This past summer I read, "Pledged: the Secret Life of Sororities", by Alexandra Robbins. In this book Robbins goes undercover for a year observing four sophomores who are each in a different sorority. Robbins describes what goes on behind the doors to the mysterious Greek house. Most sorority girls do have some sort of an eating disorder, because of the pressure put on them to be skinny. For some houses it was not uncommon for the plumber to be there about once a month, to clean out the pipe because they were filled with vomit. This is one of the many devastating truths that Robbins brings to light. Robbins is in no way saying, do not enter in to a sorority; she is merely telling people what to be aware of when rushing in the spring.
I think that Robbins's message to her readers is that it is crucial not to succumb to peer pressure.
Sororities at the Universiy of Florida
Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity House in Minneapolis, M...
The Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house at Lafayette Co...Sororities have a huge amount of influence on the thoughts of the younger sisters. If the girls in the sorority do not approve of something they will pressure the girls into doing things their way. For instance one of the main characters, Vicki, had a boyfriend who was not a member of a fraternity, so the girls insisted that she get rid of him so that she could date other fraternity boys. "It would be so much more fun for us if you'd just break up with him (p19)." One of the girls complained that her boyfriend was ruining there fun, out at the bars. Vicki eventually dumped her boyfriend of two years, and began flirting with William, the president of Iota, another fraternity. This time the girls all approved of William and they all began to include her in their...