A. Is the university actually qualified to deal with sexual assault?
B. Silbaugh, Katherine. "Reactive to Proactive: Title IX's Unrealized Capacity to Prevent Sexual Assault." EBSCO. Boston University Law Review, 1 May 2015. Web.
This was by far one of the best texts I've ever read concerning this topic. The author looks at Title IX and its origins/functions and explores how to properly prevent- as opposed to simply treat after the fact- sexual assault on campus. Silbaugh explains that there are two available approaches to dealing with sexual violence: law-enforcement and public health. Herein lies the innate problem with the setup for Title IX. Because of its foundation and ties with the Department of Education, Title IX is forced to take a law-enforcement approach. That is, instead of working to prevent sexual violence from ever occurring, it focuses heavily on addressing acts which have already been committed. Even more dire, many colleges are not properly equipped for the role they are called upon to complete: often those making decisions on the matter, despite levels of training and education, are not lawyers and are unfamiliar with legalities that surround a crime such as sexual assault.
It is interesting that Title IX doesn't take on a public-health approach, as suggested in the text. After all-- we are talking about public universities. This final article plays nicely with questions I've brought up previously. Now, instead of asking what external factors in population contribute to campus sexual assault rates, I'm asking: is the university actually properly prepared to deal with this issue? After all, multiple issues have been brought up along the way. Inability to educate, prepare, and protect students have all been discussed. Perhaps the root problem is not in the details of how the university deals with it, but instead the actual nature of it. The university can't actually stop sexual assault from happening until it begins working completely and fully preventing the crime to the best of its abilities. No, the likelihood of extinguishing rape from society and college campus is very slim. But the university can do its role of establishing a safe environment by focusing on preventing sexual violence before it happens, instead of after.
-- because (public) colleges are public institutions, they innately think better in 'public health' terms and must be allowed to address sexual assault in that way
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Brittany Kurtz Source 4
A. What is the other side to the story? Is the rape epidemic truly an epidemic? How valid are the claims?
B. French, David. "The Campus-Rape Lie." Academic Search Elite [EBSCO]. N.p., 6 July 2015. Web.
This was an interesting read, to say the least. French combats the attack on campus assailants with an arsenal of counter-statistics and logic. He argues that there is no 'rape crisis' or even a 'rape culture', There is simply a large number of radicals 'Lefts' who are jumping on the rape epidemic bandwagon as a new source of passionate activism. French explains how largely-cited statistics are not reliable and that true numbers related to campus rape are far lower than widely advertised. In addition, he advocates for innocent male victims who are denied due process and charged with sexual crimes that ruin careers and lives-- on the basis of preponderance of evidence, as often decided by school staff.
This article was written with passion, and even if I cannot fully agree with its content, I respect the argumentative nature of the author. I think that it's important to take much of what French is saying with a grain of salt. Many of his points are dual-ended, with him only exploring one side (perhaps because he feels that liberal media has done a sufficient job with the other viewpoints; nonetheless...). For example, French states that there is no rape crisis because there's been a consistent decline in reported assaults since 1997 (31). Just because there's a decrease, however, doesn't mean a problem has disappeared; the crime is still being committed. Many of statistics stem from very blurry lines on exactly what crime they are addressing. Although all are sexual crimes, rape, sexual assault, harassment, or misconduct, dating violence, sodomy- all of these distinctions affect the statistics. Actual rape (by the legal definition) may not be as frequently committed as sexual misconduct; thus some statistics can be used more favorably than others. Another arguing point that French spun concerned the famous "1 in 5" statistic, stating that nearly 20% of women will be sexually assaulted during their undergraduate college career. This is commonly cited in awareness campaigns across campuses. French points out that the own administrators of this study warn against using the statistic to draw any conclusions. The study was given to only two colleges and was administered online, without many guidelines. The Department of Justice produced a more reliable and more valid survey that produced a statistic of 6.1 rapes per 1,000-- this, however, did not include other sexual crimes, whereas the previous study did.
