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2017 Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life David Butter
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COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES & PUBLIC POLICY
EXPLORING MASCULINITY IN FRATERNITY GREEK LIFE
By
DAVID BUTTER
A Thesis submitted to the Department of Sociology in partial ulillment of the requirements or raduation with Honors in the Major
Degree Awarded: Spring, 2017
Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1………………………………………………………………………………………..…3
Chapter 2………………………….…………………………………………………………..…...9
Chapter 3…………………………………………………………………………………………11
Chapter 4…………………………………………………………………………………………16
Chapter 5…………………………………………………………………………………………24
Chapter 6…………………………………………………………………………………………31
Chapter 7…………………………………………………………………………………………36
Chapter 8…………………………………………………………………………………………41
References………………………………………………………………………………………..47
Appendix A………………………………………………………………………………………49
Appendix B………………………………………………………………………………………53
Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 3
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION AND LITERATURE REVIEW
Subject of Study
Every year, thousands of young men participate in the rush process to acquire bids of membership into collegiate fraternities. In the 2014-2015 academic year, the number of men initiated into fraternities exceeded 100,000 (North-American Interfraternity Conference 2016), many without a clue about what membership entailed. Fraternities work hard to create a macho image and are vitally concerned—more than with anything else—with masculinity (Martin and
Hummer 1989; Ross 1999; Stuber 2011). How do fraternities create a sociocultural context that encourages ideals of traditional masculinity? With this research, I hope to uncover the factors that lead fraternity members to practice traditional masculinity and perhaps the factors that undermine it. Below I describe the literature that grounds my study, how I will investigate my research question, and a description of my timeline for completion.
Literature Review
Much academic coverage concerns fraternity gang rape (see for example, Martin and
Hummer 1989; Sanday 1990). Yet gang rape is not the only reason masculinity in fraternities is interesting. Fraternities represent an organizational context that fosters the social construction of masculinity and an example of how it is constructed. This research project explores how fraternities sometimes sustain and sometimes undermine traditional masculinity. According to
Sandra Lipsetz Bem (1993), masculinity and femininity are the constructions of a cultural schema that polarizes people into two supposedly opposite genders. She approaches gender from Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 4 three “lenses” that serve as the foundation of a theory about how male power is reproduced. Two apply to this research: androcentrism and gender polarization. I develop each below.
Lens One: Androcentrism
Androcentrism emphasizes that men are treated as human and women are treated as the
“other” (Bem 1993). Through this lens, men define everything in relation to themselves, including women, who they see as objects rather than as subjects of their own lives.
Androcentrism has existed since Ancient Greece, and Greek philosopher Plato explained that women are the private property of the male-dominated family, and fellow philosopher Aristotle argued that being a female is a natural deficiency. These ancient Greek theories assumed that natural difference justified political inequalities. This movement made its way into modern-day constitutional documents, for example the Doctrine of Coverture and the Doctrine of Family
Privacy. Both stipulate that upon marriage, a woman’s legal rights and obligations are subsumed by those of her husband. Androcentrism does not only explain who is in power, but also how the power is reproduced (Bem 1993).
This lens is evident in fraternity culture (1993). The concept of androcentrism is a pillar of my research because an overwhelming majority of my respondents explained that women are secondary accessories in fraternity culture. Susan Brownmiller’s, Against Our Will (1975) notes that the female body is objectified, and many of my interviewees supported this theory when they mentioned that during the fraternity recruitment process women are used as objects to attract new members (1975). Additionally, Michael Kimmel (2008) explains that a man’s prestige depends on the quantity of his sexual activity, and this idea plays out in the opposite way for women. Kimmel (2008: 192) says that: “women who join the party run the risk of encountering the same old double standard that no amount of feminist progress seems able to Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 5 eradicate fully.” Women in fraternity culture need to conform to hegemonic masculinity because men are the judges of what constitutes attraction and status. Kimmel follows up to say that in fraternities, “stepping in to protect women is treason, and a betrayal of brotherhood” (p. 230).
Not all fraternities are equally at risk of promoting and supporting sexual assault, but in one study, sociologists Ayres Boswell and Joan Spade (1986: 234) found they could distinguish between “rape prone” and “rape free” fraternities in part by the ideologies the men held and their beliefs in rape myths. They also concluded that higher prestige fraternities promote a culture of sexual entitlement.
One aspect of androcentrism that burdens men is that one’s masculinity is never secure; the goal of real manhood is unreachable. The androcentric fraternity culture makes men insecure about their gender, which leads some to perform acts of sexual dominance in order to increase their credibility. Patricia Yancey Martin and Robert A. Hummer explain in their work,
Fraternities & Rape on Campus (1998), that masculinity of a narrow and stereotypical type helps create attitudes, norms, and practices that predispose fraternity men to coerce women sexually, both individually and collectively (see also Allgeirer 1986; Hood 1989; Sanday 1981, 1986). The authors claim that “women are the pawns or prey in the interfraternity rivalry game; they prove that a fraternity is successful or prestigious” (p. 426). The use of women in this way encourages fraternity men to see women as objects and sexual coercion as sport. Not only does the androcentric fraternity culture encourage sexual dominance, but it also rejects androgynous men with a broad range of attributes through the recruitment process (Martin and Hummer 1989).
Lens 2: Gender Polarization
Bem’s second lens of gender, gender polarization, explains that male and female differences are superimposed onto every aspect of the human experience. Gender polarization Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 6 creates mutually exclusive scripts for men and women and defines any person who deviates from them as unnatural. Gender polarization is so ubiquitous in fraternity culture that young men become gender schematic without realizing it. One of the overarching unspoken rules in fraternities is to be silent, and men learn to keep their mouths shut because they are afraid to be the outcast (Kimmel 2008). I had expected to find in my research that the unifying emotional subtext for being a fraternity man involves never showing emotion or admitting to weakness, and my results support the idea that traditional masculinity exists in fraternity life because fraternity culture offers a standard of what men ought to be (Connell 1995). However, my results also show that in some cases fraternity men question traditional masculinity by holding members accountable and promoting a safe environment where members can express themselves however they see fit.
Expectations for fraternity men include being emotionally tough, focusing on competition, avoiding vulnerability, and acting dominant. According to Kimmel (2008), men need to put aside their emotions and learn that kindness is not an option, nor is compassion.
These are the rules that govern behavior in “Guyland,” the name Kimmel has given to male culture, and these rules will be used to evaluate whether any particular man measures up
(Kimmel 2008). Being a fraternity member requires a collection of attitudes and values regarding what it means to be a man, and the pressure caused by gender polarization leaves young men disconnected from a wide range of emotions. I believed that fraternity members without adult supervision would turn to each other for initiation into manhood, and in 2008, research explained that, “with little guidance and no real understanding of what manhood is, they engage in behaviors and activities that are ill-conceived and irresponsibly carried out” (Kimmel 2008). The author then says that young men lie about their sexual experiences to seem more manly; they Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 7 drink more than they know they can handle because they don’t want to seem weak; they sheepishly engage in crude talk about young women (Kimmel 2008; Canada 1998). In fraternity culture, self worth is a salient issue, and many young men have not had the training to develop a self-image that can withstand the assaults of their peers (Canada 1998). Gender plays an important role in risk-taking, and upholding the standards of a traditional masculine fraternity man has transformed into being able to hold your liquor, be sexually dominant, and to conceal emotions. According to Canada, men need to learn how to forgive themselves, and not internalize about it. He the goes onto explain that, as researchers, we cannot barge into young men’s lives without understanding them first, and in order to understand fraternity men, we need to analyze the cultural institution they live under.
Kimmel describes that boys are more prone to suicidal behavior and depression than girls because of the overwhelming pressure to conform to their male gender role (2008). The pressure is so powerful that it minimizes differences, and pushes men into a homogenous uniform. The mythology about how to be a man has led many boys to ruin because they are taught fear must never be admitted to, and that being a man means you have to take pain silently and create an emotional indifference (Canada 1998). Gender polarization also makes people uncomfortable about their bodies, and numerous interviewees supported this theory when they explained that fraternity men work out very frequently because they are afraid of being negatively judged by their peers as not meeting the masculinity requirement of being muscular and toned.
