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Jess Nani Rhetoric Final Dr. Moeggenberg Dec. 3, 2018 Leading the Way With Consent: How Fraternities Can Use Their Social Platform For Change In late September 2018, Utah State University hosted its annual “Mr. USU” male pageant. Ten USU undergraduate men got up in front of 500 of their peers and performed talents, talked about current events, and promoted USU. The vast majority of these men are affiliated both with campus involvement groups and fraternities. A poignant moment of the night came when Sigma Phi Epsilon and A-Team (a campus involvement group) member Lukas Lehman aka “Mr. Greek” got up to answer his assigned current events question. As a member of the audience, I couldn’t tell you what his question was but his answer stuck with me and almost everyone else in the room. He took his two-minute time limit to expound on the importance of believing victims of sexual assault. That same September weekend the U.S. government voted to allow Brett Kavanagh into the Supreme Court of the United States. It was a powerful moment in the United States’ history and Lukas’ commentary on the subject garnered a lot of attention. People came up to him and messaged him for days after thanking him for his bravery and leadership in a competition setting that was supposed to be “light-hearted”. Lukas has been a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon for three years as well as a prominent member of USU’s involvement groups. He used his platform to promote the
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message “start by believing” and because of his status as a leader in the community he’s a part of his message held more weight than had another person with less social status said the same things. Herein, I think, lies a largely untapped method to promote consent culture. Members of fraternities are very often also in leadership roles in their campus communities. Whether it is through student involvement or simply within their Greek communities, members of fraternities have a unique opportunity to be a voice of change and education within consent culture. Fraternities have long held a reputation as hotbeds for sexual assault and rape. They are often targeted for promoting tropes like “boys will be boys” and other toxic masculine messages. Of the several studies I read through about fraternities and sexual assault, all of them cited a connection between heightened rates of sexual assault and fraternity membership. Martin and Hummer bluntly write in their aptly named study “Fraternities and Rape on Campus”, “Our examination of men’s social fraternities on college and university campuses as groups and organizations led us to conclude that fraternities are a physical and sociocultural context that encourages the sexual coercion of women” (458). So, obviously there is a problem with sexual attitudes in fraternities and it’s been this way for a long time. During my research on this topic, I found studies dating back to the fifties about the prevalence of sexual assault in fraternities. What is it about these groups that cultivate such negative relationships to consent and other sexual topics? One study on rape culture in Greek life states, “A sense of belonging is a primary motivator for joining social fraternities and sororities. . .In any situation requiring action, members observe one another to see if they will act, and they
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are aware that others are watching them” (Pettit et al. 6). This groupthink mentality provides an “out” or a greater likelihood to turn a blind eye according to Pettit. Because of the loyalty and brotherhood that is part of the culture of fraternities, there is a drive to “protect one’s own” (Pettit 4). There are many documented cases of rapes and other sexual assaults being brushed under the rug because of this blind-eye culture in Greek life (Decker, Baroni 1167). This same mentality is perpetuated in sexual assault/rape laws surrounding fraternity age individuals. Decker and Baroni state, “upon reaching adulthood—sixteen or seventeen in most states—adolescents and young adults are free to engage in sex with anyone, unprotected from and exposed to unwanted sex” (1167). Lack of sexual education and accountability for one’s actions also aids in this negative culture. Particularly in Utah, abstinence and suppression is the norm. As a person that grew up and was educated in Utah, I can personally attest that the concept of consent was left on the victims. Discussions in my sex ed class centered around avoiding scenarios where sexual assault could happen, not how to not sexual assault others. This lack of conversation during adolescent years informs the ignorance and abhorrent behavior later in life. The freedom and “faux” adulthood that college provides only heightens this. After years of suppression and miseducation, reckless sexual abandon ensues. However, one study found that deep group values can positively change these stigmas. Humphrey and Stephen’s study on fraternities and athletic groups concluded, “it may be that the level of sexual aggression increases or decreases after members join a fraternity. . .with well-developed norms and values” (1320). Another study found that
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there is a “positive relationship between affiliation and personal/interpersonal development [is] significantly stronger for men than for women” (Asel et al. 5). Essentially, there is plenty of hope that the deeply ingrained, often toxic relationships to sex, women, and consent culture that are apparent in these studies can be changed to positive, healthy relationships with those same subjects. So, the question then becomes how can the rhetoric of consent in fraternities result in these positive changes? How can we make more fraternity leaders like Lukas; ones who are willing to be the examples of consent culture on campuses? Well, I asked them directly. I anonymously surveyed twelve members of various fraternities on Utah State University’s campus. One of the fraternities was very concerned about me using their name so I kept it completely anonymous to avoid infringement issues. I don’t know what responses are from what groups; however, I do know that my respondents are aged between 18 and 22, range from one semester of fraternity involvement to 3 years of involvement, and all know what consent culture is and can adequately define it. For example, one respondent defined it as, “ Social movement emphasizing that consent be clearly received on all sexual situations. Removing ambiguity in sexual acts, and, more importantly, attempting to prevent bystanding,” and another defined it as, “Consent is when both parties in a relationship/couple agree to participate in sexual or any other pleasurable acts with each other whom either or have the ability to revoke at any given time.” According to Beyond Consent, consent culture is “ a liberal discourse that posits mutually consensual sex as antithetical to rape. It defines rape as sex without consent and
