Sorority and fraternity membership and religious behaviors: Relation to gender attitudes

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 religio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sex roles 2004-06, Vol.50 (11-12), p.871-877
Main Authors: ROBINSON, Dianne T, GIBSON-BEVERLY, Gina, SCHWARTZ, Jonathan P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attitudes
Behavior
Beliefs
Biological and medical sciences
Churches
College Students
Females
Fraternities
Fraternities & sororities
Fraternities and Sororities
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gender
Gender roles
Males
Memberships
Mythology
Negative Attitudes
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Reference Groups
Religion
Religious Behavior
Religious behaviour
Researchers
Sex Role
Sex Role Attitudes
Sex Stereotypes
Sexism
Social Desirability
Social psychology
Social role. Sex role
Sororities
Students
Undergraduate Students
Universities
USA
Violence
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Summary: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. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:0360-0025
1573-2762
DOI:10.1023/b:sers.0000029104.87813.d5