Many of these masculinity requirements appear in fraternity culture as well. Martin and
Hummer (1989) describe that valued fraternity members display, or are willing to go along with, a narrow conception of masculinity that stresses competition, dominance, winning, willingness to drink alcohol, and sexual prowess vis-a-vis women. Fraternity men go through the process of Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 8 enculturation, where they become who they are based on their daily social experiences, and collegiate fraternities institutionalize these experiences. Instead of constructing their identities from scratch, members have a self-affirming tradition they hold onto. My research explores how fraternities create a culture that either promotes or discourages traditional masculinity, specifically focusing on the pledge process, women, drinking and drugs, and body image. The masculinity literature is clear that body image is important to fraternity members, and yet this concern does not appear in my literature review (Kimmel and Messner 2013). Similarly, the masculinity literature talks about alternative, more progressive, ways of enacting masculinity
(Canada 1995), and yet I found no mentions in the literature of fraternity culture. In pursuing these concepts within fraternities, my thesis makes a contribution to the literature.
Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 9
CHAPTER 2
METHODS
In the spring 2016 semester I developed two interview guides, one tailored for current fraternity men and the other tailored for administrators, consultants, and chapter advisors. I received IRB approval in June. During the months of June, July, and August 2016, I conducted
10 hour-long interviews with six current fraternity members, three Greek life administrators, and one national fraternity consultant. During February and March 2017 I re-interviewed six interviewees in order to gather details about things they had said in the original interviews.
I used a snowball sample to find fraternity members to interview, asking an interviewee to recommend other fraternity members to interview who did not share their respective viewpoint. I chose my key informant administrator based on my previous knowledge of their role, and used the same method to recommend other administrators who did not share their viewpoints. Both interview schedules can be found in Appendix A.
I recorded these interviews using a LiveScribe recording pen and had them transcribed by a company called Rev.com. The main analytic task is coding and analyzing the data.
I created an initial set of 14 codes: traditional masculinity, drinking and drugs, favorite parts, fighting, house culture, least favorite part, pledge process, recruitment, risk management, takeaways from your experience, qualities your fraternity encourages, evidence of traditional masculinity, women, suggested changes in fraternity life. The transcriptions were coded into these categories through a color-coding system. I then analyzed the data identified by each code, combining many categories, and created the five major categories of the pledge process, women, drinking and drugs, body image, and breaking traditional masculinity. Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 10
CHAPTER 3
FINDINGS
I organize the findings section into several chapters, one for each category identified by my data analysis. This chapter concerns the role of the pledging process.
The Role of the Pledging Process in Reinforcing Masculinity
The pledge process is a foundational element of a fraternity and also of masculinity- creation. Pledging is an intensive orientation period where prospective new members pursue membership into the chapter and embark on a journey to become the right kind of man for the chapter.
Sean emphasized how important the pledge process was when he said: “I think that you don't have an organization without a process. It’s like getting into college without having to go through the application process.” Brian, a chapter advisor, spoke about becoming a man through the pledge process:
The masculinity piece of the [pledge process] says we want to be the toughest, we
want to go through the most, and we want to prove that we can be a man, and that I
can belong. I know one member, who [said that] he went through the process and
[afterwards] he declared himself a man. He felt like a new person at the end, like he
was reborn.
The interviews that inform this section reveal that the pledge process is an opportunity for fraternity members to create a kind of masculinity by demonstrating their dominance over new members through physical and verbal abuse and by belittling. Interviews also reveal that a Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 11 fraternity’s reputation as being tough on pledges reinforces the drive to enact these behaviors: the reputation of the pledge process indicates the degree to which the fraternity is considered masculine.
Five respondents described the pledge process as a way for a new member to earn his stripes. The process is founded on the notion of breaking down a new member in order to build him back up as a new man, one who is more masculine. I address each part of the process below.
Regarding the first part of the process, trying to emasculate new members, pledging creates an environment that allows current members to enact traditional masculinity. Martin explained: “The pledge process is embarrassing, but it's meant to be embarrassing. And it is supposed to emasculate you, it's supposed to break you down to make you feel like not a man, like a boy.”
Fraternity members in one chapter emasculate pledges by requiring them to serenade a sorority, using two- part harmony. Chris said: “Our [pledges] serenade sororities for homecoming. We [sent] the pledges to sing, and it was hilarious. They’ll typically sing traditional 1940’s songs, and remixes of popular love songs.” I asked Chris, “How did the pledges feel about the singing? He said, “I hear them say, ‘This is gay!’ quite often.”
The reason current fraternity members dominate pledges is unclear, but Daniel, an
FSUPD officer, believes it stems from personal issues like insecurity and anxiety, “I think
[older brothers] are much more comfortable abusing if they were bullied and never got respect in high school. Most guys that are hardcore-- I find a lot of that stems from being insecure. I think the insecurity promotes the macho attitude.”
Regarding the second half of the process, building the man back up, Martin explained: Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 12
Most of the time the pledges are submissive. [They] lose [their] masculinity to gain
[their] masculinity in the future. Once you get that pledge wristband off, you're “the
man,” because we preach this whole, “Stand up! Be a man!” stuff and act extremely
combative, and you see that in pledges once the band is removed and they are full-
fledged members.
The second major theme is how a chapter’s pledge process represents the degree of manliness of a fraternity. When asked about this topic, Chris explained:
The issue with [my chapter] was [that the Executive Board] felt like our pledge
process [was] weak and not hard enough, and so our pledges [heard] things from
friends that were in different fraternities like, “Yeah, man, we had to wake up at
4:00 am and clean the house.” And [my chapter] just didn’t do that stuff.
[Outsiders] thought essentially we’re soft. It’s a hit at our masculinity, because [our
process] is where you just [take] a test and you [get] in, [and so] you’re weak. People
think that we’re paper, that we’re thin, that we’re not [men], that we don’t have
substance, because we didn’t earn our letters, because we’re just [using] a test,
versus a fraternity that has a harder process. In order to make the process tougher,
the executive board tried to take the pledges on the side and do a shadow process.
They made the process more time-intensive by making the pledges show up to clean
apartments. The pledges also wanted more. I remember the pledges saying, “We
want a harder process, we want to do more,” because their idea of going through a
fraternal process was meant to be tougher.
Sean, a current fraternity member, explained his belief that women, too, judge fraternities based on the toughness reputation of their pledge process: Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 13
I believe there is a difference in how fraternities are looked at based on their pledge
process. I believe there's a correlation in how people view that. I heard from
multiple girls that, “The harder your process is, the more masculine you seem to
appear.” This is what I think the majority of our females actually believe.
Additionally, Patrick said fraternities need to appeal to the majority of people who are not in the organization, “Most people who aren't in your fraternity aren't ever going to be in it, and those are the people that you have to appeal to keep your fraternity running
[successfully] as far as reputation goes.”
Even though new members are often emasculated and belittled, seven respondents said they believed in the pledge process, and others were less enthusiastic but agreed that the pledge process is necessary. Albert was one of the enthusiastic ones: “The pledge process is great. It's needed. I feel like it not only instills respect in the young guys, it also teaches them... about not only your organization, but gets you to know the older brothers, and the respect of...’Okay. My place is here.’" Martin explained his sense of its necessity, “[The pledge process] is beneficial if you want to get into the group. The group wouldn't exist if there were no process. So there's the exclusivity of it.” Lastly, Chris confirmed that the pledge process is beneficial to a fraternity:
I firmly believe in the pledge process because there needs to be some form of a
process where you are learning about the organization that you are being tested on
[verbally and in writing] so that you’re actually learning the history. There has to be
some form of process so that when you get in, you actually feel like this is something
that you want. And so inversely, I think that when you work for it, it means a lot
more. Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 14
In contrast, Patrick disagreed with the pledge process and advocated against it:
I think pledging is on its way out because it doesn't build anything but resentment.
