“Male Bonding and Inter-Male Conflict in United States Fraternities” was written as my graduate thesis at Oregon State University. My aim was to discuss various aspects of male bonding with fraternity members and to inquire why incidents of rape and violent hazing sometimes occur.
Naturally, my research took off in many surprising directions that I had never anticipated (secret initiation rituals, racial barriers on membership and attempts to overcome them, highly covert “fraternities” that powerfully manipulated school courts and newspapers for decades, violence against rival fraternities, conflicts with feminist organizations, and interviews at fraternity houses were a rape had recently taken place).
As a result, this graduate research has experienced minor cult status and it was consistently checked out of the university library for years afterward. Most surviving copies eventually vanished and this book was thought to be permanently lost. Luckily, an electronic copy has just been made available for exclusive use on this website.
This introduction outlines the general principles and theories guiding this research. It asks what is the relationship between male bonding and inter-male conflicts? What role do fraternity rituals play in developing these bonds and conflicts?(more…)
Male Bonding can create a sense of support and solidarity. This bond may encourage new fraternity members to remain in school and improve their grades; however, the bond can also lead to violent hazing, sexual assault, and alcohol-related accidents. How can we encourage positive bonding while discouraging the more negative outcomes? (more…)
What are the conditions that bring men together in groups? Is this interaction positive or negative? This section explains why I have tried to answer such questions.(more…)
This introduction to Chapter Two briefly discusses how I prepared for this study about male bonding in advance and why I chose to apply ethnographic methods. (more…)
This section introduces the 12 individuals who participated in my research via interview. It lists their position at the fraternity, the amount of people belonging to that fraternity, how we met, and other vital information. I gave each participant the opportunity to remain anonymous. As a result, readers have paid a lot of attention to their highly unusual selection of a pseudonyms, which gives great insight about the psychology of the sample group. (more…)
This brief section outlines my process for setting up and conducting interviews. It explains the “courtship” ritual between an interviewer and an interviewee in which trust is developed.(more…)
This brief section looks at some of the politics that complicated my research. On one hand, fraternity members sometimes discussed the secret rituals that are considered sacred by their fraternity. On the other hand, the women studies program at Oregon State University held specific (and sometimes inaccurate) ideas about the nature of male bonding at US fraternities. I had to walk a tightrope between the two.(more…)
This section looks at my personal background as a man in a women studies program. It explores why I had enrolled in such a program, my conflicts with feminist theories, and how being a man affected my research about male bonding. (more…)
This section explores my personal background with fraternities. It explains why I have never pledged as a member to any fraternity and some of the stereotypes and misconceptions I have held against them. (more…)
Chapter Three’s introduction highlights some theories about male bonding. It also explores that rate of male-to-male homicide and other violent crimes. The fact is that men have the highest rate of victimization, and men are also most likely to perpetuate violent crime. Why is this the case? (more…)
This section explores Lionel Tiger’s anthropological perspective about male bonding. Did male behavior patterns originate from our survival instincts? Did hierarchies form due to men hunting in groups together? Did fraternity rituals evolve out of this hunting culture? (more…)
Most feminists view fraternities as a bastion of patriarchy, in which male power and dominance is ultimately preserved. Male bonding inside these institutes creates a “rapist culture”, while reinforcing traditional ideas about masculinity. This section details the basic feminist principles about male bonding. (more…)
This section explores male bonding as it was perceived by German Nationalists prior to World War II. As Adolf Hitler and the Nazi sized power, specific forms of male bonding were promoted as a matter of patriotism. Their beliefs about the nature of masculinity are presented here. (more…)
This section explores how our ideas about masculinity are shaped symbolically by the collective actions we share with others. Male bonding is considered an “object”, and male identity is a flexible and fluctuating process defined by our generalizations and joint activities with other males.(more…)
Male Bonding can be a vague and stereotypical term. How can we fairly paint a group of male Jazz musicians harmoniously playing a song together with the same brush that describes gang rapists? How is one type of male bond a constructive act while another form leads to violence? This section looks at social bond theory, self-control theory, and some ideas offered by criminologists. (more…)
This brief introduction to Chapter Four explains why it is vital to understand the history of fraternities before making conclusions about the type of male bonding that goes on inside of them. (more…)
Although fraternities are most common in the United States, the “Greek” system originated in European colleges. This section explores how students formed guilds for their own housing and protection. These student held a great deal of power over their teachers, but, by the 18th century, the power of students declined as municipal authorities took control(more…)
Fraternities have existed in the United States ever since 1776. However, during the Civil War, student groups began to purchase real estate on a large scale and with this change came many complications. Questions were raised about initiating female students and creating sororities. Since then, fraternities have experienced many times of crisis — from anti-Masonist movements, low enrollment during times of war, feminist opposition, and civil rights movements.(more…)
This section focuses on fraternity history at the Oregon State University, where I was enrolled as a graduate student from 1994-1997. It follow fraternities from their origins as humble “student societies” to their powerful financial investments in prime real estate. Locally, there has been many struggles by the university institute to control fraternity growth via housing policies and social codes. (more…)
Male Bonding can be used very constructively to overcome oppressive social condition. This case story explores one fraternity’s attempt to break the racial barrier in 1966. (more…)
Male bonding can be used very destructively as a force for seizing power and taking control. This case study explores the actions of a highly secretive “fraternity” that has existed nationally in the United States for decades — Theta Nu Epsilon. This secret society has often conspired to place its members in charge of university judicial committees and campus newspapers. From this position of power is has protected its own members from punishment while dishing out retribution to rivals. Its alumni includes former presidents of the United States and supreme court judges.
