Interesting article on feminist movement and sororities

[DGMarie]

http://www.bluejeanonline.com/featur...rity070903.htm

a nice, positive article from a different perspective...

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What I Think

The Feminist Sorority Girl: Not a Contradiction


Dianna Hunter English, 20
Sr. Correspondent
Williamantic, Conn.




Sorority. This word strikes fear in the hearts of most feminists. We associate it with hazing, with archaic gender roles that make the Stepford wives look progressive, with prissy and superficial college goals, and with exclusive rush processes that demean women for being unattractive or assertive.

But as a feminist, why do we fear organizations composed entirely of women? We should have a little faith in each other. No doubt, some of these women must be making empowered choices.

At Northwestern University, individual Greek women held numerous campus leadership positions, including executive vice-president of the student body, chair of Alternative Spring Break, and founder and president of the Model United Nations team. Certain houses coordinated the contribution of health supplies toward Iraqi relief efforts, collected donations to purchase phone cards for troops away from their families, and raised tens of thousands of dollars for various charities nationwide. The National Panhellenic Council has a sub-organization called Empower that works for this very purpose. Founded on the campus level by feminist Greek women, representatives from every house meet to coordinate pro-active events and activities among sororities. On Northwestern's campus this year, Empower published a point/counterpoint newsletter on campus life, co-sponsored Take Back the Night, and presented a fireside on the female orgasm. Clearly, Stepford would be a bit concerned about these sorority girls.

But valid criticism of the Greek system stems from its very real lack of diversity. Many sororities are limited in their ethnic representation, and some women are more comfortable joining sororities specific to their cultural background. These houses include Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta, two historically black sororities, and Sigma Lambda Gamma, which rushes Latina women. These houses have given many women a place where they feel a stronger sense of community, but they also further isolate ethnic groups and contribute to the lack of diversity at sororities that don't rush based on ethnicity. All houses would do well to ask themselves how they can be more welcoming of potential sisters of varied ethnic background so that diversity can be increased.

Much of sorority life obviously depends on the specific nature of a campus and on the personalities of the women involved. Rush experiences are especially varied. But many sorority councils are instituting increasingly welcoming rush procedures. At most universities, any woman who wants to receive a bid will receive one. Rush should not be an exclusive "are you good enough?" process, but an inclusive "where do you feel the most at home?" process. Moderation by national offices and women's respect for each other are leading to increasingly positive experiences. National policies are making sorority houses dry and have completely eliminated hazing, shifting rush toward an emphasis on philanthropy, skits and songs highlighting the positive aspects of the house, and activities encouraging women to be active in campus organizations.

Sororities can provide friendship, social activities, and entertainment. Serious people with serious goals and can also enjoy this social environment because it enables them to form lifelong friendships and establish a connection to a national community of strong women. Those who participate in social justice organizations, student government, literary magazines, and athletic teams in addition to sororities do not need to segment themselves into "sorority girl" and "serious person." Not only can these two components co-exist, but they often promote each other. Strong women benefit from a community of other strong women. As sorority women, we should understand the limitations of a social environment but welcome the positive aspects of each other's company and the home provided by our Greek house.

As feminists, we should welcome organizations coordinated by and made up of women, and recognize our own ability to empower and influence the Greek community and our sisters.

[breathesgelatin]

What an awesome article! As an ardent feminist, I can really sympathesize. Far too often sororities are demeaned by feminists, when in fact, I believe we do much to contribute to the cause. Thanks for posting this!

[SDTSarah]

I work in my school's library, and while I was reshelving books, I found the honors theses. (You have to write a thesis to graduate with honors.) Anyway, one of them was a womens' studies thesis about sororities (Alpha Phi, Tri-Delt, Kappa, and Theta). I thought it was really cool that someone FINALLY wrote something about sisterhood and sororities in an academic setting.

[Sistermadly]

Excellent article - I was especially intrigued by the bit about the NPHC/NALFO organizations fostering racial and ethnic isolation.

