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Eye-Opening but Honest Apr 06, 2010
A very honest and objective review and analysis of the Greek system at a large university. It reminded me why I chose NOT to join a fraternity when I was a student, but confirms the many life-long bonds that are established among brothers and sisters that I observe even today. DeSantis used his long-time associations with the Greek system to gain access to information and to members, and was clever enough to conduct interviews in a manner that would maximize openness and honesty. Nevertheless, there were times I wish he had dug a deeper, using personal follow-up interviews to not only unravel sex roles/stereotypes, but the rationale and personal history the led students to certain decision and viewpoints. For example, how and why do individuals decide to go Greek, and how are those individuals different from those that reject the Greek system. Most differentiation is made after matriculation based on grades. Also, DeSantis does not often distinguish between trends that are specific to Greek organizations, and trends on college campuses themselves regarding drugs, sex, and drinking. As a result, it sometimes implies that certain activities occur among Greeks, but not the student population at large. For example, 75-80% (or more...."you'd be surprised at the real numbers")of girls in sororities may have anal sex, but is that any different among non-Greeks? And if a group of girls agrees that that's true, but no one admits to trying it, wouldn't you probe that a little more in personal interviews to validate the group comments??? All-in-all though, this is the best analysis I have read of the status of the Greek system in American colleges. It's explicit but honest. I have a high school junior who is now in the process of selecting potential colleges, and she has expressed an interest in learning about sororities (and college life in general). I gave her the book to give her a realistic picture of college life and what she might encounter. I would recommend this book to parents (former Greeks and non-Greeks) and to their sons and daughters who are about to take the plunge!
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Very Interesting Jul 09, 2008
I found this book to be very interesting. I am a greek advisor for several chapters and although I do not think the "problems" and issues brought up in this book are really specific to Greeks - it helped me understand, I feel more what the "younger" generation of college students is going through - more specifically my younger sister that is a freshman in college at a large school with a large Greek community - and trying to figure out where she belongs on campus. She is 11 years younger than myself and I always struggled to figure out where she was coming from and why she does things and acts the way she does. I think this book does a great job to help bridge more of a generation gap and I feel would be good - as some other reviewers said, for College advisors, parents etc. to get a better idea of what it is like not just in the Greek community - but on a college campus in general these days. There were many areas in this book, specifically the body image of men and women and sexual degredation, where I found myself understaning what and where my little sister comes from when she's at the gym for 3 hours a day, acting in my mind inappropriately provacative etc. Great read - but I think better fits for the entire college population than just the Greeks. I also appreciate the fact that the author does not reveal secrets of the organizations - outright :) - something that I feel being a Greek - should be reserved for those of us that are Greek :)
5 of 7 found the following review helpful:
 Confirms stereo-typical views of Greek community Jul 07, 2008
Having joined a fraternity in the 1980s and still living in the town where I graduated from college, I thought this book was going to be an interesting read.
Although Desantis did his homework and cites a great deal of supporting research, his final product does nothing more than underscore all the negative public perceptions about the Greek system ... that it IS as shallow as the majority of the "outsider" population perceives, with very, very few exceptions.
Am I surprised with the findings? Yes and no. Yes, I am surprised that the Greek system I embraced twenty years ago has become so superficial and by today's standards, unnecessary. But, no, I am not surprised that today's students exhibit such simple and selfish behavior, combined with a total lack of awareness to the world around them (regardless of the global reach of the internet) ... it is symbolic of the me-first attitude today's youth culture. There is little shock value in Desantis' work, but maybe it's because living in a college town has de-sensitized me to college students' in general or more likely, I've outgrown the idiotic behavior I exhibited myself so long ago.
I think the book would have been a better read had he used actual fraternities and schools (maybe a legal liability decision?). The "Greek U", "John from Alpha fraternity", "Susie from Theta sorority" was too generic an approach to the subject matter ... it was actually a turn-off for me for authenticity reasons; it reads like fiction. The comments/responses/behaviors weren't exclusively Greek-related ... any group of students could have provided the same material covered in this book. In other words, what differentiates the men from "Alpha fraternity" from a group of guys living on the same floor in a dorm or a group of varsity athletes.
This book had potential, but I found it disappointing in that it echoes all the same lame Greek stereotypes. It might have been better to look at how Greek organizations have grown/changed throughout the years to let the reader know that today's generation of Greeks are not symbolic of all Greeks, but more or less a snapshot of today's youth culture. Desantis' work appears to be no more that a conglomeration of Newsweek/Time/Rolling Stone articles on binge-drinking, eating disorders and date rape ... I really expected a lot more.
Inside Greek U Jun 30, 2008
Alan DeSantis takes us into a world few outside the College Greek system get to visit. Reads somewhat like a brother recounting their loved but embarrassing younger sybling's misconduct. Extremely well-researched and written with wit, brutal honesty and keen insight. DeSantis examines, warts and all, the Greek System, takes it to task on it's many shortcomings, examines it's often overlooked virtues and offers a glimmmer of hope of what it could, and should, aspire to be. I enjoyed being the fly on the wall for every page of this interesting journey.
Excellent look at the intersection between gender, youth and the Greek system May 12, 2008
Dr. Desantis paints an eloquent and well-researched picture of the current Greek culture at a large American university. His methodology produces rich description and illustrates all sides of Greek life--from the positive to the negative to the intriguing. The book does a great job of contrasting the ways in which fraternities and sororities differ, and Dr. Desantis--as a Greek himself--has a unique perspective on Greek culture.
No doubt that any parent of a student who is currently Greek or considering pledging would find this an interesting read, as would any academic or administrator looking to better understand his or her student body. Current Greek students may find the bluntness of the descriptions to be unarming, as much of what is described often goes unspoken, especially to those who are not Greek. However, Dr. Desantis' book is cutting edge and honest--and all readers would find it worth the buy. "Inside Greek U" reads well and quickly and leaves all readers with a broader understanding of how gender and youth interact in the unique environment that is Greek life. (and PS: I loved it!)
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