Collegiate fraternities and sororities can have civic impacts. While some are known for building civic character among members, less is known about many others--partly because research on fraternities and sororities has been developed in separate academic disciplines from research on other civil society organizations (CSOs). In this literature…

National movements, including Black Lives Matter and Abolish Greek Life, have resurfaced attention to racial dynamics within sorority and fraternity life (SFL) communities. Often, these discussions frame SFL as a homogenous entity and ignore crucial distinctions among organizations, such as the fact that historically white sororities and…

There has been a continued increase in antisemitic activities at colleges and universities over the last decade. Media reports and research about perceptions of Jewish college students add face validity that student organizations are often targets of Anti-Jewish rhetoric. In particular, Jewish fraternities and sororities have been targeted by…

A review of the literature on corporate governance serves to demonstrate the applicability of many governance solutions to the university setting. Based on a review of university scandals, most of which are recent but some of which took place decades ago, it is possible to categorize them as follows: sex scandals, drugs, cheating, hazing,…

This review of research synthesizes more than a decade of published studies on problems associated with fraternity membership beyond alcohol misuse. Topics include sex-related issues, drug use, hazing, and other issues such as gambling, academic dishonesty, campus civility, and fake identification use. Recommendations suggest the need for a role…

Objective: Fraternity and sorority members have higher rates of smoking than other college students. This systematic review examines studies that included fraternity/sorority membership in their investigation of smoking behaviors. Participants/Methods: Studies identified in MEDLINE, PsychInfo, JSTOR, CINAHL, ERIC, and Google Scholar published…

Reports on an analysis through a symbolic interactionist perspective that indicates that hazing occurs because fraternities view it as a necessary component of their initiation rites. Posits that fraternities use systematic manipulation of symbols, social relations, and definitions of situations while reshaping the pledge's "self."…

Shares observations on role of fraternities and sororities at colleges and universities that provide unusually rich out-of-class learning and personal development opportunities for undergraduate students. Examines information from College Experiences Study, 1988-89 study undertaken to identify institutional factors and conditions promoting student…

Discusses previous research that found broad-based negative effects of Greek affiliation on standardized measures of cognitive development after one year of college. Following the same sample, the present study found that the negative effects of Greek affiliation were much less pronounced during the second or third years of college. (Contains 32…

Research involving 6,782 undergraduates (50% first-year students, 50% seniors, 16% fraternity/sorority members, and 58% females) at 15 AAU public research universities revealed that Greek affiliation had a weak positive relationship with engagement and gains in learning. The effects for Greek affiliation were stronger for seniors than first-year…

Focuses on the current issues confronting traditional fraternities and sororities, highlighting developmental theory and research with direct implications for the Greek experience. Offers practical suggestions for student personnel generalists who work with fraternities and sororities as one portion of their responsibilities. (Author/NB)

Reports findings of a study examining the perceptions of Greek advisors concerning activities defined as hazing and those that typically occur on their respective campuses. While students consider thefts and assaults as prohibited acts of violence, hazing activities within fraternities and sororities are perceived by members as an integral part of…

Discusses the perceived lack of readiness among sorority and fraternity members to reduce their drinking. Reports on a survey of 106 at-risk Greek students in which 25% report moving into stages that involve thinking about change or action to reduce their alcohol consumption. Proposes that research should assess the extent to which high-risk…

Fraternities and sororities on commuter campuses challenge our traditional views in terms of size, number of chapters represented, housing, recruitment, and achievement of a team feeling to build brotherhood or sisterhood. Alternative models need to be developed to address the commuter-related issues. (KS)

Reviews research on the connection between involvement with Greek-letter organizations and college student retention, concluding that although such organizations pose substantial risks and effort for colleges, they may also offer retention gains. (EV)