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Fraternities and Rape on Campus

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Fraternities and Rape on Campus
Fraternities and Rape on Campus Author(s): Patricia Yancey Martin and Robert A. Hummer Reviewed work(s): Source: Gender and Society, Vol. 3, No. 4, Special Issue: Violence against Women (Dec., 1989), pp. 457-473 Published by: Sage Publications, Inc. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/189763 . Accessed: 16/11/2011 12:10
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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


References: G. Allgeier, Elizabeth. 1986. "CoerciveVersusConsensualSexual Interactions." Stanley Hall Lectureto AmericanPsychologicalAssociationAnnualMeeting,Washington, DC, August. Adams, Aileen and Gail Abarbanel.1988. SexualAssault on Campus:WhatColleges Can Do. Santa Monica, CA: RapeTreatmentCenter. Blanchard,W. H. 1959. "The Group Process in Gang Rape."Journal of Social Psychology 49:259-66. Bogal-Allbritten,RosemarieB. and William L. Allbritten.1985. "The HiddenVictims:CourtJournal of College StudentPersonnel43:201-4. ship Violence Among College Students." and Bohrnstedt,George W. 1969. "Conservatism,Authoritarianism Religiosity of Fraternity Pledges."Journal of College StudentPersonnel 27:36-43. BusinessInsurance Bradford,Michael. 1986. "TightMarketDries Up Nightlife at University." (March2): 2, 6. 472 GENDER & SOCIETY / December 1989 Burkhart,Barry. 1989. Comments in Seminar on Acquaintance/DateRape Prevention: A NationalVideo Teleconference,February 2. RelationBurkhart, BarryR. andAnnetteL. Stanton.1985. "SexualAggressionin Acquaintance ships." Pp. 43-65 in Violencein IntimateRelationships,edited by G. Russell. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Spectrum. Byington,Diane B. and KarenW. Keeter.1988. "AssessingNeeds of SexualAssaultVictimson a UniversityCampus." 23-31 in StudentServices:Responding Issues and Challenges. to Pp. ChapelHill: Universityof NorthCarolinaPress. Chancer,Lynn S. 1987. "New Bedford, Massachusetts,March6, 1983-March22, 1984: The 'Before and After ' of a GroupRape.Gender& Society 1:239-60. Julie K. andBerniceR. Sandler.1985. CampusGangRape:PartyGames?Washington, Ehrhart, DC: Associationof AmericanColleges. Sex Farr,K. A. 1988. "DominanceBondingThroughthe Good Old Boys SociabilityNetwork." Roles 18:259-77. Florida Flambeau. 1988. "Pike MembersIndictedin Rape."(May 19):1, 5. of Fox, Elaine,CharlesHodge,andWalterWard.1987. "A Comparison AttitudesHeld by Black and White Fraternity Members." Journal of Negro Education56:521-34. Geis, Gilbert.1971. "GroupSexual Assaults."MedicalAspects of HumanSexuality5:101-13. Glaser, Barney G. 1978. TheoreticalSensitivity:Advances in the Methodologyof Grounded Theory.Mill Valley,CA: Sociology Press. New YorkTimes,May 16. Hood, Jane. 1989. "WhyOurSociety Is Rape-Prone." Hughes, Michael J. and Roger B. Winston, Jr. 1987. "Effects of FraternityMembershipon Journal of College StudentPersonnel45:405-11. Values." Interpersonal The Kanin,EugeneJ. 1967."Reference GroupsandSex ConductNormViolations." Sociological Quarterly8:495-504. Kimmel, Michael, ed. 1987. Changing Men: New Directions in Researchon Men and Masculinity.NewburyPark,CA: Sage. Kirshenbaum, Jerry.1989. "Special Report,An AmericanDisgrace:A Violent and UnprecedentedLawlessnessHas ArisenAmong College Athletesin all Partsof the Country." Sports Illustrated(February 27): 16-19. and Lemire, David. 1979. "One Investigationof the StereotypesAssociated with Fraternities Journal of College StudentPersonnel 37:54-57. Sororities." Now and in the Future." Journal of College Student Letchworth,G. E. 1969. "Fraternities Personnel 10:118-22. An Longino, CharlesF., Jr.,and Cary S. Kart. 1973. "The College Fraternity: Assessment of Journal of College StudentPersonnel31:118-25. Theory and Research." Its Marlowe, Anne F. and Dwight C. Auvenshine. 1982. "GreekMembership: Impacton the Journalof College StudentPersonnel40:53-57. MoralDevelopmentof College Freshmen." Martin, PatriciaYancey and Barry A. Turner.1986. "Grounded Theory and Organizational Research." Journal of AppliedBehavioralScience 22:141-57. Ms. Merton,Andrew.1985. "OnCompetitionandClass: Returnto Brotherhood." (September): 60-65, 121-22. Gender& Society 3:71-88. Messner,Michael. 1989. "Masculinitiesand Athletic Careers." Chronicleof Higher Meyer, T. J. 1986. "Fight Against Hazing Rituals Rages on Campuses." Education(March 12):34-36. Miller, Leonard D. 1973. "Distinctive Characteristicsof FraternityMembers."Journal of College StudentPersonnel31:126-28. Martin, Hummer / FRATERNITIES AND RAPE 473 CharleneL. and MelaneyA. Linton.1987. "DateRapeand Sexual Aggressionin Muehlenhard, Journalof CounselingPsychology 34:186Dating Situations:Incidenceand Risk Factors." 96. Pressley, Sue Anne. 1987. "FraternityHell Night Still Endures."WashingtonPost (August 11):B1. of Rapaport,Karenand BarryR. Burkhart.1984. "Personalityand AttitudinalCharacteristics Sexually Coercive College Males."Journal of AbnormalPsychology93:216-21. Violence on College Campuses." Journal of Counselingand Roark,MaryL. 1987. "Preventing Development65:367-70. Study." Sanday,Peggy Reeves. 1981. "The Socio-CulturalContextof Rape:A Cross-Cultural Journal of Social Issues 37:5-27. . 1986. "Rape and the Silencing of the Feminine." Pp. 84-101 in Rape, edited by S. Tomaselliand R. Porter.Oxford:Basil Blackwell. St. PetersburgTimes.1988. "A GreekTragedy." (May 29): IF, 6F. Sato, Ikuya. 1988. "Play Theory of Delinquency: Toward a General Theory of 'Action. '" SymbolicInteraction11:191-212. Smith, T. 1964. "Emergenceand Maintenanceof FraternalSolidarity."Pacific Sociological Review 7:29-37. TallahasseeDemocrat. 1988a. "FSU Fraternity BrothersCharged" (April 27):1A, 12A. . 1988b. "FSU InterviewingStudentsAbout Alleged Rape"(April 24):1D. . 1989. "WomanSues Stetson in Alleged Rape"(March 19):3B. BrothersChargedin Sexual Assault of FSU Coed." (April TampaTribune.1988. "Fraternity 27):6B. Tash, GaryB. 1988. "Date Rape."TheEmeraldof Sigma Pi Fraternity75(4):1-2. Telander,Rick and RobertSullivan. 1989. "Special Report,You Reap WhatYou Sow."Sports Illustrated(February 27):20-34. The Tomahawk.1988. "A Look Back at Rush, A Mixture of Hard Work and Fun" (April/ May):3D. A Walsh,Claire.1989. Commentsin Seminaron Acquaintance/Date Rape Prevention: National Video Teleconference,February 2. Wilder,David H., Arlyne E. Hoyt, Dennis M. Doren, William E. Hauck,and RobertD. 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.
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