The link between Greek membership and social conservatism

[Tom Earp]

So, does all of this make NIC and PHC members Republicans?

I have run the gamut over the years from semi liberal, to moderare to conservative.

Maybe some feel GLOs are conservitive because we are more regimented within our organizations.

[Scandia]

That's ok. Yesterday somebody on MySpace assumed that I was a liberal and disliked George W. and Laura Bush simply because I had an advanced degree. That I would find it "disgusting" that Mrs. Bush used to be a librarian because I was "probably a liberal given your education level".

Whatever. I'm a moderated who usually votes Republican, voted for Bush twice, and admires George W. and Laura very much. I may be opposed to extending the war, but that's not the point.

I cannot believe that someone would automatically assume that I was liberal AND disliked the Bushes simply because I have an advanced degree. Not only that, he was pointing out that I would be disgusted at Laura Bush being a librarian- as in the First Lady, which would have little if anything to do with political persuasion.

I do know someone who fits the sorority girl stereotype in nearly every way- but turns out that she is very opposed to them. She is quite liberal and has given me a hard time about my ideals. Conversely, I fit very few stereotypes, and look how pro-GLO I am.

[ladygreek]

Originally Posted by KyleMcGuire1983

It was the Republican party who pushed the Suffragette agenda...Harding was a huge supporter of Sufferage!

Yes, and my liberal parents were Republican, because it was the party of Lincoln. My reference had more to do with the liberal thinking (not party affiliation) of my Founders. And my guess is that many of their families were Republicans and liberal, too.

[ladygreek]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

Yes there's poverty everywhere, but being conservative in the Midwest doesn't mean you're poor or uneducated which seemed to be what the previous poster was saying.

I totally agree.

[tld221]

Originally Posted by violetpretty

There are two types of conservatives that we are talking about: people who follow their own moral code, and people who vote for Republicans.

word. only recently did i realize that.

Originally Posted by violetpretty

I identify as politically liberal. I generally agree with Democrats. However, I didn't drink at all until I turned 21 and am not a huge partier. I also refuse to have sex with someone with whom I am in love and with whom I am in a committed relationship. Mind you, this code that I established for myself has nothing to do with religion. Some people think that's conservative.

:gasp: no! not love... and committment! :runs for the hills:

Originally Posted by AlexMack

You are aware that at one point in this country, the republicans and democrats were the polar opposites of what they are today.

i love the period at the end of that. no question mark, but like, "umm, yeah im jus saying."

anyway carry on.

[AlexMack]

Originally Posted by Scandia

That's ok. Yesterday somebody on MySpace assumed that I was a liberal and disliked George W. and Laura Bush simply because I had an advanced degree. That I would find it "disgusting" that Mrs. Bush used to be a librarian because I was "probably a liberal given your education level".

Whatever. I'm a moderated who usually votes Republican, voted for Bush twice, and admires George W. and Laura very much. I may be opposed to extending the war, but that's not the point.

I cannot believe that someone would automatically assume that I was liberal AND disliked the Bushes simply because I have an advanced degree. Not only that, he was pointing out that I would be disgusted at Laura Bush being a librarian- as in the First Lady, which would have little if anything to do with political persuasion.

I do know someone who fits the sorority girl stereotype in nearly every way- but turns out that she is very opposed to them. She is quite liberal and has given me a hard time about my ideals. Conversely, I fit very few stereotypes, and look how pro-GLO I am.

LOL.

[sugar and spice]

IFC/NPC sororities tend to skew conservative -- I can't see how this is up for debate. (I don't know enough about the NPHC to comment, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was true for them also, given the argument below.) The sororities and fraternities on my campus were probably split right down the middle, but this is on a notoriously liberal campus where, on the whole, probably 80+ percent leaned left. That said, I think that Greek life tends to attract moderates more than anything. The extreme conservatives I know are just as turned off by stereotypes of Greek life they associate with liberalism (hardcore drinking and partying, promiscuity, relaxed moral standards) as the extreme liberals are with the aspects they associate with conservatism (sexism/racism, conformity, groupthink).

