Literature Review #1

Robbins, Alexandra. Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities. New York: Hyperion, 2004. Print.

This book is about the story of a researcher who went under cover for a year as she lived with sorority girls.  She reveals loads of things that occurred behind their closed doors and what she learned from the young women.  Although there are many surprising reveals, there are also some interesting discoveries she made regarding sisterhood and the ideals that the women hold themselves up to.  

The author, Alexandra Robbins, is obviously knowledgeable about the topic because this is an account of her own first-hand experience while living in the house.  At the beginning of the book, she does admit that she had her own preconceived notions about sororities, but her perspective is completely changed after experiencing a year living in the house.  

An important key term throughout this book is "socialized".  This is important because it is quite ambiguous and many writers could have a load of different definitions for it.  In Robbins's case, she considers the sorority girls to have been socialized before they joined their chapters which is why they wound up being "picked" from the large pool of girls who entered recruitment.  Robbins then goes on to say that the girls "socialized" within their chapters and have grown to be who they are as college students.  

"Between meetings and activities, fund-raising and date-finding, sorority membership can be as much of a commitment as a part-time job" (Robbins 94).  This quote could be important to support my analysis because it shows that sororities prepare people for real-life careers because of the demand for time-management.  

"But there is, of course, the question of whether the girls create the sorority or the sorority creates the girls" (Robbins 118).  This could be an interesting topic to bring up in my paper because it could indicate independence or a lack thereof.  This independence comes from well-rounded individuals who have a better chance at a steady future. 

"Some sororities still use secret passwords" (Robbins 286).  This is another interesting point to bring up in regards to the topic of exclusivity that comes with joining an organization.  The exclusivity continues after college and into the professional world when sorority sisters or fraternity brothers meet and are perhaps colleagues.  This could benefit someone in finding a job because they share rituals and values that another colleague has.  

This book will be an important part of my research because it exclusively talks about the life of multiple sorority ladies.  Although there are some aspects of Greek life that are mentioned which are irrelevant to my topic, it covers many bases that I would like to mention within my final paper.  

Privatization

I've decided that my topic is going to be to analyze the business networking that comes as a result of graduating from a Greek organization.  This relates to privatization because of the exclusivity that results from it.  People who are only alumni of their respective organizations can add them to their resumes and make social connections that could result in a possibly job.

Scouting the Territory

I realized that I need to be more specific with my topic.  My original idea was using the theme of sororities, but as the Vice President: Membership of my own chapter, I sell Greek Life everyday.  I need to hone in on one specific benefit of joining a sorority.  The socio-economic benefits of life as both a collegiate Greek and an alum Greek have recently appealed to me. Some perks while still in college include minimum GPA requirements and study hours that promote academic success.  I would also like to research a percentage of how many Greeks in the U.S. graduate with honors.  Some perks post-graduation include life-long networking that could lead to career opportunities.

I Googled topics such as: "greek life and academics", "greek life networking advantages" and "sorority benefits"

Some links I found with quick facts:

https://cws.auburn.edu/studentaffairs/greekLife/ConMan_Uploads/files/Advantages%20of%20Greek%20Life%20on%20College%20Campuses.pdf

http://www.usatodayeducate.com/staging/index.php/campuslife/examining-the-benefits-of-greek-life

http://dailybruin.com/2011/09/13/_greek_life_benefits_students_through_its_networking_opportunities_friendships_/

Some links I found of articles that I would like to further research:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-campus/201109/how-fraternities-and-sororities-impact-students-or-do-they (this link also referenced the book that was loaned to me : Pledged by Alexandra Robbins)

http://dailybruin.com/2011/09/13/_greek_life_benefits_students_through_its_networking_opportunities_friendships_/

http://www.levo.com/articles/skills/sorority-networking-lessons

A book found on Google Books:

http://books.google.com/books?id=vLN2SJe965oC&pg=PA45&dq=sorority+life&hl=en&sa=X&ei=sd4DU6aFNKyU1AGyloHIDg&ved=0CCgQ6AEwADge#v=onepage&q=sorority%20life&f=false

After researching only for a short time, I've come to decide that networking will probably be the main argument for my thesis.  Some supporting arguments will include building leadership skills, promoting academic excellence, and improving communication skills.

Obviously, Greek life is a highly controversial topic that is written about quite often.  From what I have seen, Greeks write about the benefits and non-Greeks write about the deficits.  This is not necessarily always true, but it has been the majority.  I'm going to stick with my kind and bring light to joining a sorority.  I think I will find success because it is a topic I am extremely passionate about.

Final Essay Topic

I would like to make my final essay about the importance of Greek life.  I have experienced the social and academic benefits of being involved in my sorority and would like to share my personal experience and research about other people's experiences.  Greek life offers a variety of opportunities in philanthropy, networking, leadership, and socializing.  Greek life is something I hold very dear to my heart so I would be able to give my undivided attention to all that I research on this topic!