Jake Vitaliano
Professor Goeller
Research in Disciplines: College!
February 29, 2016
Research proposal
Working Title: Alcohol and Its Effects on Fraternity Members Masculinity
Topic:
I am going to research the power fraternities and alcohol have on the masculinity and social desirability of young men in the college community. My paper will show how men in fraternities are able to influence the common undergraduate student with their masculinity, as well as show the connection of the harmful effects that alcohol has on these students and how the universities view said actions. I am interested in the topic because I am in a fraternity and I have witnessed countless amounts of press that show fraternities doing vulgar things. I want to know more about these problems and address them so my own fraternity does not ever run into those problems.
Research Question:
My main research question is: Why are fraternities beginning to be seen in a negative way on campus and why are the deans beginning strict policies that inhibit fraternities from participating in alcoholic events? Also, why are fraternities being kicked off campus more and more?
Theoretical Frame:
Although this is not really a theory, I would like to know why when people think of a fraternity, they think of “drunk idiots,” among other things. Most people know that negative sides of what happens within a fraternity, but very little know all of the good that fraternities bring. People think of drugs, drinking, and other forms of behavior that stand out against the community. Another thing that I would like to understand is why being in a fraternity translates into immediate power hungry attitudes. Once men join a fraternity, it appears as so they become more masculine. Do these men think that they are better than their average college male? From personal experience, I have seen fraternity members treat non-members like they are garbage on the street.
One thing that ties both of these questions together would be the consistent use of alcohol. Does the alcohol make the fraternity men act the way they do? Or is it plainly the fact that they get power hungry? I also want to be able to understand why campuses are really starting to try and change the culture of fraternities. Why can’t the deans of these organizations realize that no matter what they do, alcohol will always be a part of the fraternities’ culture? Do they really think that kicking fraternities off campus will make them stop drinking alcohol on a weekly basis? Clearly, I have a lot of questions and interests about this topic, so I believe I will be able to find a lot of good information while researching this topic.
Research and Plan:
For starters, I will be using the book The Company He Keeps, by Nicholas L. Syrett. This book discusses the roles that fraternities have had on their respective college campuses throughout the years. It also focuses on how men in fraternities show their masculinity through various types of things, one being alcohol. One of the better articles that I have found is called “An Examination of Alcohol Expectations and Social Desirability in Fraternity Members in America” by Pietro Sasso. In his article, he talks about how fraternities use alcohol to promote social desirability. Social desirability is basically how you want others to “desire” or see you as a person. This article ties in how fraternity members use alcohol to promote this measure of desirability. It also shows how men outside of a fraternity try and use alcohol to “fit in” when it comes to being a new member of a fraternity. This article is useful because it gives research on both the use of alcohol within a fraternity and how other members on campus see them.
“MANTALK: Fraternity Men and Masculinity” is another article that I found interesting. This article will be able to help me because it talks about how men, both inside and outside of fraternities, view their masculinity. A smaller article that I think will help me understanding why deans on campuses view fraternities in certain ways. This article is not a scholarly article, but it does seem very insightful. One important thing that this article tells is how certain forms of media have impacted our views about fraternities. Animal House, the main argument, is said to have started it all. So I think that this article will be a good source to the point where I will be able to reference it and make connections to the other articles and books.
Bibliography
Fetters, Ashley. "Pop Culture's War On Fraternities". The Atlantic. N.p., 2014. Web. 1 Mar. 2016.
McKee, Shane Patrick. "Mantalk: Fraternity Men and Masculinity." ProQuest LLC (2013). ERIC. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
Putney, Clifford. "The Company He Keeps: A History Of White College Fraternities."Biography 4 (2011): 908. Literature Resource Center. Web. 29 Feb. 2016
Ragsdale, Kathleen, et al. "'Liquor Before Beer, You're In The Clear': Binge Drinking And Other Risk Behaviours Among Fraternity/Sorority Members And Their Non-Greek Peers." Journal Of Substance Use 17.4 (2012): 323-339 17p. CINAHL with Full Text. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
Sasso, Pietro A. "An Examination of Alcohol Expectations and Social Desirability in Fraternity Members on American College Campuses." ProQuest LLC (2012). ERIC. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
Sasso, Pietro A. "Towards A Typology Of Fraternity/Sorority Programs: A Content Analysis." Oracle: The Research Journal Of The Association Of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors 7.1 (2012): 22. Publisher Provided Full Text Searching File. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
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