So when the [young] kids become brothers, and somebody was beating you up or
really forcing you to drink and do drugs when you were pledging, and now you're a
brother, you're not going to want to be around that person. They never respected
you from the beginning. So, I think pledging is unfair.
Brian, similarly, found no value in the process:
When I [went] through pledgeship, there [were] [traditional] values promoted. This
is what you're taught to be. You’re told how to dress presentably in certain
situations. You’re definitely taught how to be the traditional version of a man.
However, even that I still think, once you go through all that, it's not stable. It
doesn't stick. I mean ... Like, I would say for me personally when I went through
pledging, I got nothing out of it.
In sum, the pledge system is one brick in the wall of traditional masculinity
creation in fraternity life. Most, but not all, believe that being hard, even cruel, to other
men is beneficial in the growth of a pledge brother. Furthermore, the belief that
fraternities are judged based on their pledge process lead members to increase the
toughness and difficulty of their respective pledge processes in order to prove their
masculinity. In the end, most members believe the pledge process is a necessary
component of creating an exclusive fraternal environment, but also the process creates a
way for members to enforce traditional masculinity on new members.
Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 15
CHAPTER 4
Women’s Role in Reinforcing Traditional Masculinity
The interviews that inform this section reveal two contrasting viewpoints. On one hand, I found, as have other scholars, that women are primarily used as pawns to enhance fraternity status. On the other hand, unlike other research which has not yet shown it, I found that fraternity men perceive women to have influence and that this belief reinforces traditional masculinity. I address each in turn.
Using Women to Reinforce Traditional Masculinity
The overarching theme for regarding women at the chapter level is that fraternities use women to indicate the fraternity’s social status during the pledge-recruitment process. When asked about how women are used to recruit new members, Chris, a graduate student and former fraternity member explained:
[Fraternities] are trying to get girls [to help] out with rush. [We] try to get hot girls
to help check in [the pledges], so guys, as soon as they walk up [are] like, “Damn,
are you the girls that hang around [here]? Like, this is what I’m going to get?!”
They’re used as bait.
Another former fraternity member had a similar analysis: “We [would] have a few hot girls around to show the [new] kids that we can get these girls. No doubt.”
Interviewees said that fraternities also use women to raise money for philanthropy purposes. Chris described his experience this way:
Line Dance is a manifestation of men putting on this “Showcase of the Arts” where
these women are dancing scantily [dancing while scantily clad] for philanthropy. Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 16
[The University] has some issues with some of the money being donated to victims’
advocate programs because it is profiting off of this weird dynamic, this weird
power dynamic of provocative dancing.
Four interviewees said that men use women to increase their individual social status, and gave examples of how fraternity men use women in order to show their social dominance over other members individually. A common theme is that men who “score” with the most women are seen as the “alpha male.” Patrick, the secretary of his fraternity, said:
The reason we pair up with [sororities] is [for] opportunities [for men] to score with
women, and if you’re good at it you’re the man, and if you’re not good at it, it’s a
big opportunity to get shit talked to you.
He continued:
The guys that are recognized as getting the most girls are more respected than
somebody that doesn't, just because it takes a certain level of confidence and
composure to be able to get that many girls. And with that comes a great deal of
respect, a great deal of admiration.
Sean, another fraternity member similarly explained that:
I know a guy who’s created a slideshow with all the women he’s slept with. He used
it as a trophy case. Guys value your number. [Fraternity men] place this value of,
"Dude, you're a man ... You're the man." Like, "You sleep with the most girls.”
Alex and Martin both confirmed how men act as womanizers in order to impress other men within their chapters. Martin, a current member of his fraternity said:
There’s a guy [in my fraternity] who will take girls home just to take girls home.
You know what I mean? He openly says, “I don't really care if I know them. I don't Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 17
want a relationship with them, and I don't even want to have sex with them. I just
want to be better than other people.”
He continued:
And he would throw it in people's faces. It’s a dick measuring competition,
essentially, which is such a masculine thing to do, like a locker room thing. In his
eyes, he's doing it to try to bring up his average.
Another way fraternity men used women to increase their status among other men was through getting a woman to write the chapter’s name in sharpie marker on her chest. Chris explained: “Rush boobs” increase your status within your fraternity. Guys that got a lot of rush boobs, [in my chapter], were highly revered.”
As the “rush boobs” phenomenon indicates, one byproduct of men seeking to raise their individual status by using women is the denigration of women. Chris brought up another interesting example of this phenomenon:
It’s interesting because [the men] are so hyped with how many pawns [women] that
they can [hook up] with. But the minute it crosses this imaginary border of “too
many,” then she becomes this rejected object that no one wants to be associated
with.
Apparently, women lose value if they are “over used,” adding another element of competition with other men and another element in the denigration women. This kind of treatment of women helps men bond, according to Sean:
Being more misogynist towards females often ties a brotherly bond together. The
brothers bond over being sexist and how they talk about girls. It creates a bond Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 18
between the guys. They say, “How many times have you hooked up with X, Y, Z?"
Like, "You're the man." That type of thing.
He continued:
It gets to the point in which one girl sleeps with too many [brothers] and all of a
sudden no one wants her to come around. And it's that type of idea and mindset
brings the brotherhood closer.
Albert, a current fraternity member says he only sees this type of behavior towards women among Greek men and contends that it results from the organizational culture that is taught to new members:
I don't see this behavior with unaffiliated men. My friends in ROTC are nothing
like the womanizer. It goes back to the pledge master and the rush chair. The pledge
master spends 10 weeks with the [new] guys, so whatever he says, goes. And these
[behaviors] are instilled into them [the new recruits]. And I feel like that's who they
become over time.
The above examples illustrate how individual men used women to enhance their personal status, but doing so also enhanced the fraternity’s status. John, a chapter president, shed light on this topic: “I think [fraternity culture] adds a different kind of motivation. You’re not
[hooking up] for just yourself. You're doing it for a larger social reason.”
In sum, these findings indicate that fraternity culture encourages the traditional masculine practice of exploiting women in sexual conquest to indicate manliness to other men.
Trying to Please Women Reinforces Traditional Masculinity
Women play a large role in fraternal masculinity culture because their approval or disapproval helps determine the social status of chapters and of individual members. Fraternity Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 19 men perceive women as having a great deal of power, and this belief reinforces traditional masculinity in two ways. First, as fraternities seek to cater to what they believe women want, they enact traditional masculinity. Second, women’s opinions play a role in deciding where a fraternity falls on the social hierarchy, leading men to enact traditionally masculine behaviors in an attempt to rise in women’s opinions.
Two interviewees said that fraternity programming is designed to cater to women.
Patrick, a member of his chapter’s executive board said: “Fraternities are built, I think, at least good ones, to bring the members opportunities to meet women.”
Sean agreed with Patrick on this point:
“It is 100% true that fraternities create a culture where men score with women in order to increase their status. Women are a huge part of our [programming].”
One way fraternities cater to what they think women want is through hosting philanthropy events. They believe that women enjoy attending philanthropic events as one way to meet fraternity men. Chris, a graduate student and former fraternity member explained:
All [of] our programming was more so based on females. So like all our brotherhood events still stem from that.
A prime example of how unwarranted beliefs about what women want reinforces traditional beliefs about what women care about is the case of a fraternity chapter that spent thousands of dollars to court a sorority for homecoming. Sean told this story:
My sophomore year we wanted to court [sorority name], and a [brother] posted on
our [Facebook] page for everyone to meet at Phi Mu in one hour. We’re sitting
outside [the house]and a helicopter shows up and drops 3,000 rose petals on top of
their house! Phi Mu ended up saying no, and we spent $3,000 for no reason. Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 20
The belief that women are quick to question a man’s masculinity credentials by accusing him of being gay is another reason that men might feel that they need to enact traditional masculinity. Brian, a chapter advisor, said that:
When a young man is not interested in a particular female, then comes the pressure,
“Oh, so are you gay?” I don’t think every young man that is in a fraternity wants to
be having sex randomly all the time. I think the interactions with women on campus
create some of that pressure to be masculine and perform.
