GRSJ224/feminism/feminisminnorthamericansororities
Sororities, or women’s fraternities, are female single-gender organizations and the female counterpart of men’s fraternities. Feminism, as the drive for gender equality and female empowerment, is the fundamental value that sororities articulate as they aim to provide women with an environment in which they can seek support from other women[1]. As organizations that emphasize the importance of maintaining rights in gender equality, sororities provide spaces for collegiate women to challenge sexism.[2]
History
Kappa Alpha Theta
Following the United States’ Civil War, the male-dominated Indiana Asbury, now DePauw University, opened its doors to women but the women did not feel welcome by all students. Many feared acceptance of women would diminish the college’s reputation and women faced taunting and disapproval by male students. As one of the first women enrolled at Asbury, Bettie Locke founded Kappa Alpha Theta (Theta) in 1870 as the first ever Greek-letter women’s fraternity at Indiana Asbury, now DePauw University in an attempt to create an all-women’s organization that had not previously existed, after being unable to become a member of a men’s fraternity.[3] As Locke once famously said, “We realized somehow that we weren’t going to college just for ourselves, but for all the girls who would follow after us, if we could just win out.”[4] It was Locke’s desire to grow her organization to support women on multiple campuses in the future.[3] In result, women’s fraternities and sororities started as a feminist movement to create organizations to give women a support system in a male-dominated institution, academic excellence, as well as sisterhood.
National Panhellenic Conference (NPC)
The National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) is the world’s largest umbrella organization and governing body of 26 American and Canadian sororities.[5] The NPC advocates for the transformational power of the sorority experience by promoting a values-based recruitment focus on the goal of recruiting women who will have a positive impact on the Panhellenic community.[6] Sororities prioritize the cultivation of female empowerment through by focussing on recruiting women who show strong value and interest in developing leadership skills, academic excellence and a passion for strong sisterhood. By recruiting based on these values, sororities can create spaces that encourage women to excel and support one another. NPC also fosters a community of sisterhood by supporting survivors of sexual assault, bystander intervention programs and body-positive campus cultures.[5] In this case, sororities empower women by providing the support needed to combat the challenges collegiate women face today with a focus on nurturing not only healthy sorority communities, but healthy men’s fraternity communities as well.[5] By supporting the health of organizations of all genders, sororities reinforce the values of feminism that emphasize equality among all genders. Panhellenic sororities require all chapters to allow anyone who identifies as a woman to participate in recruitment.
Obstacles
Hear Her Harvard
Hear Her Harvard is a movement started by sorority women whom oppose sanctions placed on single-gender organizations by Harvard staff in an attempt to create a more inclusive campus culture.[7]
Harvard's Stance
In 2016, President Faust and Dean Khurana of Ivy League university Harvard imposed sanctions on single-gender organizations[8] by barring members from leading campus organizations and sports teams as well as refusing to endorse members for scholarships. Later in 2017, Harvard also eradicated these organizations in an attempt to strengthen inclusion[9] on their campus and suggested that the existence of single-gender organizations is sexist by segregating genders and encouraging organizations where only members of a desired sex are allowed to join. Harvard’s argument sparked a controversial argument on the feminism, or lack thereof, of single-gender organizations.
Controversy
Much controversy has erupted over Harvard’s statement to eradicate unrecognized single-gender organizations and has created a discussion on whether the existence of single-gender organizations is sexist, or feminist. Protests have surfaced on both sides of the argument with supporters of sororities and supporters of the eradication.[8] Staff members of Harvard have expressed their support for the eradication by claiming it will rid the campus of gender discrimination and bigotry[8] while Hear Her Harvard supporters gather to assert women’s rights in a world where female voices are marginalized.[10] In an attempt to abolish sexism, supporters of the eradication counterproductively erase the feminist history of sororities. This erasure marginalizes organizations working towards female empowerment and gender equality by misogynistically oppressing women and perpetuating the struggle that women face to find agency. Harvard spokeswoman Rachel Dane suggests single-gender organizations promote gender discrimination[10] but fails to mention that Panhellenic sororities require all chapters to allow anyone who identifies as female to participate in recruitment, which also takes away a potential support system for transgender women. During the protest, sorority woman Whitney Anderson voiced that her woman’s organization was a place to discuss sexual assaults and where she became a feminist as well as refound her voice. By oppressing women’s organizations, Harvard obtusely invalidates one of feminism’s fundamental values of gender rights.
Continued Conversations
Following the social uproar, Harvard now faces more than five lawsuits on the basis that eradicating single-gender organizations promotes negative stereotypes against members that join them and discriminates against students based on their sex. The suit presents Harvard’s ever-shifting justifications for the eradication is sexism and presents Harvard’s views on all-male organizations, suggesting that they cause sexual assaults because of male-only members[11] which inherently and ironically perpetuates sexist ideals of toxic masculinity. The suits demand a jury trial to stop Harvard from enforcing sanctions and eradication of single-gender organizations, in hopes of re-establishing their communities. Among the controversial uproar came united protests against the oppression of women’s and men’s organizations; a powerful display of feminist solidarity.
References
- ↑ Elise Radina, M. (2017), Sisterhood and Sexual Assault: Engaging Sorority Members in Dialogue, Critical Analysis, and Feminist Praxis. Fam Relat, 66: 126-138.
- ↑ Ahn, Kathy. "The Pendulum Swings Backwards: The Clery Act Must Be Amended to Address University Policies That Discourage Rape Reporting," Women's Rights Law Reporter vol. 31, no. 4 (Summer 2010): p. 514-537.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 “Theta Roots.” Kappa Alpha Theta, www.kappaalphatheta.org/about-theta/theta-roots.
- ↑ “Theta Roots.” Kappa Alpha Theta, www.kappaalphatheta.org/about-theta/theta-roots.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 “About.” National Panhellenic Conference, www.npcwomen.org/about/.
- ↑ “Greek Glossary.” UBC Sororities - University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, www.ubcsororities.com/faqs/greek-glossary/.
- ↑ Engelmayer, Caroline S., and Michael E. Xie. “The Harvard Crimson.” The Harvard Crimson, www.thecrimson.com/article/2018/8/19/last-sorority-alpha-phi-co-ed/.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Fahs, C. Ramsey. “The Harvard Crimson.” The Harvard Crimson, www.thecrimson.com/article/2016/5/10/women-oppose-sanctions/.
- ↑ “Perspectives on Unrecognized Single-Gender Social Organizations.” Harvard University, www.harvard.edu/media-relations/perspectives-on-unrecognized-single-gender-social-organizations.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Chin, Barry. “Harvard Women Rally against Single-Gender Policy - The Boston Globe.” BostonGlobe.com, The Boston Globe, 10 May 2016, www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/05/09/harvard-women-rally-against-single-gender-policy/h8AqIk3ub40v2cnLap4gFP/story.html.
- ↑ “Harvard Sued by Fraternities and Sororities over Single-Sex Rule.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/harvard-sued-fraternities-sororities-over-single-sex-rule-n942961.