The link between Greek membership and social conservatism

[GeekyPenguin]

I would say that on a whole the NPC/IFC organizations still tend to be conservative. Certainly I've observed this in the south, but even in the midwest it's there. Why is that? Probably because GLOs were a place where people could be excluded. At first, you didn't have to let in the Catholics or the Jews. Then they slowly became okay, but you still didn't have to let in the African-Americans or Latino/as. Greek organizations have always been a little behind the civil rights movements (with the possible exception of women's suffrage) and more conservative people probably flocked to them as a place where their values were being "upheld" as the norm still.

[summer_gphib]

I think there is truth to that, but I also think that sororities and fraternities are steeped in tradition. That tradition has appeal to those who are more unwilling to embrace new ideas. Tradition is one of the things I love the most about my sorority. It's an unchanging bond in a world of constant change.

Although I am a liberal. And I am still wearing my birkenstocks. *grin*

[skylark]

I certainly haven't observed that NPC and IFC fraternities and sororities tend to attract more conservative people (my sorority had many liberal people, and this was in a very conservative red state). However, I do see that the fact that sororities and fraternities may attract people from higher income levels, which may make sense with the original poster's claims. One thing I would be curious about is whether there were "christian" sororities and fraternities included in the statistics. That would certainly make the statistics come out more conservative, I think. Also, are the Latino/Latina and African-American groups included? If not, this might make the statistics skewed, as well (since at least I've heard that NPC and IFC frats and sororities tend to be whiter than the average college population, unfortunately).

[LatinaAlumna]

Originally Posted by skylark

Also, are the Latino/Latina and African-American groups included?

In my experience, I haven't run into too many conservative LGLO members (with the exception of some from Texas). I'd say the vast majority of LGLO members that I know personally are liberals.

[Soliloquy]

I can see some truth in it, but I really think it depends on the region a chapter is located. There are some basic principles that can be upheld by everyone, such as acting with class and dignity, but you can't really make a blanket statement like that.

You will find more conservative people in the south, logically there will be a higher percentage of conservative people involved in any form of a GLO. However, that's not always the case! I would imagine that you would also find more diverse chapters in larger cities based on demographics.

Just my two cents though

[SoCalGirl]

I think on a National level all GLOs lean more conservatively than the individual chapters. Probably because older generations are more actively involved the higher up you go in the organization.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by Scandia

My family is very conservative overall- and not fond of GLOs at all. I am a fence-sitting moderate, and I am an A Phi O brother and am pursuing AI as well.

Yeah, you might want to not remind people of that.

/Just sayin'

Originally Posted by GeekyPenguin

Latino/as.

Originally Posted by skylark

Latino/Latina

FWIW, it's perfectly correct to refer to both male and female Hispanics as "Latinos". It functions the same way as Alumni/Alumnae.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by GeekyPenguin

I would say that on a whole the NPC/IFC organizations still tend to be conservative. Certainly I've observed this in the south, but even in the midwest it's there. Why is that? Probably because GLOs were a place where people could be excluded. At first, you didn't have to let in the Catholics or the Jews. Then they slowly became okay, but you still didn't have to let in the African-Americans or Latino/as. Greek organizations have always been a little behind the civil rights movements (with the possible exception of women's suffrage) and more conservative people probably flocked to them as a place where their values were being "upheld" as the norm still.

For what it's worth, I think the chapters to whom religious, racial, and and ethnic exclusion are their primary motivations for "conservative" people to flock to them are pretty few and far between.

I agree that the ability to exclude may have kept the groups the same over time and didn't present many social challenges to the members internally, but I don't think it explains WHY anyone joins. It's effect is secondary to the other traditions and purposes of the groups.

[Kevin]

In my experience, on the whole, members of fraternities and sororities grew up in fairly well-off families. Such families tend to raise kids with conservative values.

[AlethiaSi]

My sorority, being local in NY, we had a variety of girls that were attracted to membership (in any greek org on campus) but primarily within our org, it was the girls, our laid back style, house, social and service functions and cheaper dues (... like 600 dollars cheaper) amongst many other reasons. Is it possible that the cheaper dues attracted liberal members? lol, i couldn't even begin to make assumptions about that, but I know it was a bonus for me.

Overall, we were primarily liberal, we had a few conservative members, but there is actually a rule in our consititution that forbade anyone from discussing politics or religion in the house (obvi we didn't always follow this, but the rule made sense and we tried to as best we could)

I think that everything that everyone has brought up are good ideas about why this is (more or less) true. I think that the throw back to older ideals and standards of behavior is responsible (amongst other things, but I'm making a generalization)
However, I'm not from the south, or the midwest (though my family is) and am very liberal (raised that way) so I can't speak of the traditions elsewhere.

p.s. very interesting topic Dionysus

[RU OX Alum]

a few guys were liberal and even fewer conserveatives, mostly centrists in my chapter, and....growing excedingly tired of the lib/con polity.

