Abstract
This study was designed to explore gender attitudes and religious behaviors among sorority/fraternity (S/F) and non-S/F undergraduates. Two hundred and seventy-nine participants completed the Gender Attitude Inventory (GAI, a multidimensional gender attitudes instrument), items that assessed religious behaviors (i.e., attendance in a place of worship and frequency of prayer), and a measure of social desirability. Overall, it was found that fraternity members, compared to sorority and non-S/F members, held more stereotypical gender attitudes. Specifically, the results suggest that fraternity members tend to accept stereotypical beliefs about women and male heterosexual violence toward women; endorse casual sex by women; reject women's political leadership; oppose women's rights; and believe in differential work roles. Attendance in a place of worship and prayer were related to greater disapproval of casual sex by women. Non-S/F members who prayed at least weekly reported slightly higher condemnation of homosexuality than S/F members did.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Ashmore, R. D., Del Boca, F. K., & Bilder, S. M. (1995). Construction and validation of the Gender Attitude Inventory: A structured inventory to assess multiple dimensions of gender attitudes. Sex Roles, 32, 753-785.
Astin, A. W. (1993). What matters in college? Four critical years revisited. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Auster, C. J., & Leone, J.M. (2001). Late adolescents' perspectives on marital rape: The impact of gender and fraternity/sorority membership. Adolescence, 36, 141-152.
Boeringer, S. B., Shehan, C. L., & Akers, R. L. (1991). Social contexts and social learning in sexual coercion and aggression: Assessing the contribution of fraternity membership. Family Relations, 40, 58-64.
Brinkerhoff, M. B., & MacKie, M. (1985). Religion and gender: A comparison of Canadian and American student attitudes. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 47, 415-429.
Brinkerhoff, M. B., & MacKie, M. M. (1984). Religious denominations' impact upon gender attitudes: Some methodological implications. Review of Religious Research, 25, 365-378.
Crowne, D. P., & Marlowe, D. (1960). A new scale of social desirability independent of psychopathology. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 24, 349-354.
Davis, T. L., & Liddell, D. L. (2002). Getting inside the house: The effectiveness of a rape prevention program for college fraternity men. Journal of College Student Development, 43, 35-50.
Duck, R. J., & Hunsberger, B. (1999). Religious orientation and prejudice:The role of religious proscription, right-wing authoritarianism, and social desirability. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 9, 157-179.
Feltey, K. M., & Poloma, M. M. (1991). From sex differences to gender role beliefs: Exploring effects on six dimensions of religiosity. Sex Roles, 25, 181-193.
Gwartney-Gibbs, P., & Stockard, J. (1989). Courtship aggression and mixed-sex peer groups. In M. A. Pirog-Good & J. E. Stets (Eds.), Violence in dating relationships: Emerging social issues (pp. 185-204). New York: Praeger.
Jacobson, L. I., Kellogg, R.W., Cauce, A., & Slavin, R. S. (1977). A multidimensional social desirability inventory. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 9, 109-110.
Kalof, L. (1993). Rape-supportive attitudes and sexual victimization of experiences of sorority and nonsorority women. Sex Roles, 29, 767-780.
Kalof, L., & Cargill, T. (1991). Fraternity and sorority membership and gender dominance attitudes. Sex Roles, 25, 417-423.
Lottes, I. L., & Kuriloff, P. J. (1994a). The impact of college experience on political and social attitudes. Sex Roles, 31, 31-54.
Lottes, I. L., & Kuriloff, P. J. (1994b). Sexual socialization differences by gender, Greek membership, ethnicity, and religious background. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 18, 203-219.
Martin, P. Y., & Hummer, R. A. (1989). Fraternities and rape on campus. Gender and Society, 3, 457-473.
Paulhus, D. L. (1991). Measurement and control of response bias. In J. P. Robinson, P. R. Shaver, & L. S. Wrightsman (Eds.), Measures of personality and social psychological attitudes (pp. 17-59). San Diego: Academic Press.
Petersen, L. R., & Takayama, K. P. (1984). Religious commitment and conservatism: Toward understanding an elusive relationship. Sociological Analysis, 45, 355-369.
Robinson, D. T., & Schwartz, J. P. (2004). Relationship between gender role conflict and attitudes toward women and African Americans. Psychology of Men and Masculinity, 5, 65-71.
Robinson, W. L., & Calhoun, K. S. (1983). Sexual fantasies, attitudes, and behavior as a function of race, gender, and religiosity. Imagination, Cognition, and Personality, 2, 281-290.
Sanday, P. R. (1990). Fraternity gang rape: Sex, brotherhood, and privilege on campus. New York: New York University Press.
Spence, J. T., & Helmreich, R. (1972). The Attitudes Toward Women Scale: An objective instrument to measure attitudes towards the rights and roles of women in contemporary society. Journal Supplement Abstract Service Catalog of Selected Documents in Psychology, 2, 66.
Wade, J. C., & Brittan-Powell, C. (2001). Men's attitudes toward race and gender equity: The importance of masculinity ideology, gender-related traits, and reference group identity dependence. Psychology of Men and Masculinity, 2, 42-50.
Wilder, D. H., Hoyt, A. E., Surbeck, B. S., Wilder, J. C., & Carney, P. I. (1986). Greek affiliation and attitude change in college students. Journal of College Student Personnel, 27, 510-527.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Robinson, D.T., Gibson-Beverly, G. & Schwartz, J.P. Sorority and Fraternity Membership and Religious Behaviors: Relation to Gender Attitudes. Sex Roles 50, 871–877 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:SERS.0000029104.87813.d5
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:SERS.0000029104.87813.d5