[Kevin]

Interesting on how the article touches on a criticism of the Panhellenic system that I've had. It tends to be a buyer's market -- the sororities get to cherry-pick the girls going through recruitment, the girls going through recruitment have little/no effect on where they end up due to one or two weak houses that are holding the rest of the system back.

Maybe I read into that a bit?

[sugar and spice]

Definitely a great article. I think there are many feminists out there who don't give sororities enough credit for being pro-women.

I was reading an article for a women's studies class in which the author laments the fact that female friendships are not regarded with the same importance as a male/female romantic relationship. She said that her girl friends had been just as important to her as her husband and that she wished there was some sort of ceremony she could hold with her friends that was like the friendship equivalent of a wedding, celebrating their bonds of their "sisterhood." The entire time I was reading the article, I kept thinking, "Honey, you need a sorority initiation!"

[Eclipse]

Originally posted by Sistermadly
Excellent article - I was especially intrigued by the bit about the NPHC/NALFO organizations fostering racial and ethnic isolation.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this Sistermadly. Can you expound?

[AZpinkkittie]

Originally posted by sugar and spice
I was reading an article for a women's studies class in which the author laments the fact that female friendships are not regarded with the same importance as a male/female romantic relationship. She said that her girl friends had been just as important to her as her husband and that she wished there was some sort of ceremony she could hold with her friends that was like the friendship equivalent of a wedding, celebrating their bonds of their "sisterhood." The entire time I was reading the article, I kept thinking, "Honey, you need a sorority initiation!"

I totally agree!! It's ridiculous trying to explain to my boyfriend why I feel the need to spend time with my girlfriends on an equal basis with the time I spend with him. I live with him, and when I went out of town for a week, we were really excited to see each other and spend time together when I got back, of course. But then, 4 days after my return, my friend wanted me to go out with her and spend time with our friends. My boyfriend got all pouty because it was the first wekend I'd been back, and I didn't want to spend it at the bar with him. Sometimes, I just wanna give up trying to expalin that my friends were there before he was, and will be there again if he's ever gone. They are just as important as he is.

[Sistermadly]

Originally posted by Eclipse
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this Sistermadly. Can you expound?

Nope. But I thought it was interesting that the author thought this way.

[Greekgrrl]

I found the honors theses. (You have to write a thesis to graduate with honors.) Anyway, one of them was a womens' studies thesis about sororities (Alpha Phi, Tri-Delt, Kappa, and Theta).

Man, I would *LOVE* to get my hands on this!

We should track down that person and make her (I assume a female) publish it commercially

[KappaKittyCat]

Originally posted by ktsnake
Interesting on how the article touches on a criticism of the Panhellenic system that I've had. It tends to be a buyer's market -- the sororities get to cherry-pick the girls going through recruitment, the girls going through recruitment have little/no effect on where they end up due to one or two weak houses that are holding the rest of the system back.

KTSnake, I definitely think you're reading into it. It all depends on the school. I know that at my school (and many smaller schools), if a girl wants to go through recruitment, chances are good that she'll get the sorority of her choice. We don't "cherry-pick" PNMs at all. They choose us.

[Meliahna]

Originally posted by Eclipse
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this Sistermadly. Can you expound?

I wont speak for sistermadly, but I'd love to add something to that train of thought....

It's always seemed a little ironic that some groups absolutely *s*c*r*e*a*m* about diversity and incorporating all kinds and then form groups that are culturally 'consistent'.

IMO, it takes all kinds, but it also takes all mixes. You have to have groups that are very diverse, but it's also very benficial (in most cases) to have groups with strong similarities in their memberships. Honestly, I've often wondered how anything would ever change with all the pestering going on.

