ABSTRACT JOHNSON, SHANNON LEE. Sisters
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ABSTRACT JOHNSON, SHANNON LEE. Sisters of Diversity: A Case Study on the Roles of a Multicultural Sorority. (Under the direction of Dr. Susan J. Bracken.) Little to no literature has been published on multicultural Greek letter organizations, yet they appear to be among the fastest growing phenomena in Greek life. Concerned about the future of human relations and desiring to explore opportunities for respectful interactions among diverse individuals, the author chose to narrow her research to the college campus environment and, more specifically, to a group of women. The purpose of the qualitative case study was to understand how members of one self-identified multicultural sorority at a Southeastern research university define and address intercultural issues on their college campus. The author selected the multicultural feminist perspective and the intercultural theory of student development as the theoretical framework. Primarily based upon interviews with 10 current and alumnae members of the sorority, the findings explore one overarching research question: what describes the nature of the roles of a multicultural sorority on a college campus? Three areas were explored – identity, structure, and activities – to support this overarching research question. Five key statements of findings emerged from the data. Within the thematic area of Identity, the first finding is the lack of sororal intentions by the women who joined Theta Nu Xi and the second finding is their deep feeling of acceptance. The third key finding, situated within the thematic area of Structure, is the idea that this sorority is intentionally multicultural but inherently feminist. Within the thematic area of Activities, the fourth finding describes how the purpose and activities of Theta Nu Xi differ from traditional Greek letter organizations (GLOs), and the fifth finding explores the concept of universal learning rather than unilateral learning. Sisters of Diversity: A Case Study on the Roles of a Multicultural Sorority by Shannon Lee Johnson A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of North Carolina State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education Higher Education Administration Raleigh, North Carolina 2010 APPROVED BY: _______________________________ ______________________________ Dr. Susan Bracken Dr. Audrey Jaeger Committee Chair ________________________________ ______________________________ Dr. Duane Akroyd Dr. Monica Leach ii DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated first and foremost to my partner in life, Kyle Johnson, who has stood beside me and supported me throughout this long process. This dissertation is also dedicated to my mother, Kaye Denning, who instilled in me a love for learning (and for using proper grammar and punctuation when writing). iii BIOGRAPHY Shannon Lee Johnson was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. She is the daughter of Kaye Denning and older sister of Kerry and Carly Denning. Shannon is married Kyle Johnson, and they are the proud parents of four cats. Shannon graduated from North Carolina State University (NCSU) with a Bachelor of Social Work and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with the Criminal Justice Option. She went on to receive her Master of Social Work from UNC-Chapel Hill. Shannon’s MSW field placement at the Duke University Women’s Center led her into the field of higher education. After graduation Shannon worked at the Duke University Career Center for a year before returning to the Duke University Women’s Center as Program Coordinator for eight years. During this time Shannon began the Ed.D. program in Higher Education Administration at NCSU and received a Graduate Certificate in Women’s Studies from Duke University. Shannon accepted a position at NCSU as Director of the Women’s Center, where she worked from 2005 until 2010. Most recently Shannon moved to central New York where she is looking for employment in higher education. Her personal interests, which she looks forward to having time for once again, include knitting, reading, photography, scuba diving, and spending time with family and friends. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank Kyle Johnson, my partner in life, for all of his support, patience, and understanding throughout this long process. I would also like thank Kaye Denning, my mother and lifelong advocate, for all of her encouragement and editing of earlier drafts. Thanks goes to my family – Lois, Kerry, Carly, Dan, and Beverly – for their understanding and encouragement. I could not have completed this huge endeavor without everyone’s support. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude and appreciation to all of my committee members – past and present. Their encouragement, feedback, and suggestions helped make this document a better dissertation and make me a better researcher, writer, and practitioner. Special thanks goes to Dr. Susan Bracken, my chair, advisor, and friend, who helped me cross the finish line. I would like to also acknowledge all of my colleagues and fellow graduate students for their understanding and encouragement. The two doctoral support groups in which I participated were integral in getting me through this process while maintaining my sanity. I won’t name names lest I forget someone, but you know who you are. v TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES..............................................................................................................xi CHAPTER ONE – INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................1 Background and Statement of the Problem ........................................................................2 Purpose of the Study......................................................................................................5 Why Study a Sorority? ......................................................................................................7 Theoretical Framework ...................................................................................................10 Multicultural Feminist Perspective ..............................................................................10 Intercultural Theory of Student Development ..............................................................13 Significance of the Study.................................................................................................14 Guiding Research Question .............................................................................................16 Subjectivity Statement.....................................................................................................17 Summary.........................................................................................................................20 CHAPTER TWO – LITERATURE REVIEW.....................................................................21 Definition of Terms.........................................................................................................22 The Need for Diversity Awareness..................................................................................26 The College Campus Environment..................................................................................28 Diversity Approaches in Higher Education and Student Affairs.......................................30 Internal Elements Contributing to Campus Climate .....................................................31 Multicultural Organization Models..............................................................................35 Interactional Model of Cultural Diversity.................................................................40 Invitational Theory......................................................................................................45 Basic Assumptions of Invitational Theory ...............................................................46 Intentionally Inviting ...............................................................................................47 Elements of Diversity ..............................................................................................48 Applications in a College Setting.............................................................................51 Understanding Privilege and Becoming Social Justice Allies.......................................53 vi Peer Groups ....................................................................................................................60 A Multicultural Sorority as a Unique Model....................................................................61 History of Greek Letter Organizations.........................................................................61 Diversifying the Greek Community.............................................................................64 The Gender Factor.......................................................................................................68 Current Greek Life Literature ......................................................................................69 Summary.........................................................................................................................73 CHAPTER THREE – METHODOLOGY...........................................................................74 Research Design..............................................................................................................75 Case Study ..................................................................................................................75 Research Question.......................................................................................................77