I do think that the adherence to tradition is the major point here. On campuses with less traditional Greek systems, I've found that you're more likely to have liberal members. On campuses with traditional Greek systems, less so. On campuses with sororities and fraternities with decades, maybe 100+ of history, tradition is a big thing. Greeks as a whole tend to be a pretty nostalgic bunch, and "it's the way we've always done things" tends to be a fairly popular defense for a whole range of decisions. Some of these choices are not particularly political -- whether or not to haze, recruitment methods, which songs to sing at rush. Others -- like the decision to allow Jews/Catholics/people of color into our organizations, gender roles, behavior standards, whether gay members will be embraced, tolerated but ignored, or not allowed at all -- clearly are, and we have always lagged behind the college population as a whole on these viewpoints because of a dogmatic adherence to tradition. Unfortunately, as the gap between the GDI population's views and the Greek population's views widened in the late 1960s/1970s, GDI tolerance for the Greek organizations decreased. (Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't really recall there being a big focus on the political leanings of GDIs versus independents prior to, oh, 1960? The question of whether or not to go Greek mostly hinged on finances and individual preference prior to that, yes?)

Since then we've been stuck with the rep of being conservative and conformist, which turns a lot of socially liberal potential members away right off the bat. I went to a high school where nobody -- I literally mean no one -- planned on rushing when they went to college, including those that you'd most expect would go Greek. Obviously a few of us ended up doing so, but I think it's no surprise that most of us who rushed either went to schools where a large majority of the students were Greek and rush was in the second semester (they had time to be talked into it, meet Greek friends and see that the stereotypes were not true) or rushed at schools where the Greek systems were less traditional. The town that I grew up in is very socially liberal, and growing up, we had no Greek role models. It was just understood that going Greek was something that conservatives did -- people who were not us, people who valued wealth, tradition -- spoiled brats with daddy's credit cards. If you're not exposed to any other ideas than that growing up, it's rare that you'll give Greek life a second thought when you actually get to college. Which ensures that even in organizations where liberal members would be valued or at least tolerated , most liberal college students don't even get to the opening round of the rush process in the first place.

[KyleMcGuire1983]

Originally Posted by AlexMack

You are aware that at one point in this country, the republicans and democrats were the polar opposites of what they are today.

Well by 1912 the Republicans turned pro-business and kicked out the progressives...the modern Republican party took hold around the time of Taft....

I'd rather not get into a political history debate here though...

[KyleMcGuire1983]

Originally Posted by LegallyBrunette

Damn, I lost my whole first response to this. Anyway, I agree with the general proposition that conservative individuals may be initially more comfortable with the idea of an institution like Greek Life. However, I wholeheartedly disagree with the idea that liberalism somehow equates to irresponsibility and naivete. If anything, in looking at the current administration's fiscal policy, the opposite seems to be true (ex: hemmoragic spending in the face of an enormous deficit). If somehow having a chapter composed of liberals meant huge RM issues and lack of financial stability because of their naivete and unwillingness to impose rules (which is what I took away from the above post), every chapter in every blue state (except for those chapters entirely composed of Republicans) would be in ruin. And, despite what rumblings I've heard from time to time on here about Greek life in the West and North, they are not.

Kyle, please correct me if I've misinterpreted you.

You only halfway misinterpret me. Obviously liberals are not totally irresponsible with money otherwise they'd all be bankrupt...they're only irresponsible with taxpayer money which they see as fun money. Blue State Chapters don't foreclose all the time because their Execs, while possibly Democrats, aren't spending house cash on expensive communal programs without consequences. Of course I never claimed that liberals are totally irresponsible with finances...I merely said it's one of the things that may attract more conservative people. When it's HIS money and he is held accountable for the spending in the SHORT TERM (spend today = no rent money tomorrow type deals) the Liberal is responsible with money on the whole. Although I do think Liberals in general are a bit naive about human nature. I think the average Liberal puts too much trust in the goodness of man and attempts to write off evil as some kind of social illness that has a societal cause.


And you're right the Republicans did an awful job with money management since 2001....instead of doing what they did from 1995 to 2000 they just catered to Bush's every whim. That's one of about three major reasons they aren't in charge anymore. HOWEVER, in general conservatives are most stingey when it comes to spending the communal treasury.

So I'm not saying Liberals are flakey with money....unless it's the public treasury on a grand state/federal scale that they won't have to take the fall for if the poop hits the fan. If the Treasurer or President of a chapter is a Democrat he'll still be responsible because if the finances get funny HE'LL take the immediate blame.

[Scandia]

The extreme conservatives I know are just as turned off by stereotypes of Greek life they associate with liberalism (hardcore drinking and partying, promiscuity, relaxed moral standards)

How do you know my family?

as the extreme liberals are with the aspects they associate with conservatism (sexism/racism, conformity, groupthink).

For the anti-sorority liberal girl, only the first one applies. She IS very much a follower. She and her clique all have major groupthink and cannot stand it when an outsider takes the spotlight away from them. She does not like it when she's not the center of attention.

I very much dislike groupthink and conformity myself, and I'm a moderate.