Although this article doesn't fully expand properly on several points, it does start a good conversation. It must be difficult for university administrators to dance the delicate line between serving justice to both the alleged victims and the accused, especially when governmental agencies are demanding crackdowns left and right. Is this really the university's job though? It is certainly important for universities to do all they can to prevent such an atrocity from happening to its students; but once the crime has been committed, shouldn't higher, more fit authorities become involved? The previous articles would dismiss this text as a manifestation of men's rights and the endorsement of rape culture. I believe, however, that a new idea can emerge from the culmination of all of these readings: why, if rape is such an epidemic, does the school restrict its investigation to simply an academic setting? Why aren't the police involved, if this is such a heinous crime of an exponential magnitude? Questions like these could help the university streamline how it handles sexual assault cases within its campus.
B. French, David. "The Campus-Rape Lie." Academic Search Elite [EBSCO]. N.p., 6 July 2015. Web.
This was an interesting read, to say the least. French combats the attack on campus assailants with an arsenal of counter-statistics and logic. He argues that there is no 'rape crisis' or even a 'rape culture', There is simply a large number of radicals 'Lefts' who are jumping on the rape epidemic bandwagon as a new source of passionate activism. French explains how largely-cited statistics are not reliable and that true numbers related to campus rape are far lower than widely advertised. In addition, he advocates for innocent male victims who are denied due process and charged with sexual crimes that ruin careers and lives-- on the basis of preponderance of evidence, as often decided by school staff.
This article was written with passion, and even if I cannot fully agree with its content, I respect the argumentative nature of the author. I think that it's important to take much of what French is saying with a grain of salt. Many of his points are dual-ended, with him only exploring one side (perhaps because he feels that liberal media has done a sufficient job with the other viewpoints; nonetheless...). For example, French states that there is no rape crisis because there's been a consistent decline in reported assaults since 1997 (31). Just because there's a decrease, however, doesn't mean a problem has disappeared; the crime is still being committed. Many of statistics stem from very blurry lines on exactly what crime they are addressing. Although all are sexual crimes, rape, sexual assault, harassment, or misconduct, dating violence, sodomy- all of these distinctions affect the statistics. Actual rape (by the legal definition) may not be as frequently committed as sexual misconduct; thus some statistics can be used more favorably than others. Another arguing point that French spun concerned the famous "1 in 5" statistic, stating that nearly 20% of women will be sexually assaulted during their undergraduate college career. This is commonly cited in awareness campaigns across campuses. French points out that the own administrators of this study warn against using the statistic to draw any conclusions. The study was given to only two colleges and was administered online, without many guidelines. The Department of Justice produced a more reliable and more valid survey that produced a statistic of 6.1 rapes per 1,000-- this, however, did not include other sexual crimes, whereas the previous study did.
Although this article doesn't fully expand properly on several points, it does start a good conversation. It must be difficult for university administrators to dance the delicate line between serving justice to both the alleged victims and the accused, especially when governmental agencies are demanding crackdowns left and right. Is this really the university's job though? It is certainly important for universities to do all they can to prevent such an atrocity from happening to its students; but once the crime has been committed, shouldn't higher, more fit authorities become involved? The previous articles would dismiss this text as a manifestation of men's rights and the endorsement of rape culture. I believe, however, that a new idea can emerge from the culmination of all of these readings: why, if rape is such an epidemic, does the school restrict its investigation to simply an academic setting? Why aren't the police involved, if this is such a heinous crime of an exponential magnitude? Questions like these could help the university streamline how it handles sexual assault cases within its campus.
Brittany Kurtz Source 3
A. It's obvious that sexual assault on campus is an issue- but how exactly can the university take a stronger lead on preventing it?
B. Richardson, Bradford, and Jon A. Shields. "The Real Campus Sexual Assault Problem- And How to Fix It." Academic Search Complete [EBSCO]. N.p., Oct. 2015. Web.
