Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities (Hardcover)

by Alexandra Robbins (Author) "ON SORORITY ROW, SORORITY girls stepped cheerily into their houses, many of them followed by fathers loaded up with boxes or, in the exceptionally good-looking..." (more)
Key Phrases: recruitment chair, sorority alumna, badge attire, Alpha Rho, Greek Week, Date Party (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Robbins, who previously researched Yale's Skull and Bones Society for Secrets of the Tomb and also coauthored Quarterlife Crisis, went undercover for the 2002-2003 academic year to investigate the inner workings of "Greek" (National Panhellenic Conference) sororities. Sororities are far from anachronisms; there are presently some 3.5 million women in almost 3,000 Greek chapters on campuses across America. After the national office forbade locals from cooperating with Robbins, she disguised herself as an undergrad and found four sorority women willing to risk expulsion to help her. While Robbins structures her narrative around the year's ritual cycle-the rush, the bid, pledging, initiation, Greek Week, etc.-the timeless soap opera of sorority life occupies center stage. And although battles between girls can be wrenching, there's nothing like a date gone wrong to bring out the tearsâ€"and the thermos of vodka. Beyond romance, Robbins's informants have their own issues, among them, being black and poor in a rich white sorority and recovering from date rape by a frat brother. These problems are worsened by an environment that encourages binge drinking, drug abuse, eating disorders and blind obedience to what their pledge masters or sorority elders tell them to do. Historically black sororities, which are not the focus of this book, do have a reputation for promoting community service and sisterhood; "historically white" sororities, Robbins concludes, are really just social groups for making friends and meeting guys, despite their claims to academic and service values. Robbins makes suggestions for reforming sororities-more adult supervision, ending pledging, etc.-although the demystification that comes from reading her front-line account may be the best prescription.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Despite the provocative subtitle, most of the information gathered by the author as she went undercover as a sorority girl is nothing especially new. After all, everyone knows sororities can be exclusive, conformist, and superficial organizations. But Robbins' account of life inside the sorority house still makes for fascinating reading. Following four sorority sisters through their first year in the house, a world of sex, drugs, eating disorders, and insecurity is revealed. One wonders, though, if these experiences are that different from the experiences of those students not affiliated with Greek societies. What is arguably different, though, is the extreme pressure brought to bear on these young women to repress their own natural instincts, desires, and inclinations in order to fit in with an amazingly shallow and often unworthy group of friends. Where the author really scores is in her analysis of why otherwise intelligent and sensitive women would sacrifice their independence, and often self-respect, for the sake of an artificially engineered secret society. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (April 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401300464
• ISBN-13: 978-1401300463
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (312 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #210,879 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very good read- part "novel," part "research", April 19, 2004

By	"debbi1313" (KS) - See all my reviews

I began college as intensely opposed to sororities and the idea of "buying" my friends. Then, in my sophomore year of college, I met some girls in a sorority on campus, became friends with them, and eventually joined the sorority- an NPC group at a large state university.

It was one of the best decisions I ever made- I made great friends and developed so much as a person. I think many sorority girls would say the same thing. It was a great experience.

Had I read this book as a collegian, or recent graduate, I probably would have reacted the same as many of the sorority women's postings- "that is NOT true," "that never happens," etc. However, being removed from the situation by about five years gives you a different perspective.

I am not blind enough to sit here and say " I have NEVER seen any of these things Ms. Robbins talks about going on." That is simply not true. The alcohol, the parties, the date rape, the eating disorders- it's all there. Maybe it wasn't a part of my sorority, or yours, but it's been a part of someone's. Every chapter, on every campus, is different. One of my sorority's chapters at a major university was closed due to hazing. Yet, I was never once hazed in any way. It all depends where you are and the people who are there with you.

I didn't read this book thinking that Ms. Robbins was exposing "sororities everywhere." But I do think she provides a good depiction of how MANY sorority chapters operate. I think she also remained very objective in her writing. And, just think back to junior high or high school- the same catty girls, pressure to conform, etc. It's not all that different. The problem is there isn't really any other group comparable to a sorority-where 100+ girls can live together, attend the same meetings, share a common ritual, etc. You are thrown together much like real-life sisters live.

Yes, "pledge" is an outdated term. But not that outdated- only a few years. And many chapters still use it. Don't use things like this to try to prove the author didn't truly research. Alcohol has forever been banned in sorority houses- but it's always there. Paddles were banned- at least in my sorority- but people still buy them.

I really believe there are chapters out there who do emphasize scholarship, service, sisterhood, and the like. Mine was one of them, at least when I was there. Equally, there are chapters that do not. Several years before I joined, my chapter was completely different. It all depends on who is there at that particular time.

I hope that people won't use this book to determine whether or not to go Greek, but I would definitely recommend that everyone read it. If nothing else, it brings up things you will experience in college, whether in a sorority or not. It isn't fair to assume that these four girls' experience will be the same for you. It won't be. Yours may be better, it may be worse. I will recommend to my future daughters to rush and I would hope they had an experience like mine. However, if they ended up in a chapter that did not treat them with true sisterly values, I would also recommend that they leave.

The bottom line is that the experience you have depends on the school, the chapter, and the girls who are there with you. There is no "blanket" way to describe the Greek experience.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars sadly accurate, May 19, 2004

By	Heather Schulman (Maryland) - See all my reviews

I am a currently graduating member of an NPC sorority at a large campus. I read this book out of curiosity, but I came out feeling like I'd just seen my life in the mirror. "Dress Checks",binge drinking, and "selling the sorority" were what I endured for several years. I did not encounter everything that Robbins talked about, like hazing and drug abuse, but I absolutely believe that this book is a fairly accurate representation of what goes on in these societies. I don't think that Robbins is trying to say that every sorority is like this, but the abuses she sees cannot be ignored in good conscience. Sororities will probably never change, but I hope that sisters will read this book and allow themselves to recognize their own lives in it.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A provocative and interesting start., May 7, 2004

By	Pg-chan (the breadbasket, USA) - See all my reviews

I had heard of this book in relation to the recent MTV series "Sorority Life", which I did not see. Having been a member of a sorority in college, I was interested to see Robbins' study.
Overall, this book is a very clear look at the world of the upper-crust sorority, particularly in the culture of the South. Robbins does not claim that this case study pertains to all sororities or Greek life, and includes several interludes at other campuses to give contrast to the scene she is personally experiencing. Not as positive as it could be, but Robbins does not make this book into a passionate sermon. The message is more sobering than shocking or chiding. The writing is an easy read. I give it 4 stars instead of an average-3 because she does take the extra step to not only define problems but suggest patterns of change.
Bottom line: if university society cares about students, and in particular women, then the current Greek system needs more than a minor overhaul of its practices and (not always) silent assumptions.
Many girls have, are, and will find a great deal of identity, support, and yes, sisterhood from sororities. This cannot be discounted. But it cannot be used to justify the equal if not greater numbers of girls who have, are, and will be chewed up and spit out, many times out of nothing more than spite. Robbins does find a lot of sisterhood in her work among these girls, but sadly also discovers that the true meaning of sisterhood often gets left behind.