Brian recalled two experiences where his sexuality was questioned:
Frank and I used to hang out quite a bit. We would party at my apartment, and
sometimes people would sleep over because they didn’t want to drive. There was a
young woman in a sorority who was interested in Frank, June was her name . . . She
didn’t understand why he would hang out with us guys all the time . . . so she
questioned his sexuality. At first it had zero impact, but eventually she kept asking,
“Why don’t you want to sleep in my bed, but sleep in Daniel’s bed?” I could tell he
started behaving in public spaces differently. He was acting more masculine,
dismissive, and disrespectful. He was performing to make sure women in her
sorority did not see him as over affectionate or overly close to me. I think because I
did not have a girlfriend at that time it also led to some of the questioning.
The second experience happened in graduate school when he served as chapter advisor:
There was a woman in our sister sorority who was interested in me, and I shared
with her that I was flattered but not interested in dating undergraduate students.
She did question my sexuality. She told the pledges that I must be gay and “You Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 21
need to watch out because he is interested in ya’ll.” Then the pledges had issues with
the reputation of the fraternity and had issues with me not dating her.
Again, without conducting further research on women who made such accusations, it is impossible to know how common such accusations are. It is possible that such stories reinforce the fear of being called gay, thus functioning to preserve traditional masculinity. In sum, fraternity men’s beliefs about women’s desires and power lead them to act in traditionally masculine ways.
Regarding the latter point that women’s opinions play a role in deciding where a fraternity falls on the social hierarchy, John, a current chapter president, said:
The opposite sex determines if your fraternity is socially better. If a certain person
in one organization, [hooks up] with someone else in another organization, that
decides their [social] worth. The girls determine whether or not the guys are good. It
matters about what the girls say.
Men believe that women prefer fraternities that are known for being very tough on men in the pledging process. According to Sean:
I hear girls [say] that: "the harder your [pledge] process is, the more masculine you
seem to appear.” Based on those types of fraternities who do have a harder process.
This is what I think the majority of our females actually believe.
Of course, without interviewing women, it is impossible to know if they do value a rough pledge process, but the belief that they do helps drive the masculine practice of having a tough pledge process. In sum, members use women to reinforce traditional masculinity in fraternity culture by using them to recruit new members. However, women also play a role in reinforcing traditional masculinity because their verdict about which fraternities are desirable determines Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 22 where a fraternity falls on the social hierarchy based on how well the chapter performs masculinity.
Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 23
CHAPTER 5
Drinking and Drug Use in Reinforcing Traditional Masculinity
Drinking alcohol is a major component of Greek life members’ interactions with one another. Drinking culture is pervasive and firmly entrenched in fraternity Greek life. In this chapter, I first offer evidence of drinking’s pervasiveness and then turn to an examination of the specific functions served by fraternity drinking—bonding (even if it is coerced) and the perpetuation of masculinity (by using excessive drinking as a marker of masculine achievement).
Three interviewees explained their personal encounters with the drinking culture endemic to fraternity Greek life, all of which point to its pervasiveness. Harvey, a former national fraternity consultant, described his experience:
We are not helping the whole. Because even if the fraternity takes every single
measure needed that is appropriate to have a safe party--food, security, one
entrance, one exit, everything--all those different things, etc., we are still showing
that we value [drinking] because of how often we have [parties]. That this is how we
have fun. And so we are teaching a culture that says, “This is how you socialize.”
Corroboration comes from Albert, a current fraternity member, whom I asked: “Do fraternities create a drinking culture?” He replied: “I’d say it does. Before I became a member of Greek life, I did not drink. But now I can shotgun three beers and not even think about it.”
Apparently, drinking is an expectation of the Greek life experience in college. Rena, a
Greek life advisor said that: “I think we do have a fraternal drinking culture. I think that there's greater exposure to alcohol. So it becomes an expectation: ‘When I go to college it'll be a part of the experience.’” In sum, drinking is an important element of fraternity culture, but Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 24 the question then turns to why that is the case? I now turn the first part of the answer: drinking creates bonding—sometimes enforced—among men. The interviews that inform this section reveal that members are being forced to bond through the pressure to drink and participate in drug use. Chris put it most succinctly: “The purpose of binge drinking is to build community.” People who refuse to do so are treated as though they are actively anti-communal and are belittled.
Albert shed light on how bonding through drinking alcohol is the normal thing to do:
[Drinking] is a bonding thing because you just bond over a beer or two. While
you're doing your [rush] interviews, you go talk to a brother, and you're like, "Oh,
you want a beer?" You're bonding with so many guys all the time, it just becomes a
norm. But “shotgunning” three beers is not a norm. You just drink so much that it
does [become normal] eventually. [laughs]
Interestingly, the pressure to drink and use drugs can lead to exclusion and belittling.
Four interviewees pointed out that members are ostracized if they do not drink alcohol. Martin told of his experience:
You're demonized for not drinking. It's hard because [sometimes] I don't want to
drink; I just want to go home. [Brothers] are going to yell at [me] and [call me] a
pussy. One night, we’re going out on one of our guy’s 21st birthday, and we're going
to Ken's. There was a rule that [we were] only getting Jim Beam, and we're only
supposed to drink that drink. But this guy [did] not like to drink, and he [went]
through the entire night sitting [alone], not a part of [our] one particular group. I
think the issue comes not in drinking itself, but in not being a part of the group. If
you're not doing what everyone else is doing, [then] why the fuck are you here? Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 25
Martin gave another example about how fraternity drinking culture is about being part of the group and bonding with the brothers:
On St. Patrick’s Day a brother came in and had a rough night the night before, and
[I said] “Pass [him] a beer! That'll make him feel better.” He said, “I don't want to
do that,” and [I said], “It is St. Patrick’s Day, you have to.” “All right, all right, I
will,” he responded.
I asked: “He got pressured into it?” and Martin replied:
Extremely. It's never, “Why aren't you drunk?” It's “Why aren't you drinking with
us?” We are here to do everything together, whether it's go out together or hang
around together. So it's like if we're going out together, you signed up to go out, and
go to the club.
I asked Chris, a former fraternity member, about the pressure to participate in a drinking game last year: “How were the pledges that didn’t participate in the Edward Beer Hands1 game treated?” He said: “There were social pressures, so if they didn’t do it, they were seen as lame or ostracized, or they were emasculated because they didn’t participate in the
[game].”
The reason bonding around drinking was enforced so strenuously is unclear, but since most of the fraternity men I interviewed made the claim that it was, it appears to be true, at least for this small sample.
1 Edward Beer Hands is a drinking game in which each player duct tapes a 40-ounce bottle of beer to each of their hands and may not remove the tape until the drinks have been consumed.
Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 26
Enforced drinking and drug use were also linked to masculinity, which is the next theme this section develops. Chris explicitly corroborated the link between drinking and masculine competition:
The binge drinking is resulting from the fact that they’re in hyper-masculine
situations, and because that individual is trying to match it or be deemed normal,
they’re forced to do so much that they really don’t want to, and that’s really tough.
Patrick’s story, by linking being a “pussy” and being a “kid” with a failure to imbibe similarly point to the link to masculinity:
[It was] Monday night, none of us go out, we're all staying in, [and] we're sitting
around watching Iron Man on TV. They’re all smoking weed, and they offer it to
me, and I said “No, I'm fine, and I'm not really interested.” A couple of guys said,
“You're being a pussy, why don't you just do it ... Stop being a little kid.”
I asked Patrick: “When you declined, did they ostracize you?” He explained:
Yeah, to a degree. I mean, when [I] declined the offer, as far as being the man, in
that grand temple of being the man and climbing those steps, [I[took a step down
with everybody else around.