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proposes consensual sex as rape prevention.” Based on this definition, the goal of any consent education/cultural reevaluation should be geared towards making this definition the norm. Foss, in discussion of prominent cultural ideologies, says, “When an ideology becomes hegemonic, it accumulates ‘the symbolic power to map or classify the world for others.’ It invites ‘us to understand the world in certain ways, but not in others” (239). Looking at and changing the ideologies that have consistently perpetuated sexual assault and rape culture in fraternities is the only way to enact this desired change. Fraternities often time contain the future leaders of America. By altering the culture surrounding fraternities and sex, we may just alter the culture surrounding legislature and sex. Andrea Dworkin in her speech about rape culture said, “I think that men are very afraid of other men. . .But as long as your sexuality has to do with aggression and your sense of entitlement to humanity has to do with being superior to other people. . .how could you not be afraid of each other?” Here in, I think, is the main issue: communication between man to man is poor. Fraternities offer a unique opportunity for the formation of male to male vulnerability and communication. Within my survey, I asked all the respondents to state what they wish their fraternity did better when it came to promoting consent culture on campus. Almost all of them responded with requests for more seminars and “open discussions” about consent and sexual assault. One respondent in particular said that they wanted more “male only discussion panels.” However, 68% of the respondents said their fraternities had regular open discussions about consent. Conversations are happening, but what’s being said within these conversations is imperative. One respondent, a 21-year-old, three-year fraternity member said his fraternity focuses on, “Fostering and understanding
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the value of small, seemingly insignificant, conversations that keep sexual assault on the forefront of our minds. Also making it clear that consent has many grey areas and to not put yourself in a situation where consent cannot be clearly defined.” By making these conversations commonplace and comfortable in settings between members, it can and will expand to other groups and legitimate changes will follow. Humphrey and Khan said in their study, “Men who pledge a fraternity may seek out one whose members appear to hole norms and values similar to their own” (1320). Establishing values of healthy consent communication across all fraternities will help cultivate and set up open dialogues across male communities. For example, Utah State University’s Greek life groups (my survey pool) and all involvement groups are required to go through a training about consent, inclusion, and drug/alcohol consumption. This program, titled “Upstanders,” is roughly an hour-long presentation given by the Access and Diversity staff. This training offers fraternity members a safe, structured space to discuss what consent is and how one can safely get it. The presentation gives clear guidelines and definition as to what consent is according to the university. Specifically, they have a whole section on not letting fear or social pressure get in the way of speaking out or talking about these hard subjects. I think this section is very powerful for groups like this. It grants permission not only to start a discourse on the problems you see but also by proxy allows a discourse on how it is scary to talk about these deeply ingrained cultural wrongs. Sorority women are four to five times more likely to be sexually assaulted than their non affiliated peers and also much less likely to talk about it or report it than their non affiliated peers (Petitt et al. 1). Speaking up and normalizing discourse about sex and consent in groups
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like this that have traditionally brushed it under the rug is essential for changing these chilling statistics. Foubert et al.’s study about the effectiveness of these programs discussed the delicate ways in which these trainings should be administered. They write, “With regard to tone...the style of the program should be personal, meaningful and devoid of scare tactics. With regard to content, fraternity men said they needed to hear about the effects of sexual assault” (Foubert et al. 6). My survey respondents also had a few thoughts about the trainings they receive. One participant said, “The trainings we get are fantastic. They teach the new members who are probably in their most vulnerable and ignorant state.” Another responded, “Be more proactive in getting involved. Mandating attendance is different than one desiring to attend trainings.” Finally, another participant suggested “Have a class/lecture, requiring attendance, educating the members on the topic and encouraging them to educate others outside of the fraternity.” The second respondent hit the ultimate goal right on the head. We not only need to make these trainings mandatory, but we also need to change the attitude towards trainings like these and that begins by normalizing the dialogue surrounding these seminars. But what “normal” even looks like in this sense is difficult to define. Personally, I think it means removing shame from conversations about consent. Having a space to admit ignorance and ask for clarification while also cultivating a place where people are willing to stand up and avoid falling into the bystander trope is essential. Education and positive attitudes towards education about these tough subjects is the best way to push consent culture on these largely uneducated groups.
