What image comes to your mind when you picture a “sorority girl?” Is it positive, negative, or neutral? What does a sorority girl look like? Does she have a certain hair color, physique, or even skin color? What kind of character traits do you associate with them? Are they intelligent, funny, vain, or unmotivated? It’s part of human nature to assume and judge, but when do those assumptions become toxic?
The media paints a complex picture of sorority girls and Greek life in general. Take Elle Woods in Legally Blonde: a blonde, pink-clad white woman who is, at first, painted as unserious and shallow. Consider the 2009 movie Sorority Wars, starring Lucy Hale, as two rival sororities battle for the title of the “top house.” Additionally, in recent years, Greek life and, specifically, sorority recruitment have become social media phenomena. “RushTok” and influencers like Kylan Darnell have fed into an obsession with and curiosity about the American sorority experience. Generally, the media casts a less than positive light on sorority girls and Greek life.
Media tropes aren’t the only medium where these negative stereotypes manifest. News coverage on Greek life is often selective, covering scandals that overshadow positive contributions. Unfortunately, Greek organizations tend to only garner news and media attention when something shocking and/or disreputable has happened, such as hazing incidents, noncompliance with university policy, and failure in leadership, among others.
Another contributing factor to these stereotypes is gendered expectations and the trivialization of femininity. Persisting gender norms that consider feminine interests and behaviors as unserious and less worthy of respect allow the “sorority girl” stereotype to endure. Many aspects of the sorority experience are dismissed as shallow, including social bonding (sisterhood), philanthropy (“soft” work), and emotional vulnerability. These same behaviors and structures are often praised when associated with men but trivialized when they manifest in feminine spaces.
Between the media portrayal, news coverage, and gender norms that dismiss women’s spaces and interests as less meaningful, sorority women are often reduced to the archetype of unintelligent, materialistic, and dramatic. As a “sorority girl” (and a daughter of one), people have made assumptions about me based on my membership. A male co-worker once made a lewd comment assuming my sexual habits, a friend’s grandfather once asked me how much I had to drink to be initiated, and even extended family members have made jokes about my alleged social habits.
However, as we all know, seldom are stereotypes fair or truthful. I know from first-hand experience that these stereotypes often don’t reflect what sororities and the women who belong to them are like. Countless women confidently and openly reject these stereotypes and share how meaningful their experience is to them. Well-regarded women, including Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Aretha Franklin, Tory Burch, Kamala Harris, Alicia Keys, and others, belonged to sororities, defying expectations of what a sorority woman seemingly can or cannot do. Furthermore, reputable organizations like the National Society of High School Scholars recognize the benefits that joining a sorority (or fraternity) offers.
Academic performance, professional development, leadership, responsibility, and diversity are all components of sororities that are often overlooked or under-appreciated by these stereotypes. While every national chapter has different expectations, rules, and values, academic performance is often considered important. Sororities frequently offer their members opportunities to connect with other women in the chapter and alumni who can promote their academic and professional success. Furthermore, academic achievements are often celebrated and considered when selecting leadership for a chapter.
On that note, sororities provide women with excellent leadership opportunities. Most chapters have executive and cabinet positions, allowing women to develop skills they will carry with them their entire lives. These positions, as well as mere membership, entail responsibilities. Completing service hours, attending events, and engaging with other Greek organizations are among the commitments and expectations sorority women are held to.
Sorority women are also diverse in all senses of the word: background, interests, majors, and more. The women who make up sororities are unique, bound together by a system of values rather than surface-level similarities. Celebrating each other’s differences is an integral part of what sisterhood means. While inclusivity and representation continue to be a work in progress for many sororities, there are several different Greek councils that create spaces for women (and men) of diverse backgrounds, including the National Pan-Hellenic Council (traditionally Black sororities), the National Panhellenic Conference, the National Multicultural Greek Council, and more.
Stereotypes about these organizations and the women in them might discourage potential members from going through the recruitment process. It may also hurt diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Sororities are continuing to evolve and reform, implementing internal and external changes to make their organizations more positive spaces for all women. Perpetuating negative stereotypes might discourage this necessary change, as well as involvement, leadership, self-esteem, and, more broadly, women’s achievements.
My time in a sorority has been nothing less than transformative and meaningful. Every day, I feel grateful to be surrounded and supported by a sisterhood of strong women who share a similar set of values to me. I have met women in my sorority who will one day cheer for me as I walk across the stage at graduation, be bridesmaids at my wedding, “aunts” to my children, and be my life-long champions. I have a greater understanding of what it means to be a role model, a positive contributor to my campus community, and a dependable friend. I have also developed critical skills such as time management, organization, and communication. We must all do better by reserving our judgement and broadening our minds to recognize and appreciate the merit in Greek organizations and their impact on young people and society.