What are your experiences with or perceptions of sororities?
Do you think that joining a sorority can be an act of feminism? Why or why not?
In “When a Feminist Pledges a Sorority,” Jessica Bennett writes about the dramatic increase in enrollment in sororities in the past 10 years and how students who pledge describe their experiences:
At the 26 historically white sororities that make up the century-old National Panhellenic Conference — and to be clear, this group does not include academic or multicultural sororities, like the popular African-American or Latino groups, which have their own governing bodies — enrollment has increased more than 50 percent over the last decade, outpacing the growth in college enrollment. And not just on the campuses you’d expect. At the Ivies — those institutions that long considered themselves just a hair too progressive for the pomp and ritual of sorority life; where women rushed to “The Vagina Monologues,” not the local frat mixer.
… “Every year, we graduate these incredibly strong, talented, creative, activist women — proud feminists — and then they come back home to visit, and they’ve pledged,” said the historian Barbara Berg, a women’s history teacher at an all-girls private school in Manhattan and the author of “Sexism in America: Alive, Well, and Ruining Our Future.” “I was surprised, but over and over again I hear the same thing: It’s not as exclusionary as it used to be, it’s supportive, and it’s going to lead to other possibilities after graduation.”
“What I would love to think is that it’s not your mother’s sorority anymore. That it has evolved.”
On some campuses, anyway, that may be true. Words like “safe space,” “hegemonic masculinity” and “intersectionality” roll off these women’s tongues. Gone are the campy sorority jobs of yore — replaced by titles like “C.E.O.,” “C.O.O.” and “Chief Marketing Officer” to look better on a résumé. They read each other’s cover letters and tell each other to “send me your résumé, I’ll pass it along,’” said Oladunni Ogundipe, a Columbia senior. They are also in the midst of a robust debate about transgender inclusion.
“There are a lot of us who say openly that we are feminist, but even when we don’t, I think it’s implied in our interactions,” said Julia Wu, a Brown junior who is originally from Brazil. She recently hosted a “Lean In” workshop at her sorority, which she opened by telling the group, “There are more men named John than there are women who run companies in this country.”
At Theta at Columbia, “sisterhood events” — monthly camaraderie-building gatherings that are typical of sororities — take the form of presidential debate watching parties and a recent alumni networking brunch. There is no “pomping” — a ritual that involves weaving tissue paper to create elaborate floats and displays. But there are mandatory workshops on sexual consent and bystander intervention.
“I grew up in the South, so going to college I never expected to be a part of a sorority because I did think it was antifeminist,” said Blair Wilson, a Columbia sophomore. “But when I came to school, all the women I looked up to—those involved in student government, in sexual violence response, in different political groups—were involved.”
Students: Read the entire article, then tell us:
— Did any information in the article surprise you? Explain.
— How does the article support or challenge firsthand experience you have with sororities or the experiences that other people have described to you?
— Why do you think enrollment in sororities has increased over the past decade?
— Do you think interest in fraternities has likewise increased? Why or why not?
— Are you aware of any depictions in movies, television shows or books of sororities or the people who join them? How closely do the people quoted or described in the article reflect what you have seen?
Students 13 and older are invited to comment below. All comments are moderated by Learning Network staff members, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.