Navigating the Multicultural Imperative: The Case of a Multicultural Greek Council

• Other Authors: Hunter, Joanna Stansfield (authoraut)
• Format: Others
• Language: English; English
• Published: Florida State University
• Subjects: Sociology
• Online Access: http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_migr_etd-3397

The U.S. cultural discourse in regard to race is strikingly different now, in the early years of the 21st century, than it was in the 20th century, and many organizations and institutions are seeking to change with the times and incorporate elements of the new racial discourse rather than the old racial discourse of discrimination. The contemporary "color-blind" ideology puts forward the notion of a "multicultural" society. Instead of two racial groups, the multicultural discourse recognizes an infinite number, and individuals can identify with any number of racial or ethnic categories. On-campus organizations such as Greek Letter Organizations (GLOs) are following this trend. Historically, GLOs have traditionally been divided along a racial binary, but in recent years an explosion of multicultural GLOs (MGLOs) has been apparent on college campuses. Also important is the rise in popularity of Hispanic GLOs. Multicultural and Hispanic GLOs are sometimes forced into mixed Greek Councils of large universities with diverse student populations. Based on observation and interviews with members of fraternities and sororities, this dissertation answers the following questions: How do members of MGLOs and HGLOs conceive of multiculturalism? Why do they choose to join an organization with overt multicultural principles when there are more traditional choices available? What dilemmas do MGLOs and HGLOs face? What does it mean for different models of race/ethnicity to have such an organization on campus? By demonstrating that multiculturalism is not well enacted by organizations in the MGC, this research confirms the argument in the literature that while support for multicultural principles in the abstract is strong in society, implementation is tricky. === A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Sociology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. === Spring Semester, 2010. === March 23, 2010. === Multiculturalism, Greek Letter Organizations, Racial Identity === Includes bibliographical references. === Irene Padavic, Professor Directing Dissertation; Gary Burnett, University Representative; Janice McCabe, Committee Member; Douglas Schrock, Committee Member.