Friday, March 29, 2013

Research Blog #4

Title: Guns, Hazing, and Cyberbullying Among Top Legal Issues on Campuses

Gilroy, Marilyn. "Guns, Hazing, and Cyberbullying Among Top Legal Issues on Campuses."  
     EBSCO. Education Digest, Apr.-May 2012. Web. 25 Mar. 2013. 
  http://p8080140.234.1.9.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/EPSessionID=ae7693df90f708e8b959485cee93946/EPHost=web.ebscohost.com/EPPath/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=8ef68cdb-2da6-42ff-9c5e-8c06ce126895%40sessionmgr4&vid=2&hid=24.

The article is about how violence in colleges. It goes into how certain states allow students to carry around guns "for self-defense" such as Wisconsin. This can obviously lead to major issues such as increased suicide and violence especially when alcohol is present at parties and such. The article talks about what can happen when hazing is involved in not just sororities and fraternities, but clubs such as band as well. The article described a boy who was beaten with musical instruments and was hospitalized.

Marilyn Gilroy is a communication professor at Bergen Community College who has a lot of experience with violence at universities being as she works at one.

Cyberbullying: harrassment of other people through social media websites, or any other online networks.
Self-defense: one's natural reaction to violence that was acted upon them.

"Since colleges can't guarenatee our safety, it's time for them to allow us a fighting chance and decriminalize self-defense" (Gilroy 46). This quote stood out to me because of how frightening it was. Students feel education can get so dangerous that they NEED to carry around guns.

"More than half of college students involved in clubs, teams and organizations experience hazing," (Gilroy 48). This is an eye-opening statistic that stood out to me. This is a not an uncommon, unknown act. Hazing is everywhere from sports to clubs and other beneficial organizations.

'"Effots need to be more comprehensive than simply one-time presentations or distribution of anti-hazing policies,' said Allan Madden," (Gilroy 49). I agree with this. Everyone knows hazing is bad, but does everyone know how severe the problem really is? No. People are ill-informed, and that is why hazing is a reoccurring issue.

I picked this article because it really going into the issue of hazing, instead of just explaning what it is. It explores the various forms of hazing, that are not just fraternities and sororities. It gives a vivid example of hazing, that I can definitely include in my final paper to help support my idea.
 

Friday, March 15, 2013

REDID: Literature Review Blog #3




Nuwer, Hank. Wrongs of Passage: Fraternities, Sororities, Hazing, and Binge Drinking. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1999. Print.

This book gives real-life examples of hazing at universities. Nothing is a secret. Names, chapter of fraternities and exact explanations of what happened during these hazing expeditions are in the book. It does not just define and give examples of hazing, but suggest ways for it to end. It attacks the issue of hazing from all angles and is very informative.

Hank Nuwer wrote various books on hazing and includes everything from high school hazing to college sorority and fraternity hazing. He speaks about hazing as a side job, while his main job is teaching journalism at Franklin College.

The beginning of the book defines a lot of its key terms in the glossary, so I picked two that I thought were the most useful for my paper:
Chapter: a group at a particular institution affiliated with a national or international fraternity or sorority
Hell week: traditionally the most demanding period of pledgeship, during which pledges are subjected to a final round of indignities and ordeals before gaining admission to the group.
(Nuwer xxv)

"Hazing is an extrordinary activity, that, when it occurs often enough, becomes perversely ordinary as those who engage in it grow desenitized to its inhumanity," (Nuwer 31). I liked this quote because it shows how something so disgusting and harsh can become a norm to those that are influenced by this.


“Other than taking part in acts of violence, the only way many young people can acknowledge their longing for ritual is by becoming sexually active, noted Tom F. Driver, an expert on ritual. People who ignore or dismiss rituals fail to grasp the fact that they are very important for many individuals, he said,” (Nuwer 53). This quote really stood out to me because it shows a pscyhological view point on why some people fall into the traps of hazing. They are longing for structure and to belong to a group of people who respect them. Because they do not have this, they do not have high self-worth and engage in a lot of sexual activity.
 
"The problems of fraternal death escalated in the 1980s as fraternity houses hosted more and more parties in which huge amounts of liquor were available, and off-campus bars began offering discounts," (Nuwer 62). I picked this quote because from my research, I have found that so many acts of hazing were committed when sorority or fraternity members were under the influence. I also think this happens because a person would feel more guilt committing these acts soberly.
 