An interviewee explained that it is possible to manage your way out of being considered unmanly if you have already proven your masculinity by having been arrested:
We have a guy who got into some legal trouble, and a minute after he got arrested
he was like, "I'm done." He just doesn't drink, and I don't know if he'll go back to
it, but no one’s sitting there yelling at him, because he has an excuse. Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 27
Many interviewees pointed to how being able to drink quickly, frequently, and copiously
are evidence of masculinity and are qualities that a man can be judged on. Regarding speed,
Albert explained:
I was playing Mario Cart while drinking beer with a friend. Beerio Cart2 it’s called.
Some friends in another fraternity, but also a guy who was not in Greek life [joined
us]. And so, of course, I finished my beer way before him because all the guys in
Greek life can. One of them [Greek life member] said to the guy who wasn't
[affiliated], "Dude, you don't try a Greek life guy" in chugging a beer. That’s not a
thing you do.
Drinking frequently and in large amounts are also dimensions used to measure masculinity in
fraternity life. Patrick described his experience in how drinking determines a member’s
manliness:
Drinking is the highest pillar of being in a fraternity. The more you drink, the more
often you drink, the better you are. You're considered tougher, you're considered
cooler, you're considered more mature. If you drink, but you're always getting sick
and you're always feeling nauseous and feeling like you've got to leave, you know,
that's not cool. But, if you can drink a whole bottle (750ml) and stand up and talk to
everybody and make it all through the night, and the next day have a beer when you
wake up then you’re the man!
2 Beerio Cart is a drinking game in which all the participants must consume an entire beer within the duration of a single Mario Kart race, approximately two minutes. Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 28
Another way men use drinking to prove their masculinity is through drinking games.
John said: “Well that's what Slosh Ball3 is. Competitiveness. In order to prove their manliness. Guys will take shots, shot for shot, shot for shot, and manliness is based on how much liquor you can hold. That's just my experience of it.”
Patrick gave another example about how drinking more alcohol places an individual higher on the hierarchy of masculinity:
There [was] an instance where I [went] out with people. My drinking tolerance is
pretty low, but I had three drinks. I left early, around 11:30pm, 12:00, came back to
my place, and just [went] to sleep. The next day I woke up and felt sick. Everybody
said: “So, what did you do last night?” I said, “I really got sick because we were
drinking a bunch” and they said, “You didn't really accomplish anything.”
But then the guy that I went out with that drank half a [750ml] bottle at the pre-
game, went out, bought the bottle at the bar, which was super expensive, gave it to
everybody, took a bunch for himself, kept just drinking, came back to his place
afterwards, kept drinking, doing shots, [and] went to sleep at 7:00 in the morning.
That guy [was] cool! That guy is tough! That guy is resilient! All those things that
you usually measure resilience, toughness, and courage with don’t apply in this
context. Those are all measured by drinking.
Harvey, a former national fraternity consultant, believes that the drinking culture stems from personal issues like insecurity and anxiety, and that these issues are mobilized by images of masculinity:
3 Slosh Ball is baseball with beer. A keg is used in place of second base. When runners reach second base, they must finish a cup of beer before moving on to third. Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 29
I think when we tie in masculinity, our men don’t know how to socialize with each
other or with women, because I think that they have terrible self-confidence. I think
that our men are so [self-] conscious because of what they have seen through every
form of media. Whether that's reading, whether that's movies, whether that's family
expectations. I think that our men are coming into college with an expectation of
what they've seen a man should be. In reality, we men, we've all got issues. We've all
got problems. We've all got self-confidence problems. And so what do we do? We
show up at a party and we drink a little bit more alcohol.
According to the interviews there is a societal expectation to drink when joining a fraternity. The members use drinking and drugs as a vehicle to create a brotherly bond. However, if you choose not to bond through drinking and drug use then you are not recognized as a member of the circle. Not only do members bond through drinking, but they also use alcohol and drugs to measure manliness. More specifically, the more you consume the higher you place on the manliness hierarchy within the fraternity.
Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 30
CHAPTER 6
Body Image in Reinforcing Traditional Masculinity
Being brawny is a major part of being a fraternal Greek man. There is a cultural fascination with body image in fraternity Greek life that places members on the hierarchy of masculinity. In this chapter I cover four findings related to physical bodies. First, I discuss the allure of being muscularly toned, and then I describe the gym as the place where this behavior is enacted. I then cover two findings related to fraternity status: Muscularity determines a potential new member’s options for rushing and overweight members are shunned in high-status fraternities but not in low-status ones. It is important to note that the obsessiveness with the body transcends masculinity to include tanned skin, thick hair, and white teeth.
The Allure of Being Muscular
Three interviewees shed light on the topic. Patrick explained, “Men who are muscularly toned are regarded as hard working individuals that care and are diligent and disciplined.”
Martin, a current fraternity member, also alluded to a hierarchy:
In Greek life there is an image of the perfect Greek man. In no way does the ideal
image include someone who is overweight. Immediately when comparing yourself to
other men in the Greek community every man wishes they could be just a little bit
taller, leaner, more built. It goes past the point of health and plays into this image of
the literal manifestation of a Greek god/hero.
Chris made a similar, but more specific point about how the obsessive body image culture occurs solely at this university: “There is a culture to be super well defined with muscular tone, and I don’t think it’s men in general. It’s just a [specific university] thing. I Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 31 have friends in other colleges in the state and they say our university is exceptionally attractive. It’s very superficial.”
Interviews revealed that this culture is evident mainly at the gym and also during the rush process. Chris went onto say, “A lot of men [in the gym] wear [Greek] letters, practicing what they look like, how they act, and their style.” Albert described the gym as, “the frat domain. The really buff guys will wear their letters to the gym to fit into the stereotype, and they’ll be slammin’ the weights around.” Fraternity members use the gym as a place to display their fraternity’s reputation. Interviews indicate that men use the gym to bring prestige to their organization and informally rush new members. Chris recalled an incident in fall of 2014:
Some guys that want to rush a fraternity scope out other guys at the gym. It was
such an odd thing [the first time I experienced this]. I was with a member of another
fraternity around rush week, and this unaffiliated guy came up and asked if he was
in the fraternity that was on his shirt. They started making small talk, and the
unaffiliated guy [explained that] he was there last night trying to show face, [and
potentially acquire a bid.]
In Chris’s eye, the fraternity letters represented a brand, and wearing them at the gym was like advertising for the brand. According to Patrick, “When you’re younger in the fraternity you are very invested in representing the brand and you want to wear the letters everywhere. If you are working out at the gym you want to make sure you wear the letters so people know your frat cares about working out.” The gym is a specified territory for fraternity men to make a public show of strength—both personal strength and fraternity strength to other men. Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 32
Another way body image plays an important role in fraternity Greek life is during the pledge process. Fraternity members want their new members to be physically fit and attractive.
Brian, a current chapter advisor, described his experience:
When I was pledging we were told in the beginning that the skinniest person and
heaviest person had to weigh the same before we could be initiated. I pray and hope
these practices do not continue today, but that’s an example of the shame that we
bring to our men in terms of physical bodies. My fraternity is very competitive and
we have standards that members hold each other accountable for. We would
challenge each other to weight loss and to keep a certain regime.
Body image plays an important role in the rush process. Albert explained how body image influences which houses to visit during rush week:
You are expected to look a certain way in a fraternity. Usually jock type guys are
what people expect, and when someone doesn’t fit that mold they are looked at
different in a way of “not your typical frat guy.” That can hinder the places they go
to, for example certain fraternities on campus. [Being overweight] hinders guys
from taking the step to get involved in Greek life. [It plays a role in deciding] the
houses you will visit for rush. For instance, guys who are not particularly attractive
or overweight will usually go to houses that are known as lower tier, like[low-status
fraternity].
Martin supported Albert’s claim, “I wonder how many potentially great members of the
Greek Community are deterred from attending rush because of their perceived body type?
