If Hazing is Wrong, what's a better alternative?

[APhiAnna]

Whether it's biological or cultural, I do think there are differences over how men and women bond.

For women, at least in the NPC culture, I do not think hazing works well at all. A friend of mine pledged a local that hazed very badly (not that all locals haze, but this did) and she resents her sorority so much. All of us that had the standard, no hazing NPC new member educations loved it. Although we may joke about how we wanted to be hazed, none of us really would have wanted to.

For guys (and maybe it is because my guy friends from back home are very much "jock/alpha male" types) it seems to work. No idea why. Every one of them was hazed (at a variety of different schools) and they have no regrets whatsoever. One of them was actually furious because a guy in his pledge class called into nationals and STOPPED his hazing...he wanted to continue it in full to prove himself.

While that would obviously not work for all guys, it seems like there are certain fraternities where it really does bond a pledge class together and there is little to no resentment.

My point is that I think the problem is that women who come from NPC and men who came from chapters where it would not work are voicing their opinions on hazing in chapters where it clearly works with no resentment or hard feelings. Illegal? Yes. It should obviously be illegal. But just because you don't think it would have been effective in your chapter doesn't mean that there aren't hundreds of fraternity chapters where it continues strongly and effectively.

[rhoyaltempest]

Originally Posted by APhiAnna

Whether it's biological or cultural, I do think there are differences over how men and women bond.

For women, at least in the NPC culture, I do not think hazing works well at all. A friend of mine pledged a local that hazed very badly (not that all locals haze, but this did) and she resents her sorority so much. All of us that had the standard, no hazing NPC new member educations loved it. Although we may joke about how we wanted to be hazed, none of us really would have wanted to.

For guys (and maybe it is because my guy friends from back home are very much "jock/alpha male" types) it seems to work. No idea why. Every one of them was hazed (at a variety of different schools) and they have no regrets whatsoever. One of them was actually furious because a guy in his pledge class called into nationals and STOPPED his hazing...he wanted to continue it in full to prove himself.

While that would obviously not work for all guys, it seems like there are certain fraternities where it really does bond a pledge class together and there is little to no resentment.

My point is that I think the problem is that women who come from NPC and men who came from chapters where it would not work are voicing their opinions on hazing in chapters where it clearly works with no resentment or hard feelings. Illegal? Yes. It should obviously be illegal. But just because you don't think it would have been effective in your chapter doesn't mean that there aren't hundreds of fraternity chapters where it continues strongly and effectively.

We need to keep in mind that some of what's classified as hazing today is laughable and ridiculous. When members talk about wanting their pledge processes to be more challenging, they're not always talking about the abusive stuff.

[Forgotten Zeta]

Originally Posted by rhoyaltempest

We need to keep in mind that some of what's classified as hazing today is laughable and ridiculous. When members talk about wanting their pledge processes to be more challenging, they're not always talking about the abusive stuff.

thank you, i never once mentioned any kind of forced consumption of alcohol, physical or verbal abuse, but the second someone reads my post that is the first thing that comes to mind.

[33girl]

OMG TEH GHOST GLO!!!!

FWIW, lack of on-campus housing and the general laid-backness of the Greek system makes membership in an underground group more palatable at SRU than it would be at, say, Penn State or Ole Miss. What I am trying to say is that you don't get a super ton more advantages for obeying the rules.

Doesn't make it right, but it's the way it is.