The lived experiences of fraternity members: The untold stories

Abstract

The main thrust of this qualitative – phenomenological study was to gain an understanding of the lived experiences of fraternity members. It specifically aimed to determine their experiences during the initiation practices and perception and insights towards fraternity involvement. Hence, it sought to explore both the pros and cons of fraternity engagement. The study involved eight (8) fraternity members identified using the snowball sampling technique. Moreover, this study made use of In-depth-Interview as a mode of collection of data through which analyzed using Miles and Huberman Framework. Data revealed that fraternity members have gone through a lot of painful experiences, both emotional and physical, during the initiation process such as pain and hard breathing, syncope, PsyWar, horseplay and even felt like quitting. The results, however, made two affects – the perceived benefits and the negative effects. Perceived benefits include peer support, develops self-assurance and sense of community, change of attitude and scholarship. On the other hand, negative effects include priority issues and engagement to vices. Insights from several fraternity members showed the removal of inflicting severe pain to the aspirants and recommended community service as an alternative to physical acts. The study provided evidence on the importance of gaining knowledge which evaluates whether the engagement of fraternity is beneficial or not.