As an interesting side note, while conducting this research, I discovered that Theta Nu Epsilon had reformed and already established several chapters across the United States. They were actively recruiting once again and even set up several websites for their cause. I was able to interview several confirmed members of Theta Nu Epsilon. Unfortunately, I was threatened with legal and “other” actions if these secondary interviews ever made it into print.
Chapter Five is heavily comprised of quotations made by fraternity members during formal interviews. In this introduction, I point out that my results could be interpreted in a number of different ways. Each theory could be stretched to fit the quotations of fraternity participants.(more…)
This section turns my research over to fraternity members. I ask them to explain their own definition about what male bonding is. Their answers may surprise you. (more…)
It is not easy to fit 50-100 men in a single household and to expect them to all get along. In this section, fraternity members talk about the conflicts that take place inside their house and the rules and regulation that they can use to resolve them. (more…)
Various types of hierarchies exist in each fraternity house. These hierarchies may compete for power, which leads to many conflicts from within. In this section, fraternity member discuss their viewpoints about hierarchies and the value of maintaining them(more…)
There are many ways to divide a house. A common reason for conflicts arising at fraternity houses is that identity is often shaped by the use of us/them dichotomies. Fraternity members can unite according to their pledge class, school year, party habits, age, and even the floor they live on. Unfortunately, this identity can set them against other member of the household community.(more…)
Fraternity pledges are transformed into full-fledged members after a lengthy process of rituals. Initiation ceremonies can get out of hand and sometimes this involves hazing. The truth is that fraternity rituals continue long after the initiation process is over, and resentment can linger due to harsh activities while “rushing”. In this section, fraternity member speak about their initiation ceremony and what their fraternity’s rituals mean to them.(more…)
Fraternity rituals can be a double edged sword. On one hand, they bring people together and encourage support. On the other hand, the same set of rituals can set one group of men against another group of men at the same fraternity house. These rituals are part of an on-going process. This section looks at some of the side-rituals that are not necessarily connected to formal initiation. (more…)
One way to solidify the unity at a fraternity house is to create a rivalry with an opposing fraternity. Whatever internal problems exist, member can monetarily bond when there is a conflict with a shared enemy. Fraternity rivalry can be humorous and playful, but it can also lead to violent brawling as well. In this section, fraternity members speak about rivalry. I also ask them about the possibilities of bonding with a rival on a shared philanthropy project. Their response was quite surprising. (more…)
It is no secret that feminists feel a deep animosity for fraternities. These institutes are viewed as centers for white privilege and male power. As a result, a number of women’s groups have produced anti-fraternity literature and tried to shut fraternities down on campus. However, these feminist actions actually bring fraternity men together and make their male bond much stronger. Being weighed down with their radical theories, feminists may be missing the opportunity to have constructive dialogue with their “enemy” on how to reduce sexual assault. (more…)
This section looks at a controversial ritual that took place at Oregon State University while I was conducting research. In an evening ceremony, several fraternity members dressed in hoods and robes and marched in a candlelight procession. This ritual shocked several members of the African-American community, who associated the clothing with the Ku Klax Klan. A university-wide protest was triggered as a result, and several letters were published in the campus newspaper (the Barometer). Fraternity members viewed the protest as a big misunderstanding and complained about being sterotyped. Underneath all this conflict was the idea that fraternity members will have to change traditional rituals to adapt to modern times. (more…)
Chapter Six brings my research to its conclusion. This section briefly mentions my conclusions about male bonding. I view male bonding and inter-male conflict as part of the same process. The conflicts create a temporary sense of unity, but the rituals used also contain the seeds for future problems. (more…)
This section looks at ways that fraternities could break the perpetual cycle of conflict. It explores how rituals are passed from one generation to the next for the sake of tradition, but the power of their fraternal bonds is not necessarily linked to their rituals. How can they promote more constructive bonds in the future?(more…)
Fraternities and their alumni will most likely continue as powerful forces at United States universities. They have survived many conflicts throughout history, and all evidence suggests they will remain campus strongholds in the future. However, the vital questions are what type of male leader does the fraternity system want to produce? Will these leaders be best equipped to respond to a rapidly changing world that promotes racial and gender equality? Will they just stick to traditional power roles and the usual elitism? The choice is theirs to make?(more…)
As more and more university students enroll in US universities, the percentage that actually become fraternity members is waning. The cost of tuition is rapidly increasing, making the payment of fraternity dues less desirable. Since fraternity houses operate like a business corporation, they will need to find news ways to attract recruits for pledging or risk a loss in revenue. Fraternities are also suffering from the legal costs of alcohol or hazing-related lawsuits. Insurance rates are skyrocketing for them as well. Ultimately, fraternities may have to reevaluate the type of bonds that they promote. (more…)
Why does a destructive act happen at one fraternity while not at another? How does male bonding differ between a model fraternity and one where violent hazing takes place? What is the nature of female bonding at sororities and how does the dynamic of power and hierarchy play out inside these female-run households? How are the rituals at sororities different than at fraternities? More research needs to be done to answer these questions. (more…)