Fraternity and Sorority Life: Articles

Using a longitudinal survey of college students from over 400 institutions and a propensity score weighting framework, we examine the impacts of college fraternity and sorority membership on academic outcomes and general facets of the college experience. Our results suggest a mixed academic effect for males and a positive academic effect for females. For both genders, we find evidence that membership increases the likelihood of graduating on time and graduate school aspirations. For males, however, there appears to be a small, negative impact on grades. For both genders, we find that Greek membership increases the frequency of alcohol and cigarette consumption and decreases religious convictions and religious service attendance. Lastly, Greek organization members are more likely to participate in student government, perform volunteer work, and begin their careers immediately following graduation.

This study explored the impact of fraternity and sorority affiliation on students’ development of intercultural competence over four years of college at 11 institutions. Prior research admonishes fraternities and sororities for being largely heterogeneous organizations that detract from institutional efforts to create a culturally competent student body. In the present study, fraternity and sorority members did not differ from their unaffiliated peers on their development of intercultural competence during college. Implications for higher education and student affairs practice and intercultural competence among fraternity/sorority communities is discussed.

In this study, we use detailed survey and institutional data from a prospective panel study of students attending a highly selective, private university to examine the effects of fraternity or sorority membership on a range of collegiate outcomes. Previous research has given insufficient attention to selection issues inherent in the study of voluntary associations, and thus prior work likely overstates the impact of Greek membership. We use propensity score matching methods to isolate a more appropriate counterfactual or control group and to provide a more rigorous test of the effects of being a Greek member. Among our primary results, we find that fraternity and sorority members are more likely to be white, have more advantaged social origins, and arrive on campus placing greater emphasis on maintaining an active social life in comparison to students who do not join Greek organizations. Although Greeks assign greater importance to being a social person and report a more prominent role of alcohol and drugs in their enjoyment of campus life than do non-Greeks, these differences are attributable to pre-treatment characteristics. After accounting for selection effects, we find that Greek membership leads to higher levels of involvement in and satisfaction with campus social life, and predicts higher graduation rates and degree persistence.

This study sought to understand the reasons undergraduate women of color join a cultural-specific sorority. Through the use of an online survey, 159 narratives of women of color undergraduates attending predominately White institutions (PWIs) in the Midwest was conducted. LeCompte's (2000) 5-step analysis yielded four culturally focused meta-themes that addressed the participants' reasons for joining a cultural-specific sorority. The first meta-theme of "Elements of the Sorority" addressed the shared values, characteristics, and qualities that attracted the members to the cultural-specific sorority. Next, the "Emphasis of Relationships" meta-theme underscored the need to form meaningful and supportive family-like relationships with other undergraduate women of similar and cultural diverse backgrounds. The third meta-theme of "Importance of Growth," addressed how their sorority was a mechanism of empowerment to promote the development of women and communities of color. Finally, the "Personal Needs" meta-theme highlighted how sorority affiliation met their cultural and individual needs to persist academically. Importantly, the shared diverse values and family-like relationships were salient elements for the women of color to find a "home" in which they were comforted, valued, and supportively challenged. The study's findings underscore the need for cultural-specific student groups, which emphasize interpersonal connections, validate educational and personal experiences, and support academic empowerment on university campuses. Implications for university administrators regarding opportunities for family-like connections and culturally congruent activities are discussed to assist with the positive educational experiences and ultimate persistence of undergraduate women of color on predominantly White campuses.

The current research used survey data from 282 college women to investigate the relationship between female Greek membership and sexual assault victimization. Drawing from routine activity theory, low self-control, and social learning theory, this study tested a theoretical model that identified pertinent factors present among sorority environments to determine the relationships between Greek affiliation and sexual assault. Path analyses revealed that sorority women reported consuming more alcohol and with greater frequency, increased risk-taking behavior, delayed assessments of threat and responses to risk, and increased contact with fraternity men—all of which significantly predicted sexual assault. Future theory, research, and policy directions are proposed.

