Doing a Good Job at a Bad Thing: The Prevalence and Perpetuation of Stereotypes about Black Greek-Letter Sororities

ORCID

Marcia D. Hernandez: 0000-0001-9556-7699

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Oracle: The Research Journal of the Association of Fraternity and Sorority Advisors

Department

Sociology

ISSN

2165-7858

Volume

6

Issue

2

DOI

10.25774/8b9j-wc32

First Page

36

Last Page

53

Publication Date

1-1-2011

Abstract

This study examined how stereotypes among alumnae members of historically Black sororities affected their experiences as both undergraduate and graduate members. This research contributes to the literature on skin color bias and to the stereotypes of Black women. For the majority of women we surveyed for this research, the myths and stereotypes surrounding skin color bias, intra-racial group relations, beauty, and femininity of different historically Black sororities influenced the initial perceptions of members in each group. The findings include some commonality among stereotypes about the oldest sororities (Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta), yet stereotypes about the other organizations (Zeta Phi Beta and Sigma Gamma Rho) varied due to age, college life experience, and the geographic location of the interviewees. Implications and considerations for future research are included.

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