Quote:
Originally Posted by cutie_cat_4ever
This question has been bugging my mind a bit. Do you call those Honor Societies that use greek letter greek societies? Those societies also have their own rituals and such, but I assume it doesn't fall under the general type of frats/sororities.
|
They use Greek letters, therefore they are Greek letter societies. Pretty simple.
Remembering that there are very few rules that can be applied across the board with regard to fraternities and sororities, as a rule of thumb:
-- a "Greek letter organization" is simply an organization that draws its name from a combination of Greek letters. Because most fraternities and sororities fit this description, "GLO" is sometimes used as shorthand for "fraternity or sorority."
-- a "general" fraternity or sorority is one that draws its members generally from the student body, without regard to major or area of study, and that exists primarily to further the social (in the broadest sense) life of members. The oldest of these evolved from groups like Phi Beta Kappa and early literary societies. Most NIC and NPC groups will fit this description.
Because they exist primarily to further the social life of members, "general" fraternities and sororities are sometimes called "social" fraternities and sororities, but it is not always accurate to use the terms interchangeably. There are social fraternities and sororities -- for example, Triangle, Theta Tau, FarmHouse, Alpha Gamma Rho, Ceres, and my own fraternity -- that cater to students in specific fields or areas of study or interests rather than to the general student population, but that exist primaily for social (again, in the broadest sense) rather than professional purposes. Often times, the oldest of these "non-general socials" have their roots in specialized institutions (for example, Ag or technical schools, conservatories) where the "general" fraternities, which centered in liberal arts institutions, were not likely to come. Likewise, groups that have a primary focus of multiculturalism, such as Theta Nu Xi, or some groups that cater to persons of a particular enthnic heritage, such as Latino or American Indian fraternities and sororities, could be "social" but not "general." So, while all "general" fraternities and sororities are "social," not all "social" fraternities and sororities are "general."
Most, but not all, general and social fraternities and sororities employ secret rituals and use exoteric and esoteric symbolism, and most, but not all, are single-sex.
-- A professional fraternity is one that draws its members from a particular discipline or field of study and that exists to further the professional development of its members and/or to further the profession itself. Many if not most will have some sort of ritual. By federal law, professional fraternities should be co-ed.
-- Likewise, a service fraternity or sorority exists primarily to develop the character of members and for public service. This description can include groups like Alpha Phi Omega, as well as the Divine 9, who, in my experience at least, describe themselves as "service" fraternities and sororities.
-- An honor society is a group that exists simply to honor students or faculty for achievement in a specific field of study, aspect of campus life or the like. Some private ritual is possible, although probably not on the scale as one would typically find in general/social fraternities and sororities.
Threaded Mode