This meta-analysis examines the efficacy of interventions to reduce alcohol consumption and related problems among college student members of Greek letter organizations. Method: Studies were identified through electronic bibliographic database searches and reviews of reference sections of relevant articles, and studies were included if the study evaluated (a) an individual-level alcohol intervention, (b) sampled fraternity or sorority members, and (c) measured alcohol consumption or problems. Included were 15 studies with 21 separate interventions (n = 6,026; 18% women). Independent raters coded sample, design, methodological features, and intervention content. Between- and within-group weighted mean effect sizes were calculated using random-effects models. Potential moderators, determined a priori, examined variability in effect sizes. Results: Interventions targeting fraternity or sorority members were not successful in reducing alcohol consumption and related problems relative to controls; however, participants in these interventions did reduce the quantity consumed on specific occasions and the frequency of drinking days from pre- to post-test. Interventions that addressed alcohol expectancies were associated with less alcohol consumption on specific occasions. Interventions that provided moderation strategies and skills-training, identified high-risk situations, or encouraged setting goals were associated with less reduction in the frequency of heavy drinking. Conclusions: Extant alcohol interventions show limited efficacy in reducing consumption and problems among fraternity and sorority members. More robust interventions are needed for use with student members of Greek letter organizations

Students who become members of fraternities and sororities avail themselves of significant opportunities that enrich their college life. Faculty advisors play an important role in assisting fraternities and sororities in shaping students' leadership, scholastic, and personal development. Given the risks such as alcohol use and hazing that continue to be associated with Greek life, faculty advisors also need to be actively involved in enforcing various policies to ensure student safety. In this paper, the authors review some of the problems that cause a liability risk to Greek life and they offer examples from their own experience as faculty advisors to two fraternities to help manage the risk.

We use a longitudinal national dataset to explore the direct and conditional effects of fraternity/sorority membership on students' educational outcomes in the 4th year of college. Controlling for a variety of potentially confounding variables, including pretest measures of the outcomes, we find no direct effect of fraternity/sorority membership on educational outcomes; however, we identify 5 conditional effects related to students' entering academic abilities and their racial/ethnic identities. We conclude by discussing implications for practice and research.

Hazing, the practice of initiating new members into a group, often through harassment and humiliation, is a tradition that has endured in United States culture for decades. Hazing, and its negative conduct, leads to serious injury and even death. The purpose of this article is to review the current state of the law and propose a solution that will help decrease the number of deaths caused by hazing each year.

Members of the Greek community have been found to engage in riskier alcohol drinking behaviors and have higher alcohol- related negative consequences. A sample of Greek members were surveyed in Spring of 2013 (n = 372). It was found that The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) scores were significantly higher for male respondents than female respondents. During the fall semester, alcohol education sessions were offered to all members of the Greek community. Of the respondents who attended alcohol education sessions (n = 334), 55% reported these sessions changed their perception of high risk drinking. Implications for alcohol education programming are discussed.

Traditional West African organizations, called Asafo, bear a striking
resemblance to Black Greek-letter organizations. The common bonds that
link the Asafo companies of Ghana with the Black Greek-letter organizations
of the United States lie within their rites of passage, the guiding principles,
philosophical views, and overall character inherent to these organizations.
While slavery and colonization strained, it did not completely break the
cultural bond between Africans in Africa and those who reside in the West
(the United States). Moreover, wherever people of African descent may
reside, their cultural practices have always remained an intricate part of
their lives. This article seeks to analyze the presence of African culture
found within the Black Greek-letter organization and determine how African
Americans were able to materialize, communicate, and ultimately sustain
these African identities under antagonistic social conditions.

Contingency management is an incentive-based intervention strategy that has been demonstrated to be effective for inducing behavior change among a variety of populations and for a variety of behaviors. The current study examined whether contingency management techniques can help students change behaviors in an effort to raise their grade point averages. Members of a social fraternity participated in the study. We randomly assigned students to either a contingency management condition or a control condition. Throughout the entire semester, the contingency management students earned pulls from the fishbowl for reaching a grade criterion. For the first half of the semester, the control students were yoked to the contingency management group such that they earned pulls based on the other condition's performance. For the second half of the semester, the control students began to experience the regular contingency management regimen. As hypothesized, the contingency management students' GPA did increase during the semester and gains were maintained over time. Students in the control group did not show the same increase in grades. Contingency management appears to be effective in helping students raise their grades.

Interventions with fraternity men have been critiqued for an exclusive aim at decreasing negative behaviors and lacking consideration of male gender role socialization. The purpose of this study was to address those noted gaps in the literature. This study conducted an objectives-based evaluation of a strength-based, gender-sensitive program aimed at teaching fraternity men leadership skills. Findings indicated that participants were satisfied with the program and the six programmatic objectives were met such as increased self-awareness of leadership strengths and weaknesses, how gender norms influence leadership development, and how to connect men's health with leadership. Participants recommended that the program be more structured and to have a Greek co-instructor. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.