What Are The Pros And Cons Of Sororities?

The word 'sorority' (from the Latin word for 'sister') is usually used to describe women-only organisations and is most closely associated with the social organisations for female students at colleges in America and Canada.  These 'sororities' are often national organisations with chapters at individual colleges.  Advantages of being in a sorority include:

• Members of a national sorority may enjoy privileges when visiting other, affiliated chapters.
• Sorority members often live together in a large house ('Sorority House') which strengthens social bonds between members as well as providing a central location for social events organised by the sorority.

Disadvantages include:

• Some sorority houses impose curfews.  They may also prohibit members of the opposite sex from entering bedrooms.  This may or may not be seen as a disadvantage!
• Sororities - like their male equivalent fraternities - are prone to ritualistic activity which may become unpleasant, most notoriously the initiation practise of 'hazing', where prospective members are subjected to harassment and arduous or humiliating tasks.