After revising and simplifying my search while doing research, I finally found a helpful piece of work. Up until now, I had been spending far too much time trying to do far too much. My process was too complicated, my thesis too broad. Instead of working to identify factors that contribute to sexual assault on campus, I've now morphed my focus towards assessing how universities are addressing sexual assault and if they're successful in doing so. From there, I can synthesize a contribution to the conversation. To begin this process, I simplified my search to the bare minimum: "campus sexual assault". Lo and behold, the first article to appear was the exact one I'd been searching for this whole time. Real Campus Sexual Assault aimed to pinpoint implemented structures at different universities to determine assault rates at aforementioned universities, focusing specifically on students who lived on-campus. It discovered that campuses with stricter regulations such as those regarding 'dry' campuses, curfews, and overnight visitors reported lower assault rates than those that did not strictly regulate any or all of those social factors. The authors go forward to argue that "social limits and limits on alcohol" are the way to go if universities truly want to address the 'rape culture' that seems to thrive on their campuses. They explain that allowing students such unbridled freedom, especially so early on in their newly found 'adulthood', sacrifices student safety (on more than just the sexual level) in the name of sexual revolution.
This article contains the information that I had been hoping to find. I'm relieved to know that some research has been done that reveals the impact that certain factors have on sexual assault. It's interesting to note that in the first articles I read, nothing was said about the role that social regulations play in this situation. They focused on the role of the university as: 1) an educator, failing to educate students on what constitutes sexual assault and 2) a protector of students, failing to protect students from threats within school grounds. This is a new perspective on the issue. No matter where they're coming from, however, all three article say something in common: the school system is failing its students. But how can it improve?
Perhaps the university does need to focus more proactively on prevention rather than education; after all, the majority of rapists and sexual assault perpetrators display antisocial and narcissistic personalities (29) -- education won't easily change that. In addition, alcohol plays such a huge role in college sexual assaults. As many as 76% of college rapists confess to using alcohol to intoxicate their victim (29). Enforcing social rules, even if they do seem unfairly conservative or anti-progressive, would certainly help to combat that last statistic by removing students from potentially unsafe environments. To address the topic of education/prevention: perhaps educating students on the role one can have as a bystander could be of use? Educating both men and women on how sexual assault is defined, as well as on how to prevent this crime from being committed against oneself or those around would also be beneficial.
B. Richardson, Bradford, and Jon A. Shields. "The Real Campus Sexual Assault Problem- And How to Fix It." Academic Search Complete [EBSCO]. N.p., Oct. 2015. Web.
After revising and simplifying my search while doing research, I finally found a helpful piece of work. Up until now, I had been spending far too much time trying to do far too much. My process was too complicated, my thesis too broad. Instead of working to identify factors that contribute to sexual assault on campus, I've now morphed my focus towards assessing how universities are addressing sexual assault and if they're successful in doing so. From there, I can synthesize a contribution to the conversation. To begin this process, I simplified my search to the bare minimum: "campus sexual assault". Lo and behold, the first article to appear was the exact one I'd been searching for this whole time. Real Campus Sexual Assault aimed to pinpoint implemented structures at different universities to determine assault rates at aforementioned universities, focusing specifically on students who lived on-campus. It discovered that campuses with stricter regulations such as those regarding 'dry' campuses, curfews, and overnight visitors reported lower assault rates than those that did not strictly regulate any or all of those social factors. The authors go forward to argue that "social limits and limits on alcohol" are the way to go if universities truly want to address the 'rape culture' that seems to thrive on their campuses. They explain that allowing students such unbridled freedom, especially so early on in their newly found 'adulthood', sacrifices student safety (on more than just the sexual level) in the name of sexual revolution.
This article contains the information that I had been hoping to find. I'm relieved to know that some research has been done that reveals the impact that certain factors have on sexual assault. It's interesting to note that in the first articles I read, nothing was said about the role that social regulations play in this situation. They focused on the role of the university as: 1) an educator, failing to educate students on what constitutes sexual assault and 2) a protector of students, failing to protect students from threats within school grounds. This is a new perspective on the issue. No matter where they're coming from, however, all three article say something in common: the school system is failing its students. But how can it improve?
