Greek life has been part of campus life for a while now. Ispa-Landa and Barbara argue that women joined sororities in the 20th century to ensure a fulfilling social life, searching for friends and suitable boyfriends (18). But one may ask: Have women’s experiences with sororities changed over time or stayed the same? It is a surprisingly exciting and somewhat subjective question to answer. Women’s experiences with sororities have changed considerably, yet much has remained the same up to the present day.
Ispa-Landa and Barbara researched how women’s experiences with sorority life have changed from the mid-1970s to today. Their study found several ways that women’s experiences with sororities have changed over time. First, there have been incredible changes when it comes to the reasons why women join sororities. In the past, admission to a sorority meant getting immediate access to social life. Today, women no longer see sorority life as a way to access fraternity men. Instead, they see it as a way to make friends and connect with peers with whom they share similar social ideologies to college.
Second, the perceived criterion for membership in a sorority has changed considerably. In the 1970s, admission to an elicit sorority required beauty, wealth, and a recommendation letter from an alumni member (Ispa-Landa & Barbara 17). However, this narrative is no longer applicable because admission to a sorority today requires academic or career ambition. Third, women’s sexual stigma and safety in college have changed dramatically. During the 1970s, women never asked fraternity men on dates, and if they did, they were expected to pay the check (Ispa-Landa & Barbara 19). Moreover, women lost membership for openly spending a night at their boyfriends’ apartments. What has changed today is how women can now ask men on dates and openly talk about the issue of sexual assault in sorority life.
However, there are ways women’s experiences with sororities have stayed the same. Then and now, women are still evaluated based on their willingness to socialize with fraternity men. In addition, the admission requirements to join a prestigious sorority still depend on the physical attractiveness of women, wealth, and color or race (Ispa-Landa & Barbara 17). Then and now, men dominate women’s social and sexual lives, leading to gender imbalance in the 21st century.
In conclusion, most women’s experiences with sororities have changed, yet many have remained the same from the mid-1970s and present-day campus life. Today, sororities are not founded based on finding a suitable boyfriend or being beautiful, wealthy, and having the right connections. Instead, women join sororities for academic and career excellence. Moreover, women can now ask men on dates and openly discuss the issue of gender structure inconsistencies. However, women’s admission to a top sorority is assessed based on their desire to date men and physical appeal. The analysis proved that while women’s experiences with sororities have changed over time, some occurrences have remained the same.
Work Cited
Ispa-Landa, Simone, and Barbara J. Risman. “The Gender Revolution on Greek Row.” Contexts 20.3 (2021): 16-21.