Life in a fraternity or sorority carries social, academic, networking, and leadership roles and implications. Our group looked at the geography of the 'greek life' identity through the three lenses of the empericist, constructivist, and critical theory approaches.



Empriricist

The empiricist approach would look to examine the identity is a quantifiable and tangible way, so as to map or graph and learn from concrete data. We see the empiricist geography of frats/sororities as being always located on campus, many times on a main road in campus and having multiple greek houses lined up in a row. Within these houses is a system of heirarchy that people adhere to. The houses only admit a certian number of people per year, and there are rules that everyone must pledge and adhere to as well.



Critical Theory

The critical theory approach tends to look at how a class system is created through processes in society and claims that when class is established, so is conflict among differing classes in relation to who has access to better resources and such. We looked at the way greek students network and become a part of a bigger structure that can help them gain contacts across the country. Not only is a class created out of this on campus where greek students hold claim to the best parties and hottest people, as well as those focused on academic advancement having a leg up in the educational political scene, but people also gain a leg-up in the real world when they are putting down thier fraternal/sorority experiences on a resume or being able to connect with people who share a background in greek life. There is also a conflict created between the accepted and the rejected, or people who want to see themselves as alligning with a certian group of 'desireable' people. This effect has its place in college campuses and the workforce all over the country.



Constructivist

The constructivist approach examines how society creates traits and roles that are seen as the norm and even naturally occuring. We see this as covering the stereotypes of greek life, some of which are true to certian situations, and some of which are unfairly applied to good people. Greek students are seen as the social elite among campus residents. They are the pretty, the rich, the privilaged, the fun-seekers, and the heavy drinkers. To be accepted into the greek indentity, there are certian ways of looking and behaving that must be conformed to the norm or one will not be accepted. Our group has two members who have first person experience with greek life, and they confirm that this is the case. There's a confidence that comes with being accepted that one must eminate in all endeavours.

RULES FOR THE BAR

• Must be 21 years old (cCON)


• Cannot serve yourself, must be served by bartenders (cCON)


• Leave room for people playing pool (cPRO)


• Types of drinks (gendered) (cAPP)


• Cannot smoke inside (cwPRO)


• Tip bartender (wCON)


• Don't flirt with people in relationships (cPRO)


• Choose age appropriate bars (cAPP)


• Don't take advantage of others under the influence (cPRO)


• Sports on televisions (cCON)


• Guys buy the drinks for the girls (cCON)


• Quarters go on the table if you want to have the next game of pool (cCON)


• Wear appropriate clothing to the bar (cAPP)


• Switch turns buying rounds (cCON)


• Try to refrain from fighting (cPRO)


• Don't do something you will regret in the morning (cPRO)


• Make sure you have identification (cCON)


• Make sure you have sufficient cash on hand (c-wCON)


• know at least one other person at the bar (cAPP)


• Don't yell or throw anything at the bartender (wPRO)

KEY

PRO = protection

CON = control

APP = apperance

c = customer

w = worker

Rules of place, roles of power: Bars

Who you are at the bar: what factors affect social norms in bar scene?

Some of the rules of place at the bar have backgrounds in power and identity concerning the conception and perpetuation of those rules. Social forces as well as internal forces work to adhere to social norms to create an unspoken way of conducting ones’ self appropriately with gender, age, and economic status.

When someone turns 21, our state and federal governments allow that person to legally drink alcohol. Turning 21 and legally being allowed to drink in a bar indicates a perceived final transition to adulthood. Interestingly enough, in our examined area of bars in Athens, the power shifted from the older members of society to younger college students. The laws laid out saying who can drink are mandated by an older generation, but in a college town bar – it’s the younger crowd that dominates and creates ‘rules’ in the establishment. A person of 30 or older would be noticed almost immediately in a busy bar on a busy night.

The bartender assumes a position of power identity in the bar scene. A patron is expected not to lean over the bar and serve themselves. The act of being served by the bartender is followed by the expectation of a tip for those services. The customer is what drives the business, however, they are expected to not only pay for the beverages, but tip regularly. Not doing so can make the person holding power choose to neglect the customer’s future orders.