Because in the Greek Community you can only have one [overweight person], because two makes a trend, and you surely don’t want to be that fraternity.” Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 33
An important piece to understand about body image and its effects in fraternity Greek life is observing how overweight members are regarded. Half of the interviewees explained that overweight brothers are typically the joke of the organization, but the other half stated that they are treated no differently. Chris recalled that: “Typically fat brothers are the jokes--the goober--of the organization. They get joked on a lot. They are almost always the joke.”
Patrick expanded upon Chris’s comment: “If you are very overweight you are harassed very much. The safest place to be is average because you wont generally be messed with. So the fatter you are the worse it is.” He then gave a more specific example about his friend George who, “is made fun of because of his hanging gut”:
I have a brother who is very fat and he is made fun of by his friends to his face.
[They do this] when he is not around because of the actions he does not take to
improve his health. He is made fun of when he takes actions to make himself fatter.
The other day him and I were driving from a restaurant where they serve chips.
While I just completed a workout and proceeded to eat half of my portion of free
chips, he ate every single one of his. We then left and went somewhere else. And he
said: “I cannot believe people consume unhealthy food like Coke and Twinkies.”
And I said: “That’s interesting coming from you, considering you just ate a pile of
chips!”
According to Patrick, George “is placed at the bottom of the masculinity hierarchy,” although he claims that it is not his weight that is the problem but his inability to fulfill the other pillars of achieving high fraternity status: “I don’t think being fat has anything to do with him being at the bottom, because if he can complete the other pillars of fraternity status as a fat person, which are women, drugs, and alcohol, successfully, he wouldn’t have a problem.” It is Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 34 impossible to know if this claim is true, since being overweight makes it much harder to “score” with women.
Albert and John’s point of view differed from those of Chris and Patrick. I asked Albert:
“How are overweight members in your frat treated? He responded: “Their time has been great. The guys that I know who are overweight are really well liked. In my frat we are very open to everybody. We look for people with personalities. John, a chapter president, corroborated Albert’s statement: “I don’t think there is a difference between men of all sizes.
In my frat I don’t think it matters. In my chapter you can look however you want, but if you can command a room and speak well then it doesn’t make a difference.”
Notably, both of these men are associated with fraternities lower on the status totem pole, implying that Albert may be correct in implying that weight affects the pledging process.
In summary, this chapter has shown that physical bodies are a key component of reinforcing traditional masculinity. My interviews showed a fascination with becoming muscular, the importance of the gym, the status-granting role of masculine bodies, and the shame some overweight members are made to carry.
Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 35
CHAPTER 7
Chinks in the Armor
While the previous four chapters paint a picture of traditional masculinity, I also found some indication that fraternity culture is facing pressure to change. This chapter offers examples from interviews on a wide range of topics that show elements of a critique of traditional masculinity in fraternity Greek life. The first example highlights an instance where members broke up a physical fight between Patrick and one of his fraternity brothers:
My brother and I were hanging out at a Greek life event, and he's drunk and
dripping beer on me, and eventually I tell him to stop because I was tired of it. He
kept on dripping beer on me, and I kept telling him to stop while trying to keep the
situation from escalating. He kept on going, and I jumped on top of him and tried to
punch him in the face. The brothers around us pulled me off of him and we worked
it out afterwards. Brothers came up to me and said I shouldn’t have gotten
aggressive, and that I overreacted.
In Patrick’s example, his fraternity brothers tried to keep the hostile situation to a minimum by quickly separating Patrick and his friend. After Patrick and his brother were put aside, the members explained to Patrick that violence was not the best choice to resolve the problem. This breaks traditional masculine behavior because the members verbally called Patrick out and told him he was being too masculine.
Another instance where a fraternity member challenged traditional masculine behavior is when Harvey took a stand against belittling new members: Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 36
I was put through mental stress during my pledgeship, and when I was Vice
President of my chapter I said we are no longer going to talk down to pledges. We're
no longer going to try and keep secrets from them. We're going to no longer try and
keep things hidden from them, because the mental stress and anxiety that it causes
our fraternity members is undue. It’s not needed. I personally told my members this
is no longer happening or I will report you.
Without verification of a positive or negative reaction from the members, we cannot accurately assess if his stand was taken seriously. However, we can note that Harvey did use his authority as vice president to counter traditional behaviors towards new members, and in this way he took a stand against aggressive masculinity.
Sean, a current undergraduate fraternity member, similarly stood up to his brothers to defend a pledge:
My chapter tried terminating a new member’s pledgeship because he was on anti-
depressants. The brothers were trying to get rid of him because of his mental
problems, and they were always against voicing their emotions and how they felt.
Nobody ever wanted to talk about their feelings, and in a growing culture where
suicides are becoming more prevalent I got up and ranted to my brothers about
having the courage to ask each other how we are doing. I said: “We need to be there
for him on his worst days.” I continued: “He is a great kid with potential,” and the
brothers eventually let him stay. After he was initiated I got him into Dance
Marathon and he consistently raises the most money in our chapter.
Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 37
In this example, the speaker was willing to risk his own status in the fraternity to champion a relatively powerless brother. He invoked “courage” a traditional masculine value, to successfully convince his brothers to not penalize someone for a human weakness.
Brian, a current chapter advisor, took a stand against traditional masculine fraternity culture in two ways. First, he taught his members that a “manly deed” is not about scoring with women, but about finding our own meaning of being a man:
One of the mottos of my fraternity is, “We have to aspire and work towards manly
deeds.” During a chapter meeting, I talked to my own members that manly deeds do
not mean how many women you sleep with or date. I say each man is going to have
to create the meaning of what this phrase meant in our fraternity. I wanted them to
understand that being a man is not associated with what you do in your bedroom,
but being a man is more about your character and what you do to help others.
The second way Brian broke the traditional Greek masculine culture is when he taught his brothers to be more understanding about the transgender community:
In my advisor role I do meet with the chapter regularly, and in one of our chapter
meetings the undergraduate members were talking about the upcoming [fraternal]
legislation to allow transgender people into our fraternity. I remember two of my
members said, "I mean no disrespect, but I'm just not sure that I can vote in favor
of allowing women to join our fraternity." I responded: “Actually we are not
allowing women to join ... And they said, "But they were born a woman." I took this
opportunity to work through understanding what the transgender community
experiences. Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 38
I was able to pull up a Facebook site of a friend of mine who is transgender and
said, "Okay, in this picture of four people who are presenting themselves as men,
who is transgender and who is not?" And the members sitting in front of me said,
"Uh, we don't know." And I was like, "And that's the point and so here is what you
need to understand.” I wish I was in that fraternity [as an active member] in this
one moment because I'm proud of them taking on this question today.
It is important to note that positions of authority like chapter vice president or chapter advisor
(the position Brian held) have the potential to make a lasting impact on a chapter. Brian believed that his stepping in behalf of women and of transgender people served an important educative function.
Harvey similarly recalled an example during his time as vice president of his chapter. The executive board created a dynamic environment where men broke down their macho disguises and shared their feelings:
We had our brotherhood retreat, where we went to play flag football, hike, and go
fishing on the boat. And it was great, but I asked: “How is this benefiting our
members?” Yes, this atmosphere is helpful for the brotherhood, but this experience
is more than having fun together. So our executive board said we are going to have a
big go-around in a circle, and we asked questions like, “Who do you look up to in
this chapter and why?” and “What are the values that have made you who you
are?” And we sat there for four hours and men cried like babies.
Harvey explained that this was the first time that his chapter had this level of deep conversation as a group. He explained brothers’ reactions: Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 39
The members were uncomfortable because so many of them were crying. Joe was
crying because of the relationship and the struggles he had had with his father. Alec
was crying about what he was going through with his little brother. We were all
talking about our own personal lives, and it was making them cry.
Harvey said that, in his opinion, the most important part of the experience was how the brothers needed to embrace their vulnerability, which he explained to them at the time:
I had to say [as the chapter vice president] there was nothing wrong with this. And
in fact, people appreciated feeling so vulnerable. It creates an opportunity for me to
support that brother who has thought about killing himself. It creates the
opportunity for me to create that support system for that brother who is really
struggling with his dad. Or really, really, really struggling with his brother, because
he wants to help his brother come out of the closet. It was one of the most wonderful
sessions I've ever been with in a group of men. But once one man does it in a group
like that, and is sitting in front of everybody, once one man leads the way, it opens
the doors and the other men follow.
