Shifts+in+Sign+Sytems+Kylie+Harrington

Shifts in Sign Systems First, fraternities were developed as a group of men aiming to further themselves and build brotherhood, which eventually got muddled and took a more nefarious turn which led them to be banned on many campuses in the late 19th century. In the beginning of the 20th century, however, women's fraternities (later renamed sororities) and fraternities became a group for those at schools who were focused on education, manners, status and societal expectations and were seen as upstanding and maybe sometimes uptight. This view shifted during the 1960s when anti-establishment and student protest ideals were popular on universities. Sororities and fraternities were seen to be in direct competition with the ideals of this time and were thus shirked. During the 1980s however fraternities specifically were assisted by pop culture in redefining themselves as anti-establishment partiers who focused on drinking and sex instead of academics and being gentlemen which they may have been before this time. Regardless of whether or not fraternities were actually like the fraternities portrayed in movies such as "Animal House", this became the goal for them and they often forgot their values in pursuit of this goal to become a popular party house on campus. Since this upward swing of parties, drugs, alcohol and associated hazing, death, and sexual assault began, organizations and campuses have been battling this standard. In the most recent 21st century college campuses have become increasingly strict towards Greek houses displaying this behavior, no longer seeing it as a necessary evil and instead going as far to ban chapters from campuses. Additionally, there has been a recent mainstreaming of Greek life culture through things such as TFM, TSM and news reports which has had the benefit of increasing knowledge about the good Greek life does, but has also contributed to negative stereotypes displayed by certain chapters. Greek life is at a turning point where it will either continue down the path that "Animal House" set it on in the 1980s which is a focus on alcohol and partying, and then college campuses will react accordingly with the banning of Greek life, coming full circle to the late 19th century, or it will evolve and develop into the values based groups that it was in the early 20th century.