Mbaltas1

Sophomore Marketing and Sociology student at Drake University.

Currently enrolled in the Global Youth Studies course [1]

Native of Chicago, Illinois.

Captive of Des Moines, Iowa

Article Idea:

For my article, I plan on examining and researching the effects that Greek life and Greek letter societies can have on identity creation in their members as well as their transition into adulthood. College is one of the gray areas when it comes to defining what stage in development and life you identify with. Greek life is a very hot button topic and is seen in the media almost constantly about both positive and negative perspectives in terms of the members’ behaviors and ways of thought. Being involved in Greek life myself, I have personally seen both the positive and negative ways that this system can affect its members. I plan to examine all of the different factors within Greek life that make it such an influential factor in its members’ identity creation and transition into the next step in their life: adulthood. I plan on discussing four main points that, combined together, are able to discuss the Greek system as a whole and its effects on members. One topic that I will discuss is how it creates identity. Greek life as whole is a community: there is a sense of comradery both locally and nationally that comes with donning letters. Greek life emphasizes building relationships heavily; building relationships and who you have those connections with plays a large role in how you build your own identity. Along with these relationships comes with the unanimity that can be seen throughout Greek life. Although there is much diversity within the system, you are able to see trends within each of the chapters a whole, with, combined with the importance of relationships, can very much impact how you find you identity and how you transition into adulthood. I also want to bring in the idea of class and privilege into the creation of identity. Obviously with the financial commitments of Greek life, there is a certain amount of privilege that comes with being in a chapter. Being surrounded by others who also share, most likely, very similar classes can also have an impact on identity creation. I also wanted to touch upon race when it comes to Greek societies. There are specific Greek societies that are just for certain races, and I would like to research those compared to national, inclusive chapters, and how they may be similar to or differentiate from other chapters.

In order to bring in the global aspect to this topic, I plan on looking into Greek societies in the United Kingdom and Canada as well. As Greek life is the most prevalent in the United States, it has proven more difficult to find articles and scholarly data about these two other countries. I have found a few articles on drinking habits and violence comparing these countries, but I strive to look at more than just the stereotypes that come with Greek life like drinking and assault. I want to find more articles about the true impact that Greek societies have on these international countries. Obviously in America, they are a monumental part of the entire college experience whether you are involved in a chapter or not. I plan on using more articles on the college experience in these countries and how they may differ or be similar to American universities. Within this subject, I may have to address some of those hot button topics in order to see how their identity is truly created, but I want to find more of the identity creating factors that I focus on American Greek systems and apply them globally.

The sources that I have found thus far have been direct connections and correlations between my topics and the articles. I have found articles that have been primarily positive, but ones that also contradict the others and provide another side to the argument. Not only have I found articles that look at Greek societies solely, but also finding articles about high school and college in general. I think that it would be a great addition to the information on just Greek societies to supplement information on American and globalized higher education in general to not only see them complimenting each other but also how Greek life can differ in and change the same four years with different experiences. Some other articles that I may want to add depending on how developed my article becomes would be media influences on creating identity within Greek life. Media already has such an impact on how youth identify themselves and how they transition into adulthood, so maybe researching how Greek life is portrayed in the media could additionally affect their identity creation. For example, Greek societies can sometimes be portrayed as glamorous and exciting while other times it can be portrayed as dangerous and detrimental. How do these portrayals affect those involved in Greek life and those outside of Greek life?

Sources:

-This article explains how college fraternities' values and developmental process help create identity.

-This article examines black sorority women and their creation of identity through their ethnic identification and parental attachment

-This article highlights the importance that creating peer relationships in college can have on students.

-This article highlights the different behavioral changes that come with transitioning into college and the next step in life that can lead to identity transformation.

-This section of text highlights a first hand account of the effects of the Greek system on the college careers of its members.

-This text focuses on Black Greek societies both inside and outside of the national organizations that most are a part of. It gives the black perspective to a primarily Caucasian institution.

-This text gives a history and overview of college fraternities and sororities. It ranges from the traditions, to different religious, cultural, and ethnic Greek societies.

Training for Students complete!