[ladygreek]

Originally Posted by Little32

So you wouldn't say that Delta has some values that might be considered conservative in this day and age?

Hmmm, not really. Our values are around service, sisterhood, scholarship and social action. But as you said it is all relative, like considered conservative by whom?

[Little32]

Right and I think for some just the notion of a sorority, with all that is implicit in that, seems conservative. Also, I am sure that Delta as an organization has certain expectations surrounding behaviors and activities where members are concerned that many do feel are conservative. It is a difficult conversation to have because the idea of conservatism is so broad--and I am willing to bet that we were not much of a consideration in much of the research anyway.

[LPIDelta]

We should also consider that in addition to upbringing, beliefs can be cultural or generational. I find as a generation that the current crop is more accepting of some things than mine was.... and I am sure older generations say the same of my generation.

[Dionysus]

Originally Posted by Scandia

My family is very conservative overall- and not fond of GLOs at all. I am a fence-sitting moderate, and I am an A Phi O brother and am pursuing AI as well.

I do not notice this in APO.

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

Well most fraternities strive to live up to values and a set of beliefs that were established 100+ years ago, a time when American culture was conservative, so this is not at all very surprising. Also, if you look at the things that most Greeks do, (serenades, pinnings, date parties,etc) it is kind of a throw back to an older generation.

Originally Posted by AlphaGamUGAAlum

I think private social clubs are going to be more resistant to social change because of the self-selected nature of members. The present group of members looks for a new set most like them, which tends to perpetuate holding the same ideas and values over time.

There's also a principle that suggest that being in groups with people who are politically the same makes the positions of the group members more extreme than being in groups that are mixed by ideology. (It makes sense. Your constantly reinforcing rather than challenging each other, if nothing else.)

So if the same idea is true in purely social groups, the prevailing ideology of the group may perpetuate itself. Since the groups have set traditions and history, it attracts traditionalist and the cycle continues.

Originally Posted by GeekyPenguin

I would say that on a whole the NPC/IFC organizations still tend to be conservative. Certainly I've observed this in the south, but even in the midwest it's there. Why is that? Probably because GLOs were a place where people could be excluded. At first, you didn't have to let in the Catholics or the Jews. Then they slowly became okay, but you still didn't have to let in the African-Americans or Latino/as. Greek organizations have always been a little behind the civil rights movements (with the possible exception of women's suffrage) and more conservative people probably flocked to them as a place where their values were being "upheld" as the norm still.

Ok, this makes sense.

Originally Posted by summer_gphib

I think there is truth to that, but I also think that sororities and fraternities are steeped in tradition. That tradition has appeal to those who are more unwilling to embrace new ideas. Tradition is one of the things I love the most about my sorority. It's an unchanging bond in a world of constant change.

Although I am a liberal. And I am still wearing my birkenstocks. *grin*

I'm not sure what you mean by "tradition" in this context.

Originally Posted by AlethiaSi

My sorority, being local in NY, we had a variety of girls that were attracted to membership (in any greek org on campus) but primarily within our org, it was the girls, our laid back style, house, social and service functions and cheaper dues (... like 600 dollars cheaper) amongst many other reasons. Is it possible that the cheaper dues attracted liberal members? lol, i couldn't even begin to make assumptions about that, but I know it was a bonus for me.

Overall, we were primarily liberal, we had a few conservative members, but there is actually a rule in our consititution that forbade anyone from discussing politics or religion in the house (obvi we didn't always follow this, but the rule made sense and we tried to as best we could)

I think that everything that everyone has brought up are good ideas about why this is (more or less) true. I think that the throw back to older ideals and standards of behavior is responsible (amongst other things, but I'm making a generalization)
However, I'm not from the south, or the midwest (though my family is) and am very liberal (raised that way) so I can't speak of the traditions elsewhere.

p.s. very interesting topic Dionysus

Thanks.

The "no discussion of politics/religion" rule is a good idea...if people cannot be civil.

Originally Posted by ladygreek

Hmmm, not really. Our values are around service, sisterhood, scholarship and social action. But as you said it is all relative, like considered conservative by whom?

Ok. While a lot of NPHC Greeks are democrats, I still think a lot of you guys are on the socially conservative side also. Why do you think that is so?