Perhaps the university does need to focus more proactively on prevention rather than education; after all, the majority of rapists and sexual assault perpetrators display antisocial and narcissistic personalities (29) -- education won't easily change that. In addition, alcohol plays such a huge role in college sexual assaults. As many as 76% of college rapists confess to using alcohol to intoxicate their victim (29). Enforcing social rules, even if they do seem unfairly conservative or anti-progressive, would certainly help to combat that last statistic by removing students from potentially unsafe environments. To address the topic of education/prevention: perhaps educating students on the role one can have as a bystander could be of use? Educating both men and women on how sexual assault is defined, as well as on how to prevent this crime from being committed against oneself or those around would also be beneficial.
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Brittany Kurtz Source 2
A. What roles do the university as an institution play in regard to sexual assault?
B. Parnitzke Smith, Carly, and Jennifer J. Freyd. "Dangerous Safe Havens: Institutional Betrayal Exacerbates Sexual Trauma." Wiley Online Library. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 16 Feb. 2013. Web.
This article explored one of the roles that the university plays as far as sexual assault is concerned. The contributors explain how trauma resulting from interpersonal abuse (including sexual harassment, and assault) has been shown to often produce far more severe and long-lasting damage to the health and disposition of victims. They go on to state that institutions often cultivate interpersonal relationships that build on promises of trust, care, and safety to those involved. These interpersonal relationships are often very similar to those involving partners, relatives, and close friends; therefore, so are their consequences when those promises of well-being are disturbed.This is termed "institutional betrayal" and especially relevant to students who are assaulted on campus property (for example, residence halls), assaulted while participating in Greek Life, or assaulted by students or professors of the university in question. Institutions discussed in the article are notably those residing at the military and university level. The women surveyed and involved in this study belong to a northwestern university, making the information gathered pertinent.
I thought it was interesting to explore the role of the university through this perspective: as having the same interpersonal role as close loved ones. In the sense of sexual assault, however, this makes perfect sense. It is, after all, the university extends to its students the opportunity for living/ working conditions that should, in theory, be of an appropriate nature; I don't think it's unreasonable for that nature to entail reasonable protection from violent crimes, especially of this magnitude. This is particularly true for students who live in residence halls of the university. Any sort of sexual violence is a crime that involves cruelty against one of the most private and sacred parts of human nature: the self. The trauma experienced in this sort of crime is magnified when it is committed in the midst of perceived trust, whether trust from a partner or friend, or from a university. Both promise commitment and safety.
I want to further explore the role of the university in relation to sexual assault. I hope to find more information on the role of sexual education in sexual assault prevention. In the meantime, I thought that this was a good piece to help me more profoundly understand how universities impact assault on college campuses.
B. Parnitzke Smith, Carly, and Jennifer J. Freyd. "Dangerous Safe Havens: Institutional Betrayal Exacerbates Sexual Trauma." Wiley Online Library. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 16 Feb. 2013. Web.
This article explored one of the roles that the university plays as far as sexual assault is concerned. The contributors explain how trauma resulting from interpersonal abuse (including sexual harassment, and assault) has been shown to often produce far more severe and long-lasting damage to the health and disposition of victims. They go on to state that institutions often cultivate interpersonal relationships that build on promises of trust, care, and safety to those involved. These interpersonal relationships are often very similar to those involving partners, relatives, and close friends; therefore, so are their consequences when those promises of well-being are disturbed.This is termed "institutional betrayal" and especially relevant to students who are assaulted on campus property (for example, residence halls), assaulted while participating in Greek Life, or assaulted by students or professors of the university in question. Institutions discussed in the article are notably those residing at the military and university level. The women surveyed and involved in this study belong to a northwestern university, making the information gathered pertinent.