I came from a VERY predominantly white (you almost need sunglasses looking at our population), agriculture based (originally anyway) community. I've had many discussions with people (not all white) who agree that if you were to see racism, this would be the TYPE of place you would expect it. Kinda hick-ish, smaller, mostly white, middle class kind of place. If you look at what actually happened (within my school) it was nothing like that. We had very few (think=5ish) nonwhite kids, but no one made an issue out of it. I was very good friends with a girl of mixed decent and I think it was one of the most beneficial friendships I've ever had. I learned a lot about issues I would neverhave known existed. But because she felt comfortable in the atmosphere, she was more than willing to talk about it. We debated affirmative action in a government class, and she (thought she was the only nonwhite there) was perfectly fine with expressing her point of view.

Now I can't speak for the rest of the town, or say it never happens, but I've honestly never seen and racial problems here.

That's pretty darn good in my book. I know for a fact that Mason (my dinky little city) has had pretty good race relations in the schools for YEARS. Left on our own, the kide behaved themselves and turned into adults who live with each other, work with each other, and enjoy each other.

It only seems logical to me that clubs/organizations could follow that same path. Not all will, that's true, but that's when some gentle prodding could come.

I've noticed MANY NPC composites that look pretty diverse, and not all are from diverse areas.


That's my schpeel, with a few tangents. I hope I didn't offend anyone, that was certainly NOT my intention.

~Millie

[SDTSarah]

Originally posted by Greekgrrl
Man, I would *LOVE* to get my hands on this!

We should track down that person and make her (I assume a female) publish it commercially

Come to the Emory library. The student wrote it in 2002...and now I really want to do some research into the different sororities. I'm especially interested in the NPHC/multicultural orgs...I know so little about them, but their sisterhood has always really struck me.

Sorry for the hijack...

[SDTSarah]

Originally posted by Meliahna
I wont speak for sistermadly, but I'd love to add something to that train of thought....

It's always seemed a little ironic that some groups absolutely *s*c*r*e*a*m* about diversity and incorporating all kinds and then form groups that are culturally 'consistent'.

IMO, it takes all kinds, but it also takes all mixes. You have to have groups that are very diverse, but it's also very benficial (in most cases) to have groups with strong similarities in their memberships. Honestly, I've often wondered how anything would ever change with all the pestering going on.

I came from a VERY predominantly white (you almost need sunglasses looking at our population), agriculture based (originally anyway) community. I've had many discussions with people (not all white) who agree that if you were to see racism, this would be the TYPE of place you would expect it. Kinda hick-ish, smaller, mostly white, middle class kind of place. If you look at what actually happened (within my school) it was nothing like that. We had very few (think=5ish) nonwhite kids, but no one made an issue out of it. I was very good friends with a girl of mixed decent and I think it was one of the most beneficial friendships I've ever had. I learned a lot about issues I would neverhave known existed. But because she felt comfortable in the atmosphere, she was more than willing to talk about it. We debated affirmative action in a government class, and she (thought she was the only nonwhite there) was perfectly fine with expressing her point of view.

Now I can't speak for the rest of the town, or say it never happens, but I've honestly never seen and racial problems here.

That's pretty darn good in my book. I know for a fact that Mason (my dinky little city) has had pretty good race relations in the schools for YEARS. Left on our own, the kide behaved themselves and turned into adults who live with each other, work with each other, and enjoy each other.

It only seems logical to me that clubs/organizations could follow that same path. Not all will, that's true, but that's when some gentle prodding could come.

I've noticed MANY NPC composites that look pretty diverse, and not all are from diverse areas.


That's my schpeel, with a few tangents. I hope I didn't offend anyone, that was certainly NOT my intention.

~Millie

Good post...it always amuses me that my sorority is the smallest of the NPCs on campus...but we're by FAR the most diverse. I guess that could be attributed to a lot of different things...but some of the huge sororities are glaringly homogenous.

[Sistermadly]

Originally posted by Meliahna
It's always seemed a little ironic that some groups absolutely *s*c*r*e*a*m* about diversity and incorporating all kinds and then form groups that are culturally 'consistent'.

That's pretty close, Millie.

I mean, at the end of the day, you're going to end up where you feel most "at home" and that's cool. But it just seems ... inconsistent somehow.