Photo: UCLA Sorority Girls
This year at UCLA I decided to pledge a fraternity. The wide array of traditions this process entails has been of interest to me. But more so, differences in pledging between fraternities and sororities illustrates some of Berger's points about the feminine presence.
According to Berger, a "man's presence is dependent upon the promise of power which he embodies" (45). Some fraternities emphasize this with an 'Alpha-dog' mindset, accepting members who exhibit traits of über masculinity, compounded with expectations of physical fitness.
Women on the other hand, "must continually watch [themselves]. [They are] almost continually accompanied by [their] own image of [themself] (46)". Speaking with female pledges on my dorm floor, they expressed their frustration with the rush process. Evaluated on their physical beauty and academics, small minute details and mistakes could expel their chances of a bid. Certain 'prestigious' sororities are renowned for attractiveness, girls swooning for the chance to be considered the "cream of the crop". Berger describes this idea of women being defined by how they "appear" as both "surveyor and surveyed"(46). The rush process seemingly emphasizes this role, as the surveying runs rampant and superficiality can flourish.
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