I thought it was interesting to explore the role of the university through this perspective: as having the same interpersonal role as close loved ones. In the sense of sexual assault, however, this makes perfect sense. It is, after all, the university extends to its students the opportunity for living/ working conditions that should, in theory, be of an appropriate nature; I don't think it's unreasonable for that nature to entail reasonable protection from violent crimes, especially of this magnitude. This is particularly true for students who live in residence halls of the university. Any sort of sexual violence is a crime that involves cruelty against one of the most private and sacred parts of human nature: the self. The trauma experienced in this sort of crime is magnified when it is committed in the midst of perceived trust, whether trust from a partner or friend, or from a university. Both promise commitment and safety.
I want to further explore the role of the university in relation to sexual assault. I hope to find more information on the role of sexual education in sexual assault prevention. In the meantime, I thought that this was a good piece to help me more profoundly understand how universities impact assault on college campuses.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Brittany Kurtz Source 1
A. How do college students recognize sexual assault? What factors must be present?
B. Franiuk, Renae. "Discussing and Defining Sexual Assault: A Classroom Activity." College Teaching. 3rd ed. Vol. 55. Abingdon: Taylor & Francis, 2007. 104-07. JSTOR. Web.
Sixty-one college students were presented with scenarios involving sexual contact and asked which ones were sexual assault. They were presented with these scenarios in a classroom setting for a course in which they were enrolled; before completing the activity, they read a chapter from their textbook involving violence on women. The students provided a definition of sexual assault written in their own words. They then labeled eight scenarios as to whether or not they fit their individual definition of sexual assault. After this, the students discussed with one another their decisions. To end the activity, the students rewrote their definition and understanding of what constitutes a sexual assault. Results of the study shows that the discussion and contemplation fostered by this activity gave students a better idea of what a sexual assault is. The author of the study voices her opinion that activities such as this one should be utilized throughout universities, perhaps even taught in a mandatory course for incoming students. She blames the lack of understanding of what can be identified as a sexual assault on lack of communication and overall education on the topic. Franuik's solution is simple: educate. Appropriately sanctioning sexual assault on a societal level is immensely important in the war against such violence and is an excellent first step. This, however, can only be achieved and worthwhile when the perpetrators, victims, and bystanders are properly educated on the subject and recognize certain behaviors as acutely unacceptable.
Although this article is written to explain research done and is not purely argumentative in nature, I think it is an excellent starting point for what I am hoping to achieve throughout my exploration of the topic. Education is undoubtedly important. It's what we students are here at the University of Missouri to achieve. Here is what is interesting- here is what I never would have thought of without this study pointing fingers at it. There is such a social stigmatization revolving around sexual crimes: so much a stigma that it seems to go largely unaddressed. While I was in high school, I received minimal sex education and certainly no education on what constitutes a sexual assault. Now: other crimes are seen as widely obvious. I'm sure the majority of children will recognize that hurting or killing another person is wrong and that stealing is not okay, among other examples. These are issues that are addressed at a very young age, issues that our culture indoctrinates. It makes sense that parents do not address kindergartners on the criteria that constitutes consensual sex. At some point, however, that education does need to take place. Is it the role of the parent? Of the school? Of society? Perhaps it is a combination of the three. We cannot control what each parent teaches their children, and we can't ensure that the parent is adequately educated on the topic of sexual violence; nor can we wholly dictate societal views on the issue. Change in a culture is a slow process and requires a generation and more to do so. Therefore, it is up to the schools to which we send that generation to educate and prepare those students for the life ahead of them. This should include proper education on sexual assault.
This initial source of exploration brings several points into play. I thought that the lack of sexual assault education was the culprit of campus sexual violence, but am now questioning what role even basic sexual education plays here. Should sexual education include education concerning sexual assault? Are there universities who offer or mandate courses for their students that deal with sexual assault prevention/education? How can we begin to de-stigmatize the mere topic of sexual assault and therefore allow society to reshape how it addresses sexual assault victims? So far I have come to the conclusion that the current rate of education on this topic is inadequate. It's shocking to me that sexual violence is so prevalent (there are around 293,000 sexual assaults every year (rainn.org) compared to 16,121 homicides in 2013 (cdc.gov)) and yet, so little is done to address it.