The bar is a place many people go to socialize and flirt with someone of the opposite sex. There are rules that society creates that follow us into bars when interacting with someone of the opposite sex. People are expected to dress nicely and present themselves as best as possible. Typically, males are more assertive about pursuing girls, while females are typically less aggressive. Guys are also supposed to pay for the drinks. This is taken from ideals of male dominance in society as well as their higher status. Another thing people are aware of when dealing with what men/women are expected to do in a bar is what drink to order. It’s seen as more masculine to 'slam' shots, drink straight whiskey, or consume mega-mugs; while it’s seen as more feminine to drink things that are fruitful, made with clear liquor, or mixed and decorated drinks. Beer seems to span the gap between the two genders.

Typically, bars today have multiple flat screen TV's that run sport programs. We believe this is a representation of catering towards the men in the establishment, as they are seen to be the 'breadwinners', and the ones who should be paying for the drinks.

When it comes to choosing a bar, it’s not just the decor or type of drinks served that determine if it’s the right establishment. There are things like what type of attire worn, music played, and social crowds that populate the establishment. Here we believe socio-economic issues are implied. People who can afford to dress nicely, who want to hear rap music, and who’s main goal is to go home with a partner may go to a certain type of bar. On the other hand, people who want to just wear everyday clothes, relax with a few friends in an environment that’s not too loud or obnoxious may want to look for another place.

We discussed that girls are usually concerned with taking pictures and uploading them, for example, to Facebook so they can share them with their family and friends. I think this correlates to the social norm that women are more readily open and accessible when it comes to sharing and appreciating experiences with their friends. Men tend to put on fronts (‘I don’t care’ attitudes) and not seem so excited about simply enjoying their friend’s company in order to seem or remain tough and disconnected emotionally.

News Article

Bar closes over tax issues Reportedly stayed in biz for over two years while under suspensionBy Jordan Valinsky The Crystal, a popular uptown Athens bar, is closed indefinitely following a complaint that the bar has been selling alcohol under a suspended license since 2008. The bar, located at 34 N. Court St., was cited by the state Liquor Control Commission overnight Friday for sales of liquor and beer under a suspended license, said Julie Hinds, a public information officer for the Ohio Investigative Unit. The suspension was related to a tax issue from 2008. "We received a complaint, investigated it; [we] found out there was a suspension and cited [the bar]," said Hinds. No alcohol was seized, she added. Pepson Inc., the owner of The Crystal, cannot sell alcohol or beer until the permit is reinstated after the tax issues are cleared. The suspended license stems from an August 2008 violation for failing to pay excise taxes, according to Liquor Control Commission documents. The bar's owner, Donald E. Pepper, did not pay the Ohio Department of Taxation following the 2008 citation, and that department had the case transferred to the Ohio Attorney General's office, said Gary Gudmundson, a spokesperson for the tax department. He declined to comment on how much the bar owes. Though the Crystal's liquor license was then suspended indefinitely, how the bar continued to operate for three years after the suspension remains unclear. Pepper could not be reached for comment, though he was spotted entering the bar on Monday. Previous Problems This isn't the first time Pepson Inc. has run into troubles, according to Liquor Control Commission documents. Since 1991, Pepson Inc. has received 16 violations from the state. Seven violations are for selling alcohol to underage patrons and three for after-hours consumption and delivery. Five violations are for tax problems under House Bill 231, or commonly known as "Tax Non-Renewal." Liquor permit holders must be up to date on tax payments before their license is renewed. Management was late on payments in 1997, 1999, 2000 and 2001. The cases were dismissed following payment, according to documents. The final, and most recent, violation was filed Saturday, for selling alcohol under suspension and illegal possession/sale of beer. (Source athensnews.com)


This article demonstrates why we picked one of the main rules that we did and that is the noone under 21 rule. Avoiding any situation in which minors can enter takes away any chance that alcohol is served to them which could possibly lead to criminal charges against the establishment. This article explains that the Crystal received seven violations concerning sales to underage people. However, we chose to completely avoid this by only allowing people 21 years of age and older into the bar.