Fraternities And Sororities

Fraternities and sororities, also known as Greek letter organizations, are social and service organizations primarily associated with the American collegiate experience. With a few exceptions, these are gender-based organizations. Fraternity, derived from the Latin word frater, meaning “brother,” is a male organization. Likewise, soror, Latin for “sister,” is the root word for female-only sororities. With the exception of black Greek letter organizations, most fraternities and sororities limit membership to the college years. Participation in a Greek letter organization is often seen as a defining moment in undergraduate life. While there have been critiques about the exclusionary nature of fraternities and sororities, members feel that these affiliations offer the key leadership and networking opportunities central to productive business and civic relationships. The histories of these organizations ...