B. Franiuk, Renae. "Discussing and Defining Sexual Assault: A Classroom Activity." College Teaching. 3rd ed. Vol. 55. Abingdon: Taylor & Francis, 2007. 104-07. JSTOR. Web.
Sixty-one college students were presented with scenarios involving sexual contact and asked which ones were sexual assault. They were presented with these scenarios in a classroom setting for a course in which they were enrolled; before completing the activity, they read a chapter from their textbook involving violence on women. The students provided a definition of sexual assault written in their own words. They then labeled eight scenarios as to whether or not they fit their individual definition of sexual assault. After this, the students discussed with one another their decisions. To end the activity, the students rewrote their definition and understanding of what constitutes a sexual assault. Results of the study shows that the discussion and contemplation fostered by this activity gave students a better idea of what a sexual assault is. The author of the study voices her opinion that activities such as this one should be utilized throughout universities, perhaps even taught in a mandatory course for incoming students. She blames the lack of understanding of what can be identified as a sexual assault on lack of communication and overall education on the topic. Franuik's solution is simple: educate. Appropriately sanctioning sexual assault on a societal level is immensely important in the war against such violence and is an excellent first step. This, however, can only be achieved and worthwhile when the perpetrators, victims, and bystanders are properly educated on the subject and recognize certain behaviors as acutely unacceptable.
Although this article is written to explain research done and is not purely argumentative in nature, I think it is an excellent starting point for what I am hoping to achieve throughout my exploration of the topic. Education is undoubtedly important. It's what we students are here at the University of Missouri to achieve. Here is what is interesting- here is what I never would have thought of without this study pointing fingers at it. There is such a social stigmatization revolving around sexual crimes: so much a stigma that it seems to go largely unaddressed. While I was in high school, I received minimal sex education and certainly no education on what constitutes a sexual assault. Now: other crimes are seen as widely obvious. I'm sure the majority of children will recognize that hurting or killing another person is wrong and that stealing is not okay, among other examples. These are issues that are addressed at a very young age, issues that our culture indoctrinates. It makes sense that parents do not address kindergartners on the criteria that constitutes consensual sex. At some point, however, that education does need to take place. Is it the role of the parent? Of the school? Of society? Perhaps it is a combination of the three. We cannot control what each parent teaches their children, and we can't ensure that the parent is adequately educated on the topic of sexual violence; nor can we wholly dictate societal views on the issue. Change in a culture is a slow process and requires a generation and more to do so. Therefore, it is up to the schools to which we send that generation to educate and prepare those students for the life ahead of them. This should include proper education on sexual assault.
This initial source of exploration brings several points into play. I thought that the lack of sexual assault education was the culprit of campus sexual violence, but am now questioning what role even basic sexual education plays here. Should sexual education include education concerning sexual assault? Are there universities who offer or mandate courses for their students that deal with sexual assault prevention/education? How can we begin to de-stigmatize the mere topic of sexual assault and therefore allow society to reshape how it addresses sexual assault victims? So far I have come to the conclusion that the current rate of education on this topic is inadequate. It's shocking to me that sexual violence is so prevalent (there are around 293,000 sexual assaults every year (rainn.org) compared to 16,121 homicides in 2013 (cdc.gov)) and yet, so little is done to address it.
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Brian King Source 5
Brian King Source 5
What is the worth of sorority / fraternity life?
DeSantis, Alan D. Inside Greek U.: Fraternities, Sororities, and the Pursuit of Pleasure, Power, and Prestige. Lexington: U of Kentucky, 2007. Print.
This source covers many different problems within sororities and fraternities, from hypermasculinity, elitist attitudes, insensitivity to the LGBT community, and eating disorders among sorority members. It also covers how sororities and fraternities often bolster traditional and often harmful views of sexuality and gender, and how these gender roles lead to things like eating disorders, date rape, homophobia, etc. The author does not, however, believe that fraternity and sorority members are malicious, but rather he explores why the greek letter organizations may reinforce such roles onto men and women and why it leads to such destructive behavior.
