Presentation Slide:
References:
120 North Street. UNC ZETA TAU ALPHA. Retrieved 24 October 2022, from https://www.unczetataualpha.com/120-north-street
Zeta Tau Alpha | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 24 October 2022, from https://unc.zetataualpha.org/
Presentation Script:
Preface:
According to a 2019 Grade Report done by UNC Chapel Hill, approximately nineteen percent of all undergraduate students participate in a form of Greek life here at UNC.
Females in sororities make up over half of Greek life participation.
Going into my research, I wanted to understand why females seemed to have such a desire to be a part of sororities. To do this, I planned to observe social interactions between the females in the Zeta Tau Alpha, or ZTA, sorority. In the end, I hoped to answer my research question:
What factors motivate females at UNC Chapel Hill to want to join a sorority?
Background Information:
Our school offers eleven sororities for females to join and ZTA is one of the largest sororities at UNC, making it near perfect for my observation. In an interview-style study done by Patricia Flores at University of Illinois UC, she found that females felt that sororities both positively improved their networking and leadership connections, and also improved their, “social status,” making them more attractive to men. A study in the Naspa Journal found that Greek culture is permissive and give increased opportunity to consume alcohol, as well as using drinking as a way to, “entice, reward, reinforce, and maintain behaviors among Greek membership.” These ideas gave me some avenues of motivation factors to direct my interest.
Observational Data and Analysis:
Observation 1:
To collect data, I observed one group interaction between ZTA members and interviewed one ZTA member. My first observation was on October 1 at the ZTA Sorority House, as depicted in the picture. I took a seat in the back corner of the dining room and observed how females in ZTA interacted with one another at dinner time. I found that the females in ZTA were very friendly with one another and treated each other as close friends. Even I, as a stranger to the group, was greeted by a couple of girls and one even came up to me and asked to sit next to me as she ate dinner. The amount of welcome the girls showed one another was astounding. They all sat with each other in a large group with everyone included. This interaction showed me the inclusivity ZTA fosters, give females in the group a rare opportunity to form familial-like bonds away from home.
Observation 2:
My next observation was in the form of an interview with a ZTA member and took place on October 6 at Hinton James Residence Hall. I asked about her motivations to be a part of a sorority. She shared that being part of a sorority was a great way to form sister-like bonds and form connections with outside organizations by utilizing the connections her sorority has. Just when the interview was ending, unprompted, she said, “There’s nothing like the support and love I feel in my sorority,” and that alone made everything else worth it to her. She showed through her enthusiasm and positive outlook on the sorority that it was a welcoming, supportive environment for her.
Conclusion:
After seeing how ZTA members interact and interviewing a ZTA member, it was clear that what motivates females to join sororities is the close bonds and connections they form with each other. This motivation helped me see future avenues one could direct research in the future. One of those being, what are other organizations that provide similar benefits of sororities without the time and financial commitment? Additionally, what are factors that make sororities and Greek life unappealing to some?
Explication of Research:
Preface:
Approximately one in five undergraduate students participate in a form of Greek Life at UNC Chapel Hill. UNC offers eleven sororities for women, which makes up over fifty percent of Greek Life participation. Zeta Tau Alpha (ZTA) is one of the largest sororities at UNC Chapel Hill. ZTA members are required to meet once a week for a “chapter” session, but aside from this, they meet daily to hangout, enjoy meals together, and study amongst one another. This subculture was particularly interesting to me because of its prominence in size at UNC and because I had friends in the sorority. Going into my research, I expected to find that females joined sororities as a way to climb up the “social ladder,” and wanted to find out if this superficial idea was accurate. To do this, I planned to observe social interactions between the women in the ZTA sorority. In the end, I hoped to answer the research question: What factors motivate women at UNC Chapel Hill to want to join a sorority?
