Sororitygirl: Media's Role in the Sorority Socialization Process
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#SororityGirl: Media’s Role in the Sorority Socialization Process through the Construction and Maintenance of the Individual and Chapter Sorority Identity by Bailey Airs Thompson, M.A. A Dissertation In Media & Communication Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Approved Shannon Bichard, Ph.D. Co-Chair of Committee Rebecca R. Ortiz, Ph.D. Co-Chair of Committee Bryan McLaughlin, Ph.D. Miglena Sternadori, Ph.D. Barbie Chambers, Ph.D. Mark Sheridan Dean of the Graduate School August, 2017 Copyright 2017, Bailey A. Thompson Texas Tech University, Bailey A. Thompson, August 2017 ACKNOWLEGEMENTS I would first like to thank my dissertation co-chair Dr. Rebecca Ortiz. There is absolutely no way I would have completed or even begun the Ph.D. program without your continued faith and guidance over the last three years. You are my hero, idol and #womancrusheveryday. I feel it is rare to have a mentor who invests the time and genuine interest in their mentees as you have for me. I will never be able to tell you thank you enough, but here’s a quick crack at it. Thank you for helping me discover my passion for research on sorority and fraternity life, and for providing support when I felt as though it was an area of study academia would not be interested in or ever accept. Thank you for teaching me to accept constructive criticism in my writing. I only cried a few times, but your feedback has helped shape me into a far superior writer than the Master’s student you first met who had never been told her writing was anything but perfect. Most of all, thank you for not abandoning me when you moved. You took on advising a dissertation you definitely did not have to, during a busy and hectic transition time for you, and for that I am forever grateful. I would also like to thank my other co-chair Dr. Shannon Bichard. Thank you for stepping in to help in chairing my committee when Dr. Ortiz left. You are such an inspiration to me, and have helped shape me into not only the scholar, but the faculty member and (hopefully someday department chair) I hope to be. I would also like to thank my committee members Dr. Bryan McLaughlin, and Dr. Barbie Chambers for their time, patience, and faith in not only my dissertation, but in all of my academic endeavors. Dr. McLaughlin- thank you for keeping me as your RA over the past three years. I have learned more from you than any class could ever teach. Dr. Chambers, ii Texas Tech University, Bailey A. Thompson, August 2017 thank you for not only stepping in to serve as my outside committee member, but for acting as a reminder of how close-knit and helpful the academic community is at Texas Tech. I would also like to thank the faculty in the College of Media and Communication, all of whom helped shape my academic development over the past three years. Especially, I would like to thank Dr. Zhang for his belief in me as both a scholar and teacher. You may not remember, but as a first semester. Master’s student you read my final paper and told me I should go get my Ph.D. At the time I thought you were crazy, but it inevitably helped solidify my decision a year later to not only pursue my Ph.D., but to do complete it here at Texas Tech. Thank you Dr. Stoker for taking me under your wing and supporting my teaching abilities, sometimes believing in me more than I could believe in myself. This study was supported also supported by the Regent Professors’ Graduate Student Research Small Grant, which without would not have afforded me the ability to have many of my interviews professionally transcribed, allowing me additional time to complete more interviews than I could have originally imaged. Thank you to my cohort-mates Jenn and Amber. For the last three years you have not only listened to me cry and complain when I am stressed over papers, students, and my personal life, but also acted as personal alarm clocks during all- nighters in our offices (thanks Amber!), and sanity-keepers when I questioned my decision to do a qualitative dissertation (Jen you’re my qualitative soul sister)! Thank you to the Theta Lambda chapter of Alpha Xi Delta for allowing me the opportunity to grow as a sorority woman and for instilling in me my love of all iii Texas Tech University, Bailey A. Thompson, August 2017 things sorority, glitter, and crafting. Thank you to my sorority family Tia Rose, especially Linz and Steph for showing me that letters aren’t four years, they’re for life. Special shout out to my best friend/teammate/sorority sister Katie for acting as my partner in crime for four years, without who I surely would not have had as an eventful college and sorority experience. Last but not least I would like to thank my parents. I firmly believe that my education and degrees have been a Thompson Trio effort. Papa, thank you for always helping me move from state to state and apartment to apartment while I chased my academic dreams. Thank you for always reminding me that I can do anything I put my mind to. Mom, you are my forever “advocate” and best friend. Thank you for believing in me and supporting me not only through the last three years, but throughout my entire life. Thank you for answering every 2am phone call while I panic over procrastinated papers. Thank you for supporting my transition from law school to academia. Thank you for teaching me the Greek alphabet when I was eight, for singing Zeta drinking songs in the car on the way to swim practice, and for supporting my decision to be both a student athlete and sorority woman. Thank you for being the strength when I had none, and for helping to mold me into the headstrong, sassy, and overly-organized woman I am today. iv Texas Tech University, Bailey A. Thompson, August 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................... ii ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................... vii I. INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................1 II. LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................9 Overview ............................................................................................................9 Social Identity Theory........................................................................................9 Self-Categorization Theory ..............................................................................18 Stereotyping & Greek Life...............................................................................23 Media’s Role ....................................................................................................25 Media Systems Dependency Theory ...............................................................26 III. METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................32 Overview ..........................................................................................................32 Research Questions ..........................................................................................32 In Depth Interviews: Justification with Researcher Positionality ....................34 Procedure .........................................................................................................35 Analysis............................................................................................................39 IV. CONTEXT AND PARTICIPANT INFORMATION ................................43 Overview ..........................................................................................................43 Background of the Researcher: My Lived Experience as a Sorority Girl .......43 Population: What is Greek Life?......................................................................50 Greek life Structure & Greek life at University ...............................................50 Participant Demographic Information .............................................................53 Participant Profiles ...........................................................................................54 Chapter Specific Stereotypes from GreekRank.com .......................................60 V. ANALYSIS: UNDERSTANDING THE SORORITY EXPERIENCE ......70 Introduction ......................................................................................................70 Understanding the New Member & Active Experiences .................................71 Looking Ahead.................................................................................................92 VI. ANALYSIS: GETTING IN & SHOWING OFF ........................................93 v Texas Tech University, Bailey A. Thompson, August 2017 Overview ..........................................................................................................93 #GettingIn: The transition from PNM to New Member ..................................93 #ShowingOff: Bid Day and Beyond- Displaying Membership .....................114 Looking Ahead...............................................................................................129 VII. ANALYSIS: GETTING IN & SHOWING OFF.....................................130 Overview ........................................................................................................130 #KeepingUp: Sorority Identity Maintenance .................................................130