While I don't argue with the rights of fraternities and sororities to exist, I must admit I've always had some heartburn about them. To me, they are fundamentally worsening the cultural and social stratification of society by helping the people that need help least.
These organizations simplify socialization of the already socially well-adapted. It's no secret what these groups are looking for in their recruits...people that have a combination of these traits: good looking, social, confident, rich and smart. If you possess any of these, you're automatically socialized.
This pattern will perpetuate itself forever. I'm not suggesting Greek affirmative action, I'm not suggesting anything other than we see things for what they are.
(Note: folks that lack any of the qualities above...i.e. an ugly unconfident poor dumb loner is just a loser and not somebody I want to ever hang out with.)
(Full disclosure: I was not in a fraternity)
7 comments:
I disagree, I was in a frat, and we were very diverse. Many mambers were not rich or good looking and were still able to fit in well, and no doubt enjoyed the experience. I have many, many lifelong friends of all kinds of socio-economic backgrounds. For me, it was great.
I didn't say, and certainly do not doubt, that Greek participants find value in their associations. To the contrary, I think what I said was that it helps people most who need help the least. So I'd have to say that you missed my point.
As for diversity, I'd have to question how diverse a fraternity can be where you went to school...not exactly a bastion of diversity. I went to A&M which is possibly less diverse but I can't think of many less diverse places.
Do you wholly disagree with the notion that Greek life socially helps those most that need help least? If you weren't in a frat would you have been a social outcast? Can you say that about the majority of your brothers? Would you or most of your brothers have been friendless had you not been Greek?
Note that I'm not advocating anything. I support the right of these groups and all groups to exist. I'm just making a point (or trying to).
No, I got your point the first time. I disagree with the premise that it helps the people who need it least. Yes it does help them. My point was that in my experience, it helped a whole lot more than the social elite, and a lot of the people I saw it help, didn't fit in that category at all.
In terms of where I went, I think the many pot smokers and hell raisers I knew at Baylor, as well as the wallflowers, mama's boys and bookworms, would disagree that only the socially adept were helped by the frat experience. I saw it help all types and there were plenty of types, even at Baylor. There was one frat, that I considered 100% nerds, but guess what? they fit in, if only with each other. But they found a place, and it looked like to me that they loved it.
Keep in mind, I grew up on many military bases, so I have seen plenty of diverstity.
Pardon my many typos, I have fat fingers.
One more thing...does it help THE MOST those who need it THE LEAST? MAYBE, but if it helps others too, who cares? If it helps, it helps.
It's not a zero sum game, where one's benefit is at the expense of someone else. Neither is the economy for that matter.
You mean we can all be popular?! I'm not afraid to admit that I may have some prejudices and insecurities feeding my animus.
Speaking of zero-sum games, we've got a frat-boy supporting frats and a non-frat-boy dissing them. What could be more interesting...a Cowboy fan arguing with a Redskin fan? What we need to see is a frat-boy agree with me or a non-frat-boy agree with you.
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