"I'm Thankful Every Day I Did It": An Exploration of Belonging for Commuter Students in Historically White Sororities and Fraternities at Primarily Commuter Public Institutions

Authors

Michael D. Giacalone

Publication Date

3-18-2022

DOI

https://doi.org/10.25774/0tsk-tr87

First Page

1

Last Page

16

Abstract

Membership in historically White sororities and fraternities (HWSF) has been connected with sense of belonging (Cohen et al., 2017; McCreary & Schutts, 2015). The experience of commuter students in sororities and fraternities, however, has been largely overlooked, including an understanding of what belonging consists of as members. This phenomenological study sought to close that gap by exploring how commuter students in HWSF experienced belonging at primarily commuter public institutions through interviews with alumni who lived that experience. Three themes emerged from the data: personal connections, feeling welcomed and accepted, and transformation of the college experience.

Recommended Citation

Giacalone, Michael D. (2022) ""I'm Thankful Every Day I Did It": An Exploration of Belonging for Commuter Students in Historically White Sororities and Fraternities at Primarily Commuter Public Institutions," Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice: Vol. 16: Iss. 02, Article 4.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.25774/0tsk-tr87
Available at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/oracle/vol16/iss02/4