Wrongs of Passage: Fraternities, Sororities, Hazing, and Binge Drinking (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Chad Saucier was "raised right," as his neighbors in Mobile, Alabama, liked to say..." (more)
Key Phrases: pledge sneaks, criminal hazing, hazing charges, Phi Delta Theta, African American, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Furthering the work he started with Broken Pledges: The Deadly Rite of Hazing (LJ 11/15/90), Nuwer continues telling the stories of those injured and killed by fraternity rituals, including beatings, mental abuse, overwhelming physical exercise, and the forced consumption of alcohol, food, and other substances. Nuwer studies the history of hazing in fraternities and other secret societies as well as efforts to stop it. He argues that we need to control the Greek system but also non-Greek organizations that employ similar, sometimes deadly, hazing practices. Nuwer suggests how to remove hazing from campuses and to crack down on offenders. Extremely well researched, with lots of interviews with victims of hazing and the parents of those who have died, this book belongs not only in all academic libraries but also in the offices of student activity coordinators throughout the United States. Public libraries may wish to obtain it as well.ADanna C. Bell-Russel, Library of Congress
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

A grim, comprehensive (some might say turgid) expose, by hazing expert Nuwer (Broken Pledges: The Deadly Rite of Hazing, 1990, etc.), of the continuing yet largely unacknowledged crisis of death and injury among fraternity and sorority pledges. The book usefully provides a solid overview of the cherished Greek customs and demands that have encouraged widespread hazing, as well as a depressing litany of recent deaths at prestigious universities such as Auburn University, University of Texas, University of Maryland, MIT, and Rutgers. The majority of incidents involve coerced drinking, a phenomenon that evinces an astonishing callousness towards the dangers of alcohol abuse among upper-class brothers who are rarely held accountable. Nuwer also sheds light on such ugly practices as the extreme violence practiced by some African-American frats (often unauthorized chapters) on their pledges, and rituals of branding or extraordinary humiliation which some outwardly prim, elite sororities pursue. Nuwer demonstrates the institutional responses to these incidents to be usually inadequate, centered more on spin than safety, and foolishly deferential to the overwhelmingly middle-class or affluent student-perpetrators. (The appendix, a detailed chronology of incidents showing these deaths skyrocketing from 1975 onward, is truly shocking.) Nuwer is authoritative and insightful on this subject; he even provides fascinating encapsulations of hazings roots in the 19th century and previously, and of the relatively innocent stunts of pre-1960 fraternal life. Unfortunately, the writing veers from tightly professional to mawkish, with detours into softened academese, which will make his book hard going for the suburban readers whose privileged children are, in fact, his sad subjects. Nuwer also undermines his examination by equating every bout of verbal abuse or brick-holding marathon with the worst excesses of compulsive drinking, violence, and degradation. Still, this makes clear that a good number of easily led youngsters incur grave risks in the supposedly supportive, fun environment of collegiate Greek life, and for its sustained examination of these rarely questioned traditions, Nuwers work is invaluable. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press (January 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 025321498X
• ISBN-13: 978-0253214980
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #748,589 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Shocking, provoctative, and thoughtful. Will make you think., October 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Wrongs of Passage: Fraternities, Sororities, Hazing, and Binge Drinking (Library Binding)

I read "Wrongs of Passage" and I must say, it really made me think. As a former fraternity brother who engaged in certain activities that to this day I am not proud of, "Wrongs of Passage" forced me to re-evaluate some of my existing beliefs.

It brought me back and reminded me of the psychology of pledging. How it consumes you. Changes your life. It reminded me how as a fraternity pledge in the spring of 1991, nothing else mattered except getting in. Extrinsic problems, like my plummeting GPA meant nothing so long as I walked the proverbial "long road" to brotherhood.

It reminded me how at the time, being spoon fed nasty concoctions while blind folded and screamed at, was all fine and dandy. How being forced to do 100 pushups in a room that was so filled with smoke, you could barely breath was just part of what it took to pass that final test.

Hank Nuwer's exploration into the psycology of the pledge is so dead on. I found my self saying "Exactly" out loud more than a few times.

I could go on and on and on about this. I loved this book. It took me back to a place I haven't been to in a long time.

This book is a must read for anyone who has ever pledged, thought about pledging, or knows someone who has pledged a fraternity. Even if you don't fit into one of the above catagories, you will find "Wrongs of Passage" enthralling, engrossing, and especially, disturbing.

14 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An important contribution and a must read., January 29, 2000

By	Brian Rahill (Columbus, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wrongs of Passage: Fraternities, Sororities, Hazing, and Binge Drinking (Library Binding)

Having brought attention to the dangers of hazing in his first book Broken Pledges, Hank Nuwer expands on this work with Wrongs of Passage and makes another outstanding contribution to the literature on hazing. He elucidates the dangers of hazing from many angles, and while coining the term "greekthink," takes an important step in describing the often elusive dynamics which enable hazing to persist.

Wrongs of Passage is a commendable achievement and a valuable resource for students, parents, teachers, school administrators and others. Having first hand experience with hazing as a victim, perpetrator and anti-hazing educator, I gained yet another perspective by reading Wrongs of Passage. The knowledge and sensitivity that Hank Nuwer brings to the subject of hazing is unparalleled. I found his history of hazing enlightening, his first-hand accounts heart-wrenching and his strategies for change a sorely needed call to action. This is not a "fraternity-bashing" tirade but rather an in-depth analysis of hazing from multiple perspectives. Hank Nuwer shames those who continue to participate in hazing, and lauds those that have taken positive steps to eradicate these deadly practices. This book should be required reading by students, teachers, parents, and anyone who works with and cares about the future of our nation's youth.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wake up and smell the stale beer, November 12, 1999

By	Will Clarke (Author of Lord Vishnu's Love Handles and The Worthy) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wrongs of Passage: Fraternities, Sororities, Hazing, and Binge Drinking (Library Binding)

If national fraternities and sororities are truly earnest about ending hazing, they should distribute this book to pledges along with their organizations' pledge manuals. Think about it, pledges subject themselves to hazing because they think they have to. Better yet, why not just do away with pledgeship altogether and boom! hazing is a thing of the past. It's a simple solution that would improve Greek Life and end the hazing deaths of young freshmen every year.