Graduate Program

Family and Consumer Studies

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Semester of Degree Completion

2007

Thesis Director

Richard Wilkinson

Thesis Committee Member

Jean Dilworth

Thesis Committee Member

Mary Lou Hubbard

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine sorority women's perception ons on certain aspects of sororities and how they believe sororities are perceived by non-sorority women and faculty. The benefits of the study include awareness of the perceptions that sorority women hold of sororities, improvements can be made in areas that haveе negative perceptions, and the positive aspects of sororities can be promoted more.

A survey was used to collect data and SPSS statistical software wavas used to analyze data. Eight of the nine Panhellenic sororities at Eastern Illinois Universi versity were surveyed, providing 395 respondents. Their ages ranged from 18 to 23 years of age.

Four research questions regarding sorority women's perceptions of sororities were addressed in this study. Overall, the majority of sorority women believe sororities are a positive v experience. Sorority women believe non-sorority women and faculty associate sororities with negative aspects. They feel that non-sorority women and faculty do not understand sororities.

Significant differences were found in the way sororities answered questions regarding the perceptions of sorority women, non-sorority women, and faculty. These differences reinforce the individuality among sororities.

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