This source made me think about a perspective that I had not yet considered; the effect that sorority life has on women and eating disorders. Its perspective on gender and sexuality within the greek organizations went to a depth not discussed in previous sources which helped form a greater understanding of the subject. This source makes me continue questioning what the best course of action is to correct the fraternity and sorority structure to help diminish the hypermasculinity and insensitivity to the LGBT community. Surely programs telling students to simply "stop being homophobic" will not be effective in its goals. And what is the root of the problem for greek letter organizations?
This source helped form the big picture by adding materials that I had not yet considered. It does, however, argue that hypermasculinity and being "a real man" is a product of fraternity life while one of my previous sources found no correlation in its studies. While the study conducted in a previous source may have found no correlation, I believe that, as many of my other sources suggest, that a certain masculine identity is found within the fraternities that is not as present outside of geek organizations.
While much of my topic is now covered, I still must explore various sources to get extra information to form a decision on many topics covered throughout my sources. So far, I can conclude that greek life may inhibit academic success and help social abilities, have no effect on cultural insensitivity, have negative effects on attitudes toward LGBT individuals, and form unhealthy tradition gender and sexual roles.
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Braden Rucinski: Source 5
What are some positive ways that the power of Greek organizations can be harnessed?
Becker, Carolyn Black, and Eric Stice. The Sorority Body Image Program : Group Leader Guide. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. eBook Academic Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 9 Mar. 2016.
In "The Sorority Body Image Program", Becker and Stice attempt to equip sororities with knowledge and exercises to empower these young women to feel good about their bodies. They explain that the Body Image program was actually founded by young women from a sorority from Trinity College (especially Delta Delta Delta). Becker and Stice believe that sororities are the best demographic to target to change college and popular culture about body image, because they are the largest self-governed organizations on college campuses. Thus, the Sorority Body Image Program is an example how sororities and fraternities can use their connections to make college campuses a more safe and healthy place.
Reading the Sorority Body Image Program was a relief for me. After mucking through all of the negative sludge about fraternities and sororities, I finally found some proof about the good things that Greek organizations are doing to help college culture. Of course, it is important to keep in mind that this program is run by sororities, not male fraternities. The more information I ingest about fraternities and sororities, it really does appear that male fraternities are the bigger problem on college campuses. Males, especially fraternity males are quick to "fat-brand" women, so even if a sisterhood runs Body Image event and these women feel good about themselves for a few weeks, how long will these good feelings last? I am no feminist, but it really appears men run the sexuality and body image show. It seems that women who try to embrace a healthy body image will merely be castigated by men, and women will push these "fat" female friends away to be desired by attractive men. If all of women were on the same page, even if all sorority girls were on the same page, they could push to change body image standards. But women are catty and compete against eachother. The existence of the "DUFF" (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) seems to confirm this-- many women are so insecure about their body image that they feel better when they look better than their friends.
This source builds up on Source 4, the other book source that I used that interviewed many fraternity males and females. Source 4 held conversations with females about their body image and mentioned DUFFs. It also mentioned that selective sororities keep out "fat" females from their organizations, because they are worried about maintaining their super sexy reputation for the best and hottest fraternities. Body image and the hyper-sexualization are themes that are redundant in both fraternities and sororities-- males are also objectified for their cut abs, their ripped pecs, and they buy expensive fat-burning products and gym memberships just to get big and keep up. The result is that the members of both fraternities and sororities are super self-conscious about their body image, and this causes a few things. First, it makes them insecure, but the end result is even worse-- they put down others that don't meet their body standards. For females, this means castigating "fat" girls, and for males, this means putting down people who "don't lift". The sense of superiority these groups allegedly feel may really originate from an inferiority complex, which means that these elite campus groups may not really be too different from the schoolyard bully in some cases.
