek life is more popular with women cuz' y'all know y'all iz MESSY!! And most of the time it's the grad chapter sorors keeping up mess. I'm not going to call out any GLOs but some of these sorors kick mess all the way up to their prospective national representative. Brothers can be messy too but most of the time they try to squash it if it gets too out of hand. On the other hand, with sisters, I know of sorors on the same line that haven't spoken to each other in over 30 years over petty mess. Many sorors take running for particular positions in their chapters too seriously. And they will spend a half million dollars and sleepless nights putting those scrap books together.

Can someone please translate this for me?

The troll thinks that women are messy. :)

(I think that both men and women can be messy.)

Greek life is more popular with women cuz' y'all know y'all iz MESSY!!

It seems that Greek Life is more popular with women because they like to perpetuate drama.


And most of the time it's the grad chapter sorors keeping up mess.

It seems as if when these occurances happen, it is moreso graduate members within the sorority.


I'm not going to call out any GLOs but some of these sorors kick mess all the way up to their prospective national representative.

I care not to be specific of which GLOs have done this but it seems as if some of these ladies have taken this up to the highest levels possible within the sororority their to prospective national representative.

Brothers can be messy too but most of the time they try to squash it if it gets too out of hand.

It is to note however, fraternities have this issue also, but men tend to dismiss such frivolous foolishness before it gets out of hand.

On the other hand, with sisters, I know of sorors on the same line that haven't spoken to each other in over 30 years over petty mess.

Meanwhile I have known of ladies who partook of their intake process with others in their pledge class who have not communicated with each other for 3 decades due to a slight.

Many sorors take running for particular positions in their chapters too seriously. And they will spend a half million dollars and sleepless nights putting those scrap books together.

It's really not all that deep y'all

^^^^^BEST.

^^^Co-sign. Drolefille will be proud!

*golf clap*

You have done well young padawan.

Welcome all new members.

Thank you all curent members.:o

Answer not, then you have an excuse?

Translation please.

This is my nice face.
This is my saracasticly nice face.
This is my Yoda face.

Why don't you have an excuse for why those gross bitchy womens like Greek Life better? The first meeting of G.R.O.S.S. is now in session. (apologies to Calvin)

Because women are smarter???:)