NEGOTIATING FEMININITY IN A MODERN DAY SORORITY by KATHLEEN R. GILLAN NATA

204 Pages·2016·4.14 MB·English

GREAT EXPECTATIONS AND POST-FEMINIST ACCOUNTABILITY:
NEGOTIATING FEMININITY IN A MODERN DAY SORORITY
by
KATHLEEN R. GILLAN
NATALIE ADAMS, COMMITTEE CHAIR
BECKY ATKINSON
REBECCA BALLARD
NIRMALA EREVELLES
AARON KUNTZ
A DISSERTATION
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the
Department of Educational Leadership,
Policy and Technology Studies
in the Graduate School of
The University of Alabama
TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA
2016
Copyright Kathleen R. Gillan 2016
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
ABSTRACT
The purpose of study was to understand how femininity is produced within historically
white sororities. In order to achieve this understanding, participants’ experiences were analyzed
through a qualitative lens informed by post-feminism and girls’ studies. Drawing theoretically
from Anita Harris’ discourse of girl power (or the can-do girl) and Angela McRobbie’s (2009)
post-feminist concepts of double entanglement, post-feminist masquerade, and ‘the perfect’; the
construction of femininity, was explored within the context of sorority membership. Specific
attention was given to the effort required, of sorority members with formal leadership
experience, to interpret, negotiate, reproduce, and resist femininity. The goal of this study was to
provide a more complex understanding of sororities and their members. Since this is an initial
study, limitations were discussed as well as recommendations for future study.
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DEDICATION
This dissertation is dedicated to my father, Dr. Robert E. Gillan, and my mother, the late
Susan Magee Gillan. From an early age, you instilled in me the importance of education and
encouraged my love of learning. You always believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in
myself, and for that I am ever grateful. Thank you for always pushing me to be my best and
encouraging me to follow my dreams.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This dissertation was completed with a lot of encouragement and assistance from family,
friends, colleagues, and students. While this journey has been long and at times particularly
challenging, I am eternally grateful for the experience and am indebted to all those who helped
me throughout this process.
To my dissertation committee, Dr. Becky Atkinson, Dr. Rebecca Ballard, Dr. Nirmala
Erevelles, and Dr. Aaron Kuntz, I thank you for your time, dedication, and feedback. To my
primary advisor and chair of my committee, Dr. Natalie Adams, thank you for staying on top of
me and pushing me to meet my deadlines. Your patience, advice, and support will not be
forgotten.
To my family, thank you for your unwavering encouragement and understanding over the
past six years. To my parents, Bob and Pat Gillan, thank you for your endless love and support of
me and my educational pursuits. I cannot begin to thank you for the many sacrifices and am
forever indebted. Many thanks also to my sisters, Courtney and Lindsey, my brother-in-law,
Mark, and my nephew and nieces, Aidan, Lainey, and Addie. I know my academic pursuits have
made it difficult for us to see one another as often as we would like. Know that I love you and
am grateful for every opportunity we are able to spend together.
To my staff, past and present, thank you for always cheering me on and uplifting me
through this process: Kathleen Duffy, Nicole Jackson, Jill Phillippo, Amanda Parker and Ryan
Powell. I owe many thanks to Dr. Tim Hebson and Dr. Steven Hood. I am ever grateful to you
both for supporting me in my Ph.D. pursuits and encouraging me to finish my dissertation
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To Dr. Tim Salazar, I am ever grateful to you for challenging and supporting me in ways
I cannot begin to list. I would not have completed my dissertation without you. Thank you for
sharing your knowledge and expertise as a qualitative researcher.
A special thanks goes to Reatha Cox, a trusted confidante and mentor by advice and
example. If not for you, I would not have discovered my passion for serving students. Thank you
for not only believing in me, but also challenging me to be my best.
I would also like to thank Dr. Kathleen Cramer. Your guidance and encouragement over
the years has been invaluable and appreciated beyond measure. Thank you for sharing your
wisdom and for being an inspiration to me.
