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FRATERNITIESAND RAPE ON CAMPUS
PATRICIAYANCEYMARTIN ROBERTA. HUMMER Florida State University
Despite widespreadknowledge that fraternitymembersare frequently involved in the sexual assaults of women, fraternities are rarely studied as social contexts-groups and organizations-that encourage the sexual coercionof women.An analysis of the normsand dynamicsof the social construction of fraternity brotherhoodreveals the highly masculinistfeatures of fraternitystructureand process, includingconcern with a narrow,stereotypicalconceptionof masculinity and heterosexuality;a preoccupation with loyalty, protection of the group, and secrecy; the use of alcohol as a weapon against women 'ssexual reluctance;the pervasiveness of violence and physicalforce; and an obsession withcompetition,superiority,and dominance. Interfraternityrivalry and competition-particularly over members, intramuralsports, and women-encourage fraternitymen 'scommodification women.Weconclude thatfraternities of will continue to violate
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Zettle. 1978. "TheImpactof Fraternity SororityMembership ValuesandAttitudes."Journal and on of College StudentPersonnel 36:445-49. Wilder, David H., Arlyne E. Hoyt, Beth Shuster Surbeck, Janet C. Wilder, and Patricia Imperatrice Carney. 1986. "GreekAffiliation and Attitude Change in College Students." Journal of College StudentPersonnel44:510-19. Patricia Yancey Martinis Daisy ParkerFlory AlumniProfessor,Departmentof Sociology, Florida State University.Her specialties are the sociology of organizations,work, and gender.She has publishedon theprocessingof rape victimsbyformal organizations and has forthcomingarticles on rape crisis centers,feminist organizations,womenin social welfare work,and gender relations in the South. RobertA. Hummeris a graduate student in the Sociology Departmentand Centerfor the Studyof Populationat FloridaState University.He is workingon his master 'sthesis regardingthe causes of Hispanic infantmortality.His researchinterestsinclude social stratificationand infant mortalityand the study of rape by college athletes.