First, let me say, I am an advocate of greek life, and think it can be a positive addition to both a college campus and to individual students lives, academically and beyond - when it's done right. We need to come to terms with the fact that there is something seriously wrong with today's system. Fraternities have been in the news quite frequently, following a myriad of rape allegations, alcohol-related incidents, and hazing injuries and deaths. This kind of violence and negligence is unacceptable. As with many crises, many have frantically looked for a reason, and in their haste, found themselves an appealing scapegoat, instead of the real culprit. People are quick to blame toxic masculinity, but that is a misconception, even if it is well-intentioned. Rather, a dangerous pack mentality called groupthink seems to explain the
The idea of groupthink is that in groups where people isolate themselves from society, they isolate themselves from societal norms as well. This creates a dangerous system where decision making is compromised, and people feel they can act outside of established benchmarks for what is and isn't okay.`
The symptoms of groupthink, bare uncanny parallels to the some of the more problematic aspects of the current fraternity mindset. Some of the symptoms listed by the Psychologists for Social Responsibility are:
-Illusion of invulnerability – Creates excessive optimism that encourages taking extreme risks.
-Collective rationalization – Members discount warnings and do not reconsider their assumptions.
-Belief in inherent morality – Members believe in the rightness of their cause and therefore ignore the ethical or moral consequences of their decisions.
-Stereotyped views of out-groups – Negative views of “enemy” make effective responses to conflict seem unnecessary.
-Self-censorship – Doubts and deviations from the perceived group consensus are not expressed.
-Illusion of unanimity – The majority view and judgments are assumed to be unanimous.
This problematic way of thinking, unfortunately, seems to thrive in some fraternities and contradict the stated goal of fraternities, which is essentially making better men. In the last month alone, 6 major US schools have suspended all Greek life indefinitely as a result of various incidents involving fraternities. Many fear it will not be reinstated, as schools have a tendency to chop off the metaphorical limb, instead of just cutting off the diseased tissue. This mindset is causing serious problems, and fraternities are making a serious problem that will surely be their demise if left unchecked.
Blaming the issues of rape, hazing and a general disregard for others well being on toxic masculinity just doesn't work, because the basic idea of toxic masculinity is that men are inherently flawed. Quite frankly gives everyone the easy out, and doesn't put any real pressure on anybody to fix anything, because it implies that this culture of negligence is somehow coded. There's no real scientific backing to this, but it sounds problematic, and is therefore easy to get behind. Ideologies can be changed, and problems can be fixed if people are willing to take the measured steps necessary to address the real root of the problem.
Holding individuals truly accountable for their actions is the only way to force out this self-propagating pack mindset, and only then can real strides can be made towards an improved system that doesn't allow it's members to avoid liability, and hurt one another.
If there is something in this article that you disagree with or would like to discuss further, as it is a pretty heated issue in this country right now, I encourage you to leave a comment and we can discuss it further.
One of the problems mentioned in this article that I feel strongly about is sexual assault on college campuses. Many times, victims are silenced, and those responsible face little to no real penalties. This cannot continue. This is a problem we all must work to address, because it truly does fall on us to prevent it before it happens, instead of waiting until the irreparable damage is done to do something. If you are interested in helping end assault on your campus, I strongly recommend you click the name of your school below, and you will be redirected to your school's website that lists ways you can get involved in ending this crisis.
1. University of Central Florida
2. Florida International University