My graduate school experience would have been very different, if not for the support and
friendship of three women traveling a similar path. Rosalind Moore, we started this journey
together and after what has seems like a lifetime, we get to end it together. Through the many
ups and downs, I could always count on Mary Lee Caldwell and Lane McLelland. Your moral
support and encouragement has propelled me through many highs and lows. To Ros, Mary Lee,
and Lane, thank you for your friendship during such a defining period in my life.
Finally, to the participants who took part in my study, I would like to express my sincere
gratitude. Thank you for your honesty, willingness to share your personal experiences, and for
being so very generous with your time. This dissertation would not have been possible without
you.
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CONTENTS
ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... ii
DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................... iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................. iv
LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................ xii
LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................... xiii
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................1
Statement of the Problem .....................................................................................................3
Purpose of the Research .......................................................................................................4
Research Questions ..............................................................................................................5
Significance of the Study .....................................................................................................5
Theoretical Framework ........................................................................................................7
Post-Feminism .........................................................................................................7
Girls’ Studies ...........................................................................................................8
Research Design ...................................................................................................................8
Data Collection Methods .........................................................................................9
Explanation of Terms Used to Describe Participants ........................................................10
Organization of Research ...................................................................................................11
CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF LITERATURE ................................................................................12
History of Greek-letter Organizations ...............................................................................12
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The Nature of Sororities .................................................................................................................16
The Sorority Movement .....................................................................................................18
National Panhellenic Conference ...........................................................................25
Sorority Terminology. ............................................................................................26
Academic Research on Sororities ......................................................................................26
Femininity ..........................................................................................................................31
Southern Femininity...............................................................................................32
Girls and Girlhood .................................................................................................32
Post-Feminism ...................................................................................................................33
Double Entanglement .............................................................................................34
New Sexual Contract .............................................................................................35
Post-feminist masquerade ..........................................................................36
‘The Perfect’ ..........................................................................................................37
Girls’ Studies ....................................................................................................................39
Historical Context ..................................................................................................40
Emergence as an Academic Field ..........................................................................42
At-Risk Girls ..........................................................................................................42
Can-Do Girls ..........................................................................................................44
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ...............................................................................................47
Research Method ...............................................................................................................47
Researcher Positionality .....................................................................................................48
Taming One’s Subjectivity ....................................................................................49
Study Setting ......................................................................................................................50
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Participants .........................................................................................................................50
Data Collection Methods ...................................................................................................52
Interviews ...............................................................................................................52
Research Journal ....................................................................................................54
Documents .............................................................................................................55
Methods of Analysis ..........................................................................................................56
Data Transcription .................................................................................................57
Data Analysis .........................................................................................................57
Descriptive coding .....................................................................................58
Pattern coding ............................................................................................58
Theoretical analysis ...................................................................................60
Validity and Trustworthiness .............................................................................................65
Triangulation ..........................................................................................................65
Peer Review ...........................................................................................................65
Research Journal ....................................................................................................66
Member Checks .....................................................................................................67
Thick Description ...................................................................................................67
Limitations .........................................................................................................................67
CHAPTER IV: DATA ANALYSIS ..............................................................................................69
Becoming a Sorority Girl/Woman .....................................................................................70
Pre-Recruitment .....................................................................................................70
Recruitment registration .............................................................................70
Letters of recommendation ........................................................................71
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What to wear ..............................................................................................71
Formal Recruitment ...............................................................................................72
Move-in ......................................................................................................72
Convocation ...............................................................................................72
Open house round ......................................................................................73
Philanthropy round .....................................................................................75
Sisterhood round ........................................................................................76
Preference round ........................................................................................78
Bid day .......................................................................................................81
First year ....................................................................................................82
Pledging .........................................................................................83
New member education ..................................................................83
Initiation .........................................................................................83
Study hours.....................................................................................84
Eating at the house .........................................................................85
Social events ...................................................................................85
Fitting in.........................................................................................89
Subsequent years ............................................................................90
Living in the house .........................................................................92
Leadership positions ......................................................................93
Looking for the Right Girl .................................................................................................94
Teaching Femininity ........................................................................................................100
New Member Education Process .........................................................................100
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