This is my last source, and I think it has helped me obtain more of a balanced view of fraternities and sororities. There is a lot of diversity among these groups (there are many different kinds of Greek organizations), but I think identity and body image and conformity are important to these groups. The types of students who join fraternities or sororities may pretend they are joining because they are more social, but maybe they lack an identity, and don't feel confident about making new friends on campus, so they surround themselves with superficiality. It is unfortunate that in these moments in vulnerability (many leave their state and finds themselves alone and unknown in a big new college), these students pay money to buy friends. The real price is conformity, a price they will pay for the next four years but feel for the rest of their lives, for they completely miss the chance to explore themselves and the other cultures and experiences that college has to offer. They will graduate and only feel comfortable with those who feel and look like them, but hey, maybe this conformity will prepare them for the corporate world.
Becker, Carolyn Black, and Eric Stice. The Sorority Body Image Program : Group Leader Guide. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. eBook Academic Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 9 Mar. 2016.
In "The Sorority Body Image Program", Becker and Stice attempt to equip sororities with knowledge and exercises to empower these young women to feel good about their bodies. They explain that the Body Image program was actually founded by young women from a sorority from Trinity College (especially Delta Delta Delta). Becker and Stice believe that sororities are the best demographic to target to change college and popular culture about body image, because they are the largest self-governed organizations on college campuses. Thus, the Sorority Body Image Program is an example how sororities and fraternities can use their connections to make college campuses a more safe and healthy place.
Reading the Sorority Body Image Program was a relief for me. After mucking through all of the negative sludge about fraternities and sororities, I finally found some proof about the good things that Greek organizations are doing to help college culture. Of course, it is important to keep in mind that this program is run by sororities, not male fraternities. The more information I ingest about fraternities and sororities, it really does appear that male fraternities are the bigger problem on college campuses. Males, especially fraternity males are quick to "fat-brand" women, so even if a sisterhood runs Body Image event and these women feel good about themselves for a few weeks, how long will these good feelings last? I am no feminist, but it really appears men run the sexuality and body image show. It seems that women who try to embrace a healthy body image will merely be castigated by men, and women will push these "fat" female friends away to be desired by attractive men. If all of women were on the same page, even if all sorority girls were on the same page, they could push to change body image standards. But women are catty and compete against eachother. The existence of the "DUFF" (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) seems to confirm this-- many women are so insecure about their body image that they feel better when they look better than their friends.
This source builds up on Source 4, the other book source that I used that interviewed many fraternity males and females. Source 4 held conversations with females about their body image and mentioned DUFFs. It also mentioned that selective sororities keep out "fat" females from their organizations, because they are worried about maintaining their super sexy reputation for the best and hottest fraternities. Body image and the hyper-sexualization are themes that are redundant in both fraternities and sororities-- males are also objectified for their cut abs, their ripped pecs, and they buy expensive fat-burning products and gym memberships just to get big and keep up. The result is that the members of both fraternities and sororities are super self-conscious about their body image, and this causes a few things. First, it makes them insecure, but the end result is even worse-- they put down others that don't meet their body standards. For females, this means castigating "fat" girls, and for males, this means putting down people who "don't lift". The sense of superiority these groups allegedly feel may really originate from an inferiority complex, which means that these elite campus groups may not really be too different from the schoolyard bully in some cases.
This is my last source, and I think it has helped me obtain more of a balanced view of fraternities and sororities. There is a lot of diversity among these groups (there are many different kinds of Greek organizations), but I think identity and body image and conformity are important to these groups. The types of students who join fraternities or sororities may pretend they are joining because they are more social, but maybe they lack an identity, and don't feel confident about making new friends on campus, so they surround themselves with superficiality. It is unfortunate that in these moments in vulnerability (many leave their state and finds themselves alone and unknown in a big new college), these students pay money to buy friends. The real price is conformity, a price they will pay for the next four years but feel for the rest of their lives, for they completely miss the chance to explore themselves and the other cultures and experiences that college has to offer. They will graduate and only feel comfortable with those who feel and look like them, but hey, maybe this conformity will prepare them for the corporate world.
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