The Implications of Race and the Greek Life System Powerpoint
1. Montrell D. Sanders
University Of North Florida
UNF Sociology and Anthropology Symposium
April 12, 2014
Minority Student Experience in “Black” and
“White” Greek Organizations: Does Race
Matter?
3. Research Question
What are the implications of African American
students joining Greek letter organizations on
predominantly white campuses?
What are the benefits and experiences of minority students in
“Black” and “White” Greek organizations?
4. Sociological and Cultural Significance
Theorist posit that African Americans joining
predominantly black Greek organizations, commonly
referred to as the divine 9, gain abundant benefits
with particular attention being paid to the mentoring
aspect.
These mentoring relationships among men help to
provide a positive role model to reshape the negative
image associated with black masculinity and for women
these relationships with other positive females help
them break the glass ceiling
The literature also focuses on feeling of false
consciousness among minority members in
predominantly white fraternities
5. Sociological and Cultural Significance
(Continued
Members in predominantly white fraternities cause
minority members to deal with predisposed racial
stereotypes that white members may have in an attempt
to fit in and not cause trouble
Finally, the literature speaks to the benefits of white
members in Divine 9 as well as Predominantlty white
Greek letter organizations
By minority members joining these predominantly white
Greek letter organizations, the white members re challenged
to get to know the minority member and confront biases
previously engrained into them and the same concept is
echoed when white members join Divine 9 organizations. The
only thing not known, however, is the benefits and
experiences of minority students in Greek letter organizations
6. Overview
Minority students are drawn to these Greek letter
organizations, be they Divine 9 or predominantly
white, because of the opportunity and benefits they
can afford the student, but once in these organizations
racial implications become a big factor of retention.
My findings are identified in three ways:
1. Professionalism
2.Inclusion
3.Racial Implications
7. Research Design: Source of Data
In-Depth qualitative interviews (N=8)
8 members of Greek life organizations on the UNF
campus
Ideal Type:
Reality:
4 males and 4 females
All respondents were African American
Ages ranged from 20-23
Convenience and Snowball sampling
8. Findings:
In Brief
Minority students are drawn to these Greek letter
organizations, be they Divine 9 or predominantly
white, because of the opportunity and benefits they
can afford the student, but once in these organizations
racial implications become a big factor of retention.
My findings are identified in three ways:
1. Professionalism
2.Inclusion
3.Racial Implications
9. Findings:
Professionalism
Raymond: Um, coming into it I wanted to, you know, gain the
full experience of college. And that is like, and I think Greek life
definitely makes campus a lot smaller, like in a good way. Like I
wouldn’t say it’s too small but it’s like, I feel like I know a little
bit about every part of the campus and like I know people over
here and I know people over there, and I kind of know I have a
lot of resources on campus and like im aware of them and I
know how to use them. Whereas like, instead of, you know if I
was a freshman walking in and I see the campus and I don’t
know what half these buildings are and I don’t know who works
in what department and I don’t know how to reserve the green
for something but now I know how to do certain things. I know
how to work my way around campus because I’ve been around
these people who have experienced that already and can kinda
tell me how to do things and give me that head start.
10. Findings:
Professionalism
Jane: Umm, we definitely like help people…like, we do
a bunch of projects. You get to meet a lot of different
people. Umm…we do like blood drives, helping the
SPCA, we make like these blankets for newborn
children, it’s like a bunch of projects and like its
actually fun, we actually have a lot of fun. So….pretty
cool.
Opal: Yeah, I mean I knew there would be meetings
and stuff but the way that you conduct meetings is
very business-like, the way that you send emails to
people, the way that you talk to people, the way you
approach people is like very, very professional.
11. Findings:
Which Path?
Opal: I did research and stuff, like I looked at sororities
like. Because I went to a white school, I did research
on African American Sororities predominantly, like I
have no problem with a white sorority, but I wanted
more of a black experience while I was in college
because I knew I was going to end up at a white
school. I did research and I liked them.
Omar: I looked into more African American fraternities
cause that was one, im African American as well as I
was surrounded by African American um, greek
members as well, so that was just, as far as, I wanted
something to belong in
12. Findings:
Which Path
Raymond: When I came here, um , like I said that wasn’t,
like just fraternities in general wasn’t really something that
I wanted to do. Um, and I didn’t really see those
fraternities. It just, there wasn’t a presence so there wasn’t
really an option to me because I didn’t see them. And that
was, the Interfraternal Council Organizations was the only
organizations that I was exposed to and approached by
and they just didn’t appeal to me, because they’re either
all girl or all guys…obviously I can’t do the all guy ones. But
the all-girl ones are so like….too much drama. They’re too
prissy and like materialistic and …. I mean it’s probably not
even like that it’s just the way they look but…
13. Findings:
Racial Implications
Omar: We’re perceived as to be the organization that just
strolls, the most, or um just have parties. Not really
focused on academics or community service, um. And its
not like that, and not just only my organization but all the
organizations under the council um, we don’t just focus on
just partying and strolling and hollering and just making
calls its, we put work into our organization such as things
people may not see such as study hours, such as
community service, and but yet those are the things that
are looked over
Opal: A lot of African Americans don’t know about the
divine 9 and so they look and from an outside perspective
if it’s not something you want to do or something that you
know about or have heard about you’re like, these people
are crazy
14. Findings:
Racial Implications
Raymond: ….id say their first reaction is like why didn’t
you and that’s always their first question, “Why didn’t
you do the black fraternities” and then I tell them
there was no presence here. I didn’t see it. So, um
that’s always the first question they ask and once I
explain it to them they kind of see my reasoning and
whatnot.
15. Overview and Conclusion
These findings indicate that theoretically, joining Greek
letter organizations is the best decision a minority students
could make
Within these organizations, minority students get to learn soft
skills that would otherwise take them longer to learn on their
own, gain a lucrative network, and to also get a sense of
inclusion
Practically, however, the racial implications that come
along with membership may make the benefits seem
miniscule
The implications and stress from the non Greek as well as
Greek community on minority members contribute to
minority students learning to save face in these situations
