Sororities and the South?

[James]

Ok every now and again I invade this forum of estrogen dominated conversation and I have noticed an odd trend.

Southern Sorority life seems to be different than the rest of the Nation.

Other parts of the country have huge systems. Other campuses have 150 plus houses. But in the South it seems more of a problem.

In other areas, even in the larger systems it seems inclusion is the rule. In the South it seems Exclusion is the premise.

But it doesn't seem rooted in the sorority system itself which is neutral.

Rather the Sorority system has seemed to become part of some large Southern Social Pageant involving the magazine Southern Living, Some junior circle (women's group?), Church, country clubs, basically your status in society,and some boiok about Why Princess Margarett couldn't be a Kappa Gamma.

The message seems to be: this is what growing up in the South is about. The right school, the right sorority, the right church and Country club, and that it begins before college.

If I am not totally off based socialogically. Would someone please comment? Or maybe they have the historical antecedents?