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Challenging Controlling Images: Appearance Enforcement within Black Sororities
ORCID
Marcia D. Hernandez: 0000-0001-9556-7699
Files
Document Type
Contribution to Book
Department
Sociology
Book Title
Black Greek Letter Organizations 2.0: New Directions in the Study of African American Fraternities and Sororities
Editor(s)
M. W. Hughey and G. S. Parks
Description
As members of the sorority, women are always required to represent their organization in the best possible way, whether in behavior or in the manner of dressing. Sorority sisters adhere to a strict code of conduct and demand high standards of fellow members to maintain the organization’s image or front, allowing them to actively recruit and promote notably exceptional women. This process is known as “appearance enforcement.” This chapter examines how appearance enforcement enables members of black sororities to challenge the negative images of black womanhood that persist in popular culture. However, it shows that many of the sorority women, in resisting the stereotypes that have historically stigmatized African American women, resort to harsh class distinctions and entrenched “us versus them” worldviews. The chapter looks at a series of magnified moments that emphasize how appearance enforcement operates as part of the socialization process for members.
Buy Link
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Greek-Letter-Organizations-2-0-Fraternities/dp/1604739215
Find in WorldCat
https://www.worldcat.org/title/black-greek-letter-organizations-20-new-directions-in-the-study-of-african-american-fraternities-and-sororities/oclc/719388618&referer=brief_results
ISBN
978-1604739213
DOI
10.14325/mississippi/9781604739213.001.0001
Publication Date
1-1-2011
Publisher
University Press of Mississippi
City
Jackson, MS
Disciplines
Sociology
Recommended Citation
Hernandez, M. D.
(2011).
Challenging Controlling Images: Appearance Enforcement within Black Sororities.
In M. W. Hughey and G. S. Parks (Eds.), Black Greek Letter Organizations 2.0: New Directions in the Study of African American Fraternities and Sororities. Jackson, MS: University Press of Mississippi
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/cop-facbooks/216