Women of Discriminating Taste

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This examination delves into the influence of historically white sororities on the construction of white womanhood in the twentieth century. As powerful national women's organizations on college campuses, sororities have traditionally upheld conservative values, often discriminating based on social class, religion, race, and physical appearance. In the early 1900s, they positioned themselves as preparatory institutions for "ladyhood," promoting hyperfeminine and heterosocial behaviors aligned with a southern lady archetype. Despite many sororities being established outside the South, they embraced a southern aesthetic rooted in a modernized Lost Cause ideology, using social training to further a conservative agenda. Margaret L. Freeman's research, which includes sorority archives and records from student organizations and administrative offices, reveals how the image of the southern lady was employed to reinforce racial hierarchies. This image was adaptable, allowing it to resonate in various regions of the U.S. facing similar social and racial tensions. By highlighting the role of national sororities in the grassroots conservative movement, Freeman sheds light on the complex dynamics of contemporary sororities and their ongoing legacy of discrimination and conservative rhetoric.