This book helps me explore my topic of hazing a lot more than most of my other sources. It gives real-life examples and does not just speak generally, like a lot of other sources I have found. This book is most likely going to be my main source of inspiration when writing this paper.

Research Review Blog #2





Robbins, Alexandra. Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities. New York: Hyperion, 2004. Print.

"Pledged" is about four girls who pledge a sorority, and all of their trials and tribulations they go through during their pledge process. The four girls go through life experiences they never would have if they had never joined a sorority. It shows how shallow sororities can be, while also showing how much it can change a person. The book also touches upon how the pledging process alone is a shallow-minded, sometimes prejudice act. 

Alexandra Robbins wrote 4 New York Times Best Sellers. She appeared on numerous talk shows, and does public speaking for all of the books she has written. She also won the only People's choice award for literature for her most recent book, "Greeks Will Inherit The Earth."

Pledging: (verb) Commit (a person or organization) by solemn promise. 
Hazing: (verb) Force to perform strenuous, humiliating, or dangerous task. 

"I don't think I realized to the extent how much I was an outsider, however, until I found myself smack in a busting epicenter of sorority life.." This quote, although the introduction, shows how much being involved can also make someone feel so isolated. It can brain wash a person into thinking they need to be involved in an organization to fit in.

"There are three stages of sorority life: on bid day when a girl accepts her 'bid', or invitation to join the sorority, she comes a 'pledge' of that group." I need to introduce all of the different aspects of being a member of Greek life, before I jump right into my topic. This book defines a lot of the different aspects.

"Many sorority girls find the hunt for dates to various sorority events and activities an exhausting process. Not only do they have to find people to go with them in the first place, but they often carefully weight the acceptability of potential date because the date reflects on the sister and the sisterhood." This was another quote I found that shows how shallow some Greek organiziations can be.

This novel will help me with my paper because I can give examples of how "pledging" a sorority or Greek organization can involve hazing.
Haz


Sunday, March 3, 2013

Bibliography:

Laura Wright. "The Chronicles of Higher Education: My Short, Unhappy Life as a Sorority Girl".
    
     October 22 (2012). 1. Print.


"In Search of Civility: Confronting Incivility on the College Campus." In Search of Civility:  
    
      Confronting Incivility on the College Campus. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2013.


"Social Issues in Sport / Edition 1 by Ron Woods." Barnes & Noble. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2013.


Ariosto, David, and Marlena Baldacci. "FAMU Pledges Reforms after Report on Hazing." CNN
    
     Cable News Network, 25 Jan. 2013. Web. 04 Mar. 2013.


"Hazing Charges Filed in NIU Frat Death." Daily Herald. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2013.
Working Title: Hazing: illegal revenge or beneficial disciplinary acts

Topic: I want to explore the art of hazing, and how harmful and serious it can get. Hazing is often something that gets swept under the rug, when it should not. I want to explore all of the secrets of hazing whether it is in fraternities, sororities, or even a tradition in some peoples' culture. I want to expose the dirty little secrets that most people turn the other cheek to. I want to show how some people view hazing as revenge, while other people see it as teaching a person self-discipline.

Research Question: How far can hazing really go? What are some of the craziest methods of hazing? Why do some people view hazing as a disciplinary action? How is it a type of revenge?

Theoretical Frame: I want to first start off by introducing the topic of hazing. To do this, I want to have a vivid example of hazing as my opening paragraph, showing how some people view it as a positive way of teaching someone discipline, and how other people view it as a horrible, dehumanizing act. Then, I will have an introduction paragraph, outlining my paper, followed by many paragraphs illustrating points that I discussed. I want to explore college hazing, high school hazing, sports hazing, and hazing in different cultures.

Research Plan, Case or Additional Questions: I plan to explore various new reports, articles, documentaries that show different views and difference perspectives on hazing. I am going to read books and see what psychologists have found. I want to show people how bad it is, while also making them think of the other sides of hazing. Additional questions that may present themselves are how hazing happens so frequently, but is so well kept hidden. I want to show the readers how to look for signs of hazing, and be able to recognize when it is going on.