In sum, my research indicates that sparks for change in fraternity Greek life do exist.
Some men clearly seek a more progressive and accepting environment in which to become
“manly.” In some instances it was up to the authority figures of the chapter to lead the way to a more open-minded environment where a man’s vulnerability can be accepted. At other times, general members paved the way for their brothers to reject traditional masculinity and be open to alternative—more accepting and more communicative ways of being a man.
Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 40
CHAPTER 8
Discussion and Conclusion
This thesis has added to the evidence presented in the literature review showing how, despite the feminist project and the growth of liberalization, fraternity Greek life still vigorously supports a traditional masculine culture. But it also offers hope that the seeds of change have been planted. In this chapter, I first summarize my findings and then describe programs that might be useful in helping these seeds come to fruition.
I began this thesis with the following research question: How do fraternities create a sociocultural context that encourages ideals of traditional masculinity? Findings indicate that traditional masculinity is reinforced through the pledge process, through interaction with women, through drinking and using drugs, and through physical appeal and body image. They also show examples of change.
The pledge process is a foundational socialization process of a fraternity. It is how pledges learn how to be a man, which includes being subject to and later participating in dominating and belittling pledges. Fraternity members reinforce traditional masculinity by using women to raise money for philanthropy purposes. Women also play a role in deciding how fraternity chapters place on the masculinity hierarchy. Findings also indicate that members use alcohol and drug consumption in order to measure an individual’s masculinity. Finally, there is a fascination with body image in fraternity Greek life that places members on the hierarchy of masculinity. Findings also indicate that fraternity culture is facing pressure to change, and fraternity members show elements of a critique of traditional masculinity in fraternity Greek life. Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 41
I believe that the implementation of programs and seminars can help push fraternity
Greek life to a more progressive environment where men can interact without their usual macho concealment of their feelings. Such programs would need to undergo some changes from their current form, as interviews indicate negative experiences (along with positive ones) with current
IFC seminars and programs.
A typical complaint was that the programs were ineffective, although some were better than others. Four interviewees explained that the seminars they attended had little to no impact on them, and three said the seminars they attended were beneficial. Chris, who had two experiences with Greek life programs, described the negative impact of the first:
I participated in a couple of Greek life programs and seminars, like the basic sexual
assault workshop. There was a live tweet session going on anonymously during one
of the workshops I attended. It started getting super vulgar and offensive. I was
repulsed, and felt so bad. The proctor was trying her hardest to go through the
material. The video content was also so outdated. She was trying to drive the points
home, and there was a large refusal on behalf of the participants. People tweeted
“She deserved it” in regards to [a campus rape scandal].
His experience in this interactive workshop was tainted by uncontrolled bad behavior. In order to combat this situation he proposed a different setting: “Workshops are more effective when the participants are not in an IFC environment. I don’t think you can have your entire fraternity or other fraternities there.”
In contrast, Chris found the Green Dot training much more effective:
This program took the same content but integrated it with more diverse group of
students. It was more effective because the things we learned needed to be in that Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 42
space. There is an odd “group think” phenomenon that happens when you put a
bunch of IFC guys together alone. I’d say a good group number is no more than 10-
15 participants. If it’s a diverse group of men, women, different councils,
nonaffiliated folks, you can have higher numbers. This was a far more positive
experience, and people walked away more educated.
Patrick and Albert both attended the Hazing, Sexual Assault, and Risk Management seminar during their pledge semester. Only IFC members attended this program. Patrick found that it had little impact on him or his fellow pledges:
It had no impact on me. It was about different practices of hazing and why they are
not acceptable. I remember the cops talking about how they aren’t out to get us, and
that they just wanted things to be safe for everybody. It seemed good, but the reality
was the pledges were going to put up with anything to get into the fraternity. They’d
rather get it over with than break down a system and rat. It was helpful to know
that there was always someone to go talk to.
Albert found that he learned nothing new:
I’ve been to a few IFC seminars. We are required to go to one during your pledge
semester. The sexual assault seminar I went to a year ago, and it did not necessarily
have an impact on me. I knew about that topic already. It just reinforced topics like
binge drinking, and to understand how to look out for girls who are wasted. We got
a pamphlet on how much someone should drink based on his or her body weight.
John, a former chapter president, had two different experiences during his involvement in fraternity Greek life seminars and programs. The first had a negative impact on him: Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 43
I’ve been to multiple seminars and they were not effective. I went to the risk
management program in Ruby Diamond with Dr. Z and it was about hazing. The
Ruby Diamond program with Dr. Z was not impactful because it was just a joke. He
was trying to relate to us but he couldn’t. His presentation did not help. He was
talking about hazing, and he was trying to explain the comfort levels in hazing, and
what is right and what isn’t right. He hypnotized people and brought them up on
stage. One of my brothers was chosen, and the SGA president was also chosen. It
was just stupid because this guy was trying to be a magician and he was trying to be
cute. After the program ended, my guys were like “Why the hell did we have to go
to that, John?”
Martin corroborated John’s testimony about that hazing seminar:
I’ve attended only one IFC seminar. I distinctly remember that it involved a
ventriloquist. I would say there wasn’t much impact on me past the initial questions
presented of “What is hazing? Is there a problem on campus with hazing?” I
thought that the seminar/performance seemed disjointed and lacked a foundation in
the reality of hazing on college campuses. It seemed to me to be more entertainment
with some hazing prevention messages thrown in.
Despite John’s undesirable experience with Dr. Z, he a better experience with a consultant the University brought in for a seminar on hazing He said: “Next semester, IFC brought [the consultant] in. I went, and she spoke about Greek problems in general.
Meeting her was impactful because she works for a national fraternity and understands the prevalent issues in fraternity life.” Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 44
Brian supported IFC seminars based on his experience during his time at the University of Georgia:
There is a great program at UGA that focused on first year students arriving in
their first week of school. “Day One” it was called. They had panels of different
members of fraternities and sororities. It was impactful because they could relate to
the new students. Words of wisdom were expressed to incoming students.
In sum, programs geared towards fraternity members have the potential to reduce the negative effects of masculinity, particularly sexual assault and hazing. Changes suggested by the interviews include the following. It is imperative that speakers be carefully chosen, as students see through “gimmicks” and find them silly and ineffective. When the speaker has been carefully chosen, however, such seminars are effective. If a seminar is going to be made up exclusively of fraternity men, some control needs to be exerted so that rude texting can’t be used to undermine the message. Seminars could include students who are not part of the Greek system, as this may reduce “fraternity group think” and also allow members to represent their chapters in a real world environment with nonaffiliated students. In regard to this suggestion, I recently spoke as a panelist at a new program called “Pledge U.” Faculty members managed the program in conjunction with current fraternity Greek life members who appeared as a panel to discuss different experiences in fraternity Greek life. Assessments after the panel indicated that it was effective, and the adult supervision ensured that the program did not get out of hand.
Because much of the literature was written in the 1980s and 1990s, I had expected that traditional masculinity would have diminished, but I have found that it is still thriving.
Traditional masculinity is reinforced through four main categories: the pledge process, women, drinking and drug use, and body image. However, chinks in the armor do exist. Members Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 45 produce sparks for change towards a more progressive environment where men can be themselves in any fashion they choose. A way to spark the change for a more progressive environment is the implementation of more efficient programs and seminars that include a diverse participatory population.
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REFERENCES
Bem, Sandra. (1993). The Lenses of Gender: Transforming the Debate on Sexual Inequality.
New Haven CT: Yale University Press.
Boswell, Ayres, and Joan Spade. (1996). Fraternities and Collegiate Rape Culture: Why Are
Some Fraternities More Dangerous Places for Women? Gender & Society 10 [133-145].