Background Information:
At UNC Chapel Hill, the process of joining a sorority occurs twice a year, once in the Fall and once in the Spring. During this time, women go through what is known as the “rush” process, where females meet with all eleven sororities and both sorority and applicant choose if they are interested in one another. Ultimately, if an applicant and sorority mutually select one another, a female will become a part of that sorority. In an interview-style study done by Patricia Flores at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign she found that females felt that sororities both positively improved their networking and leadership connections and made them more attractive to men by improving their social ranking (Flores, 2008, p. 5). This idea provided a potential motivator as females may want to improve their status at UNC and think a sorority is an effective way to do so.
Also, in a study done to analyze alcohol consumption in sororities and fraternities, it was found that Greek life/culture gives both opportunity and permissibility to consumption of alcohol as well as using drinking as a way to, “entice, reward, reinforce, and maintain behaviors among Greek membership” (Danielson, C., Taylor, S. H., & Hartford, M., 2001, p. 7). This, along with the parties put on by Greek life would be a strong motivator for young adults.
UNC ZTA states their philanthropy is Breast Cancer Education and Awareness because of its prevalence in the US. Their goal is to eliminate the disease through spreading awareness (Think Pink, n.d.). Females may be particularly interested in joining UNC ZTA if they have a connection to the philanthropy or believe in the cause, which would also contribute as a potential motivator.
Observational Data and Analysis:
To collect data, I observed one meal ZTA members had together and interviewed one ZTA member.
Observation 1:
My first observation was on October 1 at the ZTA Sorority House. I arrived to the large yellow and white ZTA house just before dinner time and took a seat in the back corner of the dining room. I excitedly observed how females in ZTA interacted with one another during their dinner time meal. I found that the women in ZTA were very friendly with one another and treated one another a close friend. Even I, as a stranger to the group, was greeted by a couple of girls and one even came up to me and confidently asked to sit next to me as she ate dinner. The amount of welcome the girls showed one another was impressive. They all sat with each other in a large group with everyone included as they discussed various table talk topics. This interaction showed me the inclusivity ZTA fosters, give females in the group a rare opportunity to form familial-like connections away from home.
Observation 2:
My next observation was in the form of an interview with a ZTA member and took place on October 6 at Hinton James Residence Hall. I interviewed UNC Freshman, Meghan. She was recently initiated into the sorority and seemed to have a very positive outlook on ZTA.
I asked about her motivations to be a part of a sorority. She shared that being part of a sorority was a great way to form sister-like bonds and form connections with outside organizations by utilizing the connections sororities have. I then asked her how she felt about the cost of being in a sorority and she answered, “I know it’s expensive, but I don’t think about the cost because I know I love my sorority and so I’ll make it work.” The idea that she was able to put the value of the experience above the cost was impressive and showed me she put a lot of value into her sorority. Just when the interview was ending, unprompted she said, “There’s nothing like the support and love I feel in my sorority,” and described that that factor alone made everything else worth it to her. She showed through her enthusiasm and animated mannerisms that her sorority was a welcoming, supportive environment for her.
Conclusion:
My close analysis of ZTA is not representative of all sororities, but my research showed me that what motivates females to join the ZTA sorority is the close bonds and connections they form with each other.
After observing the group as a whole and interviewing ZTA member, Meghan, individually, I was able to see that their interactions with one another are genuine and they the members are very close with one another. This differed from my initial expectation that females desired to be part of these groups to climb up the “social ladder” at UNC and were typically ingenuine with fellow members. Although that motivation factor cannot be entirely eliminated, it certainly is not the primary reason females seem to be joining sororities. The females in the group had real care for one another and enjoyed each other’s presence as a way to experience camaraderie amongst their peers.
References:
Danielson, C., Taylor, S. H., & Hartford, M. (2001). Examining the complex relationship
between Greek life and alcohol: A literature review. Naspa Journal, 38(4), 451–465. https://login.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eft&AN=507697370&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Flores, P. M. (2008). Why do students join greek organizations?: Illinois Library. University
of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. https://hdl.handle.net/2142/3692
Think Pink (n.d.). UNC Zeta Tau Alpha. Retrieved 19 October 2022 from
https://www.unczetataualpha.com/thinkpink
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Google Images, Creative Commons License