Abstract
The espoused characteristics of fraternal organizations support the mission and intent of higher education to provide an ideal community for students to grow personally, professionally, and academically. Contrary to the purpose of fraternal organizations, membership is a contributing factor of substance abuse, poor academic performance, intolerance for human differences, and involvement in illegal activities, such as hazing, physical abuse, and sexual assault (Perkins, Zimmerman, & Janosik, 2011). The lack of congruence between the organizations values and behavior of members has demonstrated that the presence and influence of fraternities and sororities is not consistently beneficial to an institution. Peer norms and socialization heavily impact organizational structure and culture. The influence of peer norms facilitates the way members are socialized in the organization and set the foundation for behavior. Personal characteristics may encourage individuals to self-select an organization reflective of their own drinking patterns, however, the accepted and consistent behaviors within the organization will establish the overall culture. Greek organizations are at the center of the campus alcohol culture with enormous influence on campus wide drinking and a successful intervention to decrease this alarming degree of drinking in the Greek system would be a prerequisite for addressing college-drinking problems (Park, Sher, Wood, & Krull 2009). Thus, understanding the alcohol education resources available to students in fraternities and sororities, and the ways in which they are utilized, is vital to reducing harm associated with alcohol misuse. To reduce harm associated with alcohol misuse among students in collegiate fraternities and sororities, alcohol education programming must be effective, personalized to the needs of the student body, campus, and greater community, and accessible for students in fraternities and sororities. Therefore, it is the purpose of this study to explore the effects of alcohol education programs on alcohol consumption patterns of students in fraternities and sororities. This study seeks to investigate the prevalent disconnect between alcohol education programs and the effectiveness of reducing harmful drinking patterns of undergraduate students in fraternities and sororities. This study used a quantitative research method that utilized a survey designed for undergraduate students within the Greek community at a Northern California public state university. The target population for this study was undergraduate students in recognized fraternities and sororities who have participated in an alcohol education program. The online survey contained twenty questions. 105 student’s participants in the research. While many fraternities and sororities across the nation participate in alcohol education programs, it is difficult to draw conclusions regarding the ways in which the dynamic of Greek organizations are conducive or adverse to programming efforts. A potential factor that influences the association between Greek membership and alcohol- related risk behaviors are that members of Greek organizations are generally very reliant on their fraternity or sorority peers for cultural norms regarding drinking behaviors (Borsari, Hustad, & Capone, 2009). This study’s research revealed that students utilize alcohol education programs to promote overall health and wellness in their organizations. While the survey results revealed both long-term and short-term effects of participating in alcohol education programs, there are vital components that determine the extent of effectiveness. Peer facilitation is critical to ensure content can be delivered in a relatable and non-biased manner. Future researched is necessary to investigate the relationship between perception and behavior and challenge students to address the culture of their fraternity or sorority by exploring the difference between culture and environment.