Focus Group Analysis

Every member understands their duties as Ivy League black male and how to use their status to better the situation of others. I chose to pursue Alpha because they exhibit the true meaning of brotherhood and thrive in every endeavor they make. As I continue to learn more and more about the organization, I find other reasons why I want to be a member. They are always giving one hundred percent to everything that they do. They make it evident that they possess the skills necessary to be great in any field that they so

The first Greek organization to assemble was in 1776 at the College of William and Mary. Fraternities were built to provide friendship and recreation. It has been 239 years since the first fraternity was established and now in 2015, there are 123 fraternities and sororities. There are nine million college students involved in Greek organizations (Glass, Nicole). These members are looking to make friends, to build their resumes, to go to social events, or to learn leadership skills. Each member when joining has the incentive to change some aspect of his or her life (Glass, Nicole). If one has the opportunity to join a Greek life organization he or she should for the reasons of giving back to the community, the higher academic standards, the

When one first thinks of Greek life or a sorority the only thing that comes to mind is the social aspect. Most people don’t think of sororities as social institutions that envelop their own culture, with mannerisms, languages and customs that are unique to each individual organization. However, these institutions promote a common set of values that enable members to become connected in a way that has a more profound meaning than just social interaction. Greek organizations are good examples of how institutions can affect and be affected by social status and roles within the collegiate community. They are also a prime example of how race, class and gender can affect a social setting in both positive and negative manners.

Joining a sorority is not just four for years but for life. Going through a week-long process of meeting thousands of girls can be intense, overwhelming but intriguing and exciting as well. Recruitment to many is known as a terrifying process where girls come from all over with matching shirts, bright smiles and dreams that at the end of the week they will receive the white envelope that incases the 4x6 card with the sororities crest inviting them into their sisterhood. By preparing ahead of time, which includes building a resume, searching for recommendation letters and extensive research on each chapter, sorority recruitment doesn’t have to be an intimating process.

All around the world sororities are a subculture or “a segment of society’s population” on most college campuses (Macionis 64). These sororities have their own language, norms, beliefs, and values. Most college campuses have many charters or different sororities to choose from when a student wants to pledge a sorority. On the Saint Francis University campus, there are seven sororities that a female student can belong to. Each sorority has a different philanthropy which is a foundation that the sorority stands behind. For example Delta Phi Epsilon stands behind the Educational Foundation, this foundation helps women get the education that they deserve. Sororities are known for creating a bond between girls that last a life time.

The Greek communities that have risen across the country have created huge impacts on every university that they have established themselves on. Historically, fraternities were designed for students to discreetly meet to discuss issues and host debates that their members believed would be deemed inappropriate by their collegiate faculties. Since their founding, fraternities and sororities have completely revamped their focuses. They are used as social, professional, and honorary organizations that promote many different combinations of community service, leadership, and academic success. The ideas of brotherhood and sisterhood have also transcended the college experience,

Originally, I had the common misconception that fraternities solely focused on parties, drinking and their social status. As I further researched the founding principles of Alpha Phi Alpha I became aware they collectively prioritize scholarship, fellowship, good character, and the uplifting of humanity. Alpha Phi Alpha is

Introduction: The purpose of this focus group is to identify why members of fraternities and sororities, groups that contain elements of a primary, intimate, and task group, continue membership after their organization enters into the storming phase during a particular task or group development. In order to achieve this, I will need to ask individual sorority and fraternity chapters about their intragroup conflict, membership perceptions, and why they choose to stay in an organization that they may disagree with. Each year, fraternity and sorority chapters receive new members, and every year the dynamics of their collectivist, primary, intimate, task group change. While their values do not change, the personality of the group does, causing members to feel out of place. In the stage of conflict, the members gossip, have cognitive dissonance, and question authority, all

Pursuing the dream of obtaining membership into the First Intercollegiate Greek Fraternity for African Americans, Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc. is one of very few ultimate goals in my life. An organization that was founded to stimulate the ambitions of its members and prepare them for great usefulness within the community has since become one of the most well respected organizations in America. Over one hundred years later, the pivotal movement in 1906 has spread to over the entire country in different collegiate chapters and cities across America and the impact has been tremendous. Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc. was vaguely introduced to me as a child but it did not take effect until I started school at Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Hello, my name is Lenora Lubega and I would like to welcome all of you to our focus discussion group. I will be the moderator.

Unfortunately, problems do arise in a sorority that make members question whether or not they want to stay active members. The most common gumption trap I believe member face is the external trap. When joining an organization you might be unaware of all the time and money you might have to invest into being Greek. A lot of non-Greeks do not understand that being a new member of an organization can be time consuming. For example, in Alpha Chi Omega we are required to past a test in order to get initiated into the sorority. Studying for this test can take up time in someone’s schedule. Another set-back can be the dues that members must pay to stay in good financial standings. Not everyone is aware that some organizations have higher dues than others. When you join an organization you should have a full understanding of what they might ask of you, so later you’re not surprised. In Alpha Chi Omega there is a seven weeks course where you learn everything you can about the organization, but nothing is given meaning until initiation. Some members might face the value trap, due to their lack of caring during this process. When you do not have value for the basic information it is hard to understand the real meaning behind everything, “If your values are rigid you can't really learn new facts.” (ZMM,

Twelve members of fraternities or sororities were also surveyed. Eleven stated that they joined so they can meet new people and make friends. Only five agreed that they joined so they could help the community. Eight of the ten felt they needed to join so they would have a place to party and also meet girls. Three felt that being a member taught you leadership skills. Two joined because they thought it would look good on a resume.

This fraternity is a business within a brotherhood and I am very versatile in many areas. As a business student I have learned a lot about what it takes to run a business efficiently and effectively. Efficiency is very important in business because you have to be savvy, resourceful, and accountable. This fraternity has a lot of business obligations that have to be handled, and I believe that I can come in and learn quickly under one of the older brothers. Every club or organization has to keep retention up and members coming in as quickly as members are leaving. Being that undergrad is on average 4-6 years at some point every brother has to graduate, therefore, keeping a constant cycle of members coming in and out will keep the organization strong. This goes for any organization or student club. However, being that Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity Inc is a business, you have to be very selective of who you let in your business. For that I am honored to have been

Jessica has authored two books, I Heart Recruitment: The Eight Steps to Limitless Possibility for Sororities and Social Excellence: We Dare You. She has a Bachelor of Arts from Eastern Illinois University and a Master of Science in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Indiana

The order of these question differed slightly depending on how the interview went. Because of the semi-structured nature of the interviews the informants had the opportunity to express their views in their own terms. In addition to one-to-one interviews, two focus group interviews were conducted. According to Frey and Fontana (1991) focus group interviews include multiple people who have gathered at a centralised location to respond to questions posed by the moderator. In addition, Frey and Fontana (1991) argue that it is a qualitative research technique that is particularly useful when trying to obtain phenomenological data and should be utilised along with other techniques of interviewing and observation. The two focus group interviews conducted