Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors (SOURCE)

New Changes, Old Traditions: A Qualitative Analysis of Greek Life Culture at a Small Liberal Arts State University

The purpose of the current research is to examine Greek life culture in the context of a small state university in the South and how students associated with fraternities or sororities experience it. We explore how they ascribe meaning to their experiences and how the intersections of race, sexuality, and gender shape these experiences and interpretations. Additionally, this research examines how both marginalized and non-marginalized groups of students perceive, experience, and navigate the problematic reputations that are often associated with Greek letter societies. To achieve this, the researchers utilized extensive semi-structured interviews with 12 individuals associated with Greek letter organizations. The loosely-structured questions allowed interviewees to share their own narratives about their experiences in the Greek letter organizations they belong to and encouraged them to examine how their social identities shaped these experiences. Their race, gender, and sexual identities were intentionally varied to capture a broad diversity of perspectives. After transcription, these interviews were analyzed for common narrative themes, and comparisons were made between the identity-centered experiences of each individual. Findings discussed include how social identities are both validated and marginalized in different contexts, the importance of strong, familial-style bonds in the structure of these organizations, the espousal and enforcement of moral values by organizations and their members, and the mutually influential relationship between small campus culture and Greek life culture.