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Additionally, the respondent that talked about changing even the smallest conversational tolerance for rape culture also had thoughts on how to use conversation to enact change on their campus. He said, “Making consent easy to talk about openly has been something my fraternity has found value in, as well as being quick to believe victims. So continuing to be the loudest and most passionate speakers will be required of us to be taken seriously.” That last part, about being taken seriously, holds a lot of weight in his response. Besides communication, the other way fraternities can lead the charge on consent culture on campuses is through belief. One of the primary response categories I got in my survey revolved around believing victims. I asked them what ways they personally promote consent culture and several of them discussed the importance of believing victims first. 75% of my respondents said their fraternity actively encourages advocating for victims. One respondent specifically said, “I listen to people when they choose to discuss their experiences with sexual assault and figure out appropriate ways to discuss the sensitive topic.” There are two poignant words in his response worth teasing out: listen and choose. By listening and not immediately jumping to a defensive place, victims are more likely to discuss what happened to them because they feel like they are in a safe space to do so. Congruently, understanding that a victim’s right to talk about what happened to them or not is a choice. I think this parallels how fraternity members should be communicating with each other about these subjects. Adopting an attitude of listening and employing empathy provides an outlet for understanding that will, in turn, promote better men and sexual attitudes.
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Audre Lorde in a commentary on the power of silence and language says, “Primarily for us all, it is necessary to teach by living and speaking those truths which we believe and know beyond understanding. Because in this way alone we can survive” (304). As I mentioned, my last question for the 12 men I surveyed was “how can you personally promote consent culture?” I got some varied responses, but most of them mentioned being examples to their communities as a way they can further the destigmatization of consent culture. One respondent, talking about how he’s an example in his community said, “I simply start by asking my fellows classmates and friends, “wouldn’t you want to the person, you’re having sexual encounters with, to be cheerful and enthusiastic? It’s a good sign and means you’re doing a great job when he/she is verbally and emotionally invested! Also, you wouldn’t want your mother or sister or daughter to get rape. What makes you think it’s okay to rape someone else’s someone?” Based off their expressions if I can tell it’s going to take more than that, I’ll back off for a bit and alert others of my concern! Once in a while later on I’ll simply throw it out in conversation “no means no” or “my outfit is not my consent” little phrases like that here and there to get them thinking subconsciously!”
