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Contribution to Book
Challenging Controlling Images: Appearance Enforcement within Black Sororities
Black Greek Letter Organizations 2.0: New Directions in the Study of African American Fraternities and Sororities
  • Marcia D. Hernandez, University of the Pacific
ORCID
Marcia D. Hernandez: 0000-0001-9556-7699
Document Type
Contribution to Book
Department
Sociology
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.

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
Disciplines
Citation Information
Marcia D. Hernandez. "Challenging Controlling Images: Appearance Enforcement within Black Sororities" Jackson, MSBlack Greek Letter Organizations 2.0: New Directions in the Study of African American Fraternities and Sororities (2011)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/marcia-hernandez/62/