harm reduction
by: llamalovercould someone help me understand the harms greek life has caused to marginalized communities, either historically or on our campus. im just having a hard time understanding
Comment#2 by: to eh
you said it: the Greek life system fails to hold members who harm marginalized people accountable. it gives them the power and social immunity to commit harm knowing in advance that they will not face consequences and protects them (allowing them to continue doing harm) when they do.
by: ehJul 15, 2020 6:09:57 PM
Okay... so change that and there’s no issue? Sounds to me like members of Greek life cause harm, not the system itself.
You could make the argument that practices like dues and legacies are systemic and cause harm. I agree. That’s easy to fix.
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by: startingpointJul 15, 2020 6:27:44 PM
the members of Greek life both constitute and operate/uphold the system of Greek life at any given time. interpersonal harm does not happen by some invisible hand of the IFC/WPA.
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by: moreJul 15, 2020 8:09:23 PM
it's not just the members though. it's the policies themselves, and the advisors, and the barriers to entry, and the power dynamics of the frat houses, and the power of the national organizations (which lobby for their own causes using member dues). it's the centuries of discriminatory history and tradition.
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by: ehJul 15, 2020 6:02:14 PM
From what I’ve seen the posts on there fall into two categories:
- reporting individual incidents that reflect on ignorant members, and the system failing to give them consequences
- repeating the same talking points that Greek life inherently harms marginalized people
I have yet to see real evidence for the second. It seems to me that by eliminating problematic members, and by addressing some of the current problems that make it inaccessible, nothing “inherent” about the system is an issue.
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