I have personal qualms with the “you wouldn’t want your sister to be raped” tropes that sometimes color these sorts of discussions. It shouldn’t matter if the woman is related to you in some way, you shouldn’t want anyone to get raped. However I think the sentiment this respondent was getting at is apparent. Fraternity members are the only ones who can truly police themselves and their friend’s behaviors. One of the respondents is a personal
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friend of mine and after he took the survey I asked Jake some more informal questions about his experience learning about consent since coming to college. He told me, somewhat embarrassed, that he hadn’t even heard of consent and how to ask for it until he joined his fraternity and went through the assigned training. It just wasn’t a thing he was ever taught. We discussed how education is lacking at the high school level and how through these trainings in college he’s become a much more informed man and respectful partner. He told me he wished he’d had these conversations and education in high school so he could start advocating sooner. “I feel like girls could also use the help earlier, ya know?” is another thing he said. Yes, we can teach these boys to communicate better, yes we can encourage empathy and advocacy for victims by fraternities, but in the end it comes down to education. My friend is now a great advocate for sexual assault survivors and consent education; Lukas opened up a dialogue with his peers about believing, and lots of my respondents had great ideas for what more their fraternities can do to promote consent. I only had one respondent that had anything negative to say about consent culture and even then he supported further consent education. And what prompted all of these opinions? Fraternity membership. Fraternities have this unique opportunity to let their horrid past history with sexual assault and coercion catapult them into a place where they are the leaders of reform and education. One of my respondents said in response to how he promotes consent as a fraternity leader, “Making [consent] real, and emphasizing how critical it is. As men in a fraternity, this is even more important. We must take extra steps to ensure consent is clearly and freely given. Having discussions, as a brotherhood, and person to person.
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Sharing stories with one another and strategies for ensuring consent has been given.” This type of awareness is what will make these campaigns successful. Understanding the history and learning from it and moving forward to combat the sexual toxicity that unfortunately still prevails on campuses today should be every fraternity’s goal here on out. Works Cited Asel, Ashley; Seifert, Tricia; and Pascarella, Ernest. “The Effects of Fraternity/Sorority Membership on College Experiences and Outcomes: A portrait of Complexity.” Oracle: The Research Journal of the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors Vol. 4, Iss. 2, September 2009 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/252543949_The_Effects_of_FraternityS orority_Membership_on_College_Experiences_and_Outcomes_A_Portrait_of_Complex ity Decker, John F. and Baroni, Peter G. “‘No’ Still Means ‘Yes’: The Failure of the ‘Non-consent’ Reform Movement in American Rape and Sexual Assault Law.” The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology (1973-) Vol. 101, No. 4 Fall 2011, pp. 1081-1169 https://www.jstor.org/stable/23150015?casa_token=UII3IFTBdrYAAAAA:Jvn9wgB wOSsjOaWf_tfG7HCL_dzXQYlmFdc2QmIZFmvWV_UmNYYpI3_Jd4kqDiNpQ3TBrgyA 6I3vdGYCL2TBCpde4v10rkZBurTLESH2nha0Np3MGw&seq=3#metadata_info_tab_c ontents Dworkin, Andrea. “I Want a Twenty-Four-Hour Truce During Which There Is No Rape.” Available Means: An Anthology of Women’s Rhetorics. E dited by Joy Ritchie & Kate Ronald, University of Pittsburgh Press, 2001, pp. 330-339. Foss, Sonja. Rhetorical Criticism: Exploration and Practice. Waveland Press, 2018. Foubert, John; Garner, Dallas; and Thaxter, Peter. “An Exploration of Fraternity Culture: Implications for Programs to Address Alcohol-Related Sexual Assault.” College Student Journal. Vol. 40, 2006, pp. 361-373. Humphrey, Stephen & S. Kahn, Arnold. “Fraternities, Athletic Teams, and Rape.” Journal of Interpersonal Violence vol. 15, pp. 1313-1322. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/238432342_Fraternities_Athletic_Teams_ and_rape
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Lorde, Andre. “The Transformation of Silence into Action.” Available Means: An Anthology of Women’s Rhetorics. Edited by Joy Ritchie & Kate Ronald, University of Pittsburgh Press, 2001, pp. 330-339. Martin, Patricia Yancey, and Hummer, Robert A. “Fraternities and Rape on Campus.” Gender and Society, vol. 3, no. 4, 1989, pp. 457–473. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/189763. Pettit, Mark E.; Paulk, Amber; Hunt, Andrea; Williams, Yaschica; and Zayac, Ryan (2017) "Rape Myth Acceptance and Willingness to Intervene: A Comparison of Greek-Affiliated and Non-Affiliated College Students by Gender," International Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Vol. 9, Article 3. 2017 https://commons.pacificu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1092&context=ijurca “Upstanding: Stepping up to Prevent Harm In the Fraternity and Sorority Community.” Violence and Injury Prevention Program. Utah Department of Health. 2018.