Brownmiller, Susan. (1975). Against Our Will. Paw Prints, 2008. New York City: Simon &
Schuster.
Canada, Geoffrey. (1998). Reaching Up for Manhood. Boston MA: Beacon Press.
Connell, Raewyn. (1995). Masculinities. Berkeley CA: University of California Press.
Hood, Jane. (1989). Why Our Society Is Rape-Prone. New York Times. 1989 May 16.
Kimmel, Michael. (2008). Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men. NY:
Harper/HarperCollins Publishers.
Kimmel Michael, and Michael Messner. (2013). Men’s Lives. New York: Pearson.
Martin, Patricia Yancey and Robert A. Hummer. (1989). Fraternities and Rape on Campus.
Gender & Society 3:457-73.
North-American Interfraternity Conference. (2016) Fraternity Statistics. Retrieved from N.I.C:
http://nicindy.org/press/fraternity-statistics/
Ross, Lawrence. 1999. The divine nine: The history of African American fraternities and sororities. New York: Kensington Books.
Sanday, Peggy Reeves. (1981). The Socio-Cultural Context of Rape: A Cross- Cultural Study.
Hoboken NJ: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
----. 1986. Rape and the Silencing of the Feminine. New York: New York University Press. Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 47
Stuber, J., Klugman, J., & Daniel, C. (2011). Gender, Social Class, and Exclusion: Collegiate
Peer Cultures and Social Reproduction. Sociological Perspectives, 54(3), 431-451.
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APPENDIX A
Interview Schedule (Student version)
I am a sociology student involved in Greek life at FSU and it has brought me amazing experiences. Last year I was honored to serve as president of my chapter and this experience helped me develop as a leader and professional, which is something I’m grateful for. I am the first person to defend Greek life, but my involvement has also led me to question some aspects of it, and my questions center on how masculinity plays out in Greek life on college campuses.
Please feel free to express what you think. There aren’t any right or wrong answers. Everything we discuss here will be confidential. Your name, people you mention, and organizations you discuss will not be identified in the honors thesis. This interview will be kept confidential to the extent allowed by the law.
I would like to tape record our conversation because it’s hard to take notes and hear everything that you’re saying at the same time. If at any point you’d like me to turn it off, I will.
1. What is your name? 2. What is your year in school? 3. What is your current status in your Greek organization? (Executive officer, general member, pledge, active, inactive, etc.) 4. What is your favorite part about being in a fraternity? 5. What is your least favorite part about being in a fraternity?
6. My study is about traditional masculinity in college Greek life. Do you know what traditional masculinity is? If No: Traditional masculinity is the notion that men are expected to be tough, independent, strong, protective, and loyal. Men are not supposed to be feminine in any way, like being overly sensitive. If Yes: How would you describe it?
7. Do you see this idea of traditional masculinity in your time at FSU? Can you give an example of when you’ve seen people acting this way?
8. What does it mean to be a man, in your eyes? Probe: What are some specific qualities? Probe: Could you give some general examples?
9. Does your fraternity encourage the ideals and qualities of manhood you mentioned? If Yes: How so? Can you give me an example from your experiences? If No: Why not? Can you give me an example from your experiences of how that wasn’t the case? 10. What do your fraternity members think about feminine men?
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11. There are other qualities that some people identify with manliness, for example, being a good listener, being generous, and being kind. Does the fraternity culture encourage these qualities? If Yes: How so? Can you recall any times? If No: What does the culture encourage instead?
12. Some people say that fraternities encourage ways of being a man that aren’t so great. Can you think of any aspects of the fraternity way of being a man that aren’t so great? If Yes: Can you recall any specific examples? If No: Okay. For example, one thing people have said is that fraternities create a drinking culture. Have you observed that? If Yes: Tell me about a time where an event or party has gone too far. If No: Move on to question 12.
13. Another thing people have said fraternities create a culture where men score with women in order increase their status.
13. Sometimes things can get tense across fraternities and fighting can break out. Have you experienced that?
14. Now I would like to ask you some questions about the pledge process. How do you feel about the pledge process in general?
15. Does your organization have a pledge process? If Yes: Do you believe it is beneficial? How so? - What are the practices in your organization regarding pledgeship? - What is the goal of pledging? Is that goal met? - What qualities do you look for in recruits?
If No: Why did your chapter decide to not have a pledge process?
16. Does your organization have a chapter house? If Yes: Do you live in the house? If Yes: Describe what living in the house is like. - What is your favorite part about living in the house? o Can you give an example?’ - Does living in the house encourage some ways of being masculine? o Can you give an example? - What is your least favorite part about living in the house? o Can you give an example? If No: Where do you host chapter meetings and social events?
17. Have you ever seen a person in your fraternity take a risk that made you worry? What happened?
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18. If someone in a high position, lets say IFC or a chapter advisor, were to ask you what needs to change most about Greek life, what would it be?
19. If you could join a fraternity again would you? If No: What would you do differently?
20. Do you think you’ve changed as a result of your Greek experience? Can you give me some examples?
21. Is there anything else we haven’t covered that you think we should know about collegiate Greek life?
22. Are there any other comments you’d like to make?
23. I’m trying to get a representative sample for my study, is there someone you could recommend that I could talk to who feels differently about fraternity life than you do? Can I use you as reference?
24. Later when I’m reviewing the tape, I may notice that I forgot to ask something. Would it be all right if I contacted you to follow up?
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Interview Schedule (Administrator version)
I am a sociology student involved in Greek life at FSU and it has brought me amazing experiences. Last year I was honored to serve as president of my chapter I am the first person to defend Greek life, but my involvement has also led me to question some aspects of it, and my questions center on how masculinity plays out in Greek life on college campuses.
Please feel free to express what you think. There aren’t any right or wrong answers. Everything we discuss here will be confidential. Your name, people you mention, and organizations you discuss will not be identified in the honors thesis. This interview will be kept confidential to the extent allowed by the law.
I would like to tape record our conversation because it’s hard to take notes and hear everything that you’re saying at the same time. If at any point you’d like me to turn it off, I will.
1. What is your name? 2. What is your role in regard to Greek life? (Chapter advisor, national consultant, administrator, etc.)
3. My study is about traditional masculinity in college Greek life. Do you know what traditional masculinity is? If No: Traditional masculinity is the notion that men are expected to act in certain ways. It’s the idea that men are supposed to be tough, independent, strong, protective, and loyal. Men are not supposed to be feminine in any way, like being overly sensitive. If Yes: How would you describe it?
4. Do you see this idea of traditional masculinity at FSU? Can you give an example of when you’ve seen people acting this way?
5. In your experience, does fraternity life encourage the ideals and qualities you mentioned? If Yes: How so? Can you give me an example? If No: Why not? Can you give me an example?
6. There are other qualities that some people identify with manliness for example, being a good listener, being generous, and kindness. Does the fraternity culture encourage these qualities? If Yes: How so? Can you recall on any times? If No: Why not? What does the culture encourage instead?
7. Some people say that fraternities encourage ways of being a man that aren’t so great. Can you think of any aspects of the fraternity way of being a man that aren’t so great? If Yes: Great. Can you recall on any specific examples? If No: Okay. For example, one thing people have said is that fraternities create a drinking culture. Have you observed that? If Yes: Could you recall a specific experience? If No: Move onto question 8. Exploring Masculinity in Fraternity Greek Life Butter 52
8. Now I would like to ask you some questions about the pledge process. In your dealings with fraternities, do you have any dealings with this process? a. How do you feel about the pledge process in general? b. Do you think the pledging process exacerbates fraternities’ emphasis on masculinity?
9. What do you feel are the most important risk management issues that fraternity life creates? What specific problems have you seen arise?
10. Do you believe that pressure to be masculine in fraternities increases these behaviors? Can you give an example?
11. What needs to change most in Greek life?
12. Is there anything else we haven’t covered that you think we should know about collegiate Greek life?
13. Is there anyone you recommend who might know about these matters that I should talk to?
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APPENDIX B