The current academic literature on the value of women’s organizations for college students specifically is rather limited. However, there is significant research on both the relationship between Greek organizations and college students, and the role of formal women-only networks to secure greater equity for women.

In Anita Corey’s dissertation on The Influence of Fraternity or Sorority Membership on the Leadership Identity Development of College Student Leaders, she has a very comprehensive review of relevant literature to my project, providing an overview of recent research on the fraternal movement in relation to college life, as well as how three important theoretical areas (organizational culture, college student development, and leadership identity development) have been studied up until now. Corey first discusses how research consistently shows a wide range of positive outcomes associated with student involvement in campus organizations. For example, Kuh (1991) argues that through co-curricular activities, students gain communication and leadership skills and develop interpersonal abilities. Additionally, Astin (1993) discusses how organizational involvement leads to increased growth and personal development in areas such as autonomy and self-esteem.

From a historical standpoint, the movement to form women’s fraternities happened during the 1870’s when women began attending college but found that there lacked opportunities for them to socially convene with each other for support (Turnk, 2004). In the following decades, despite university leadership questioning the presence of fraternal organizations and attempts to ban them from college campuses, students continued to seek out these groups and the continued to grow throughout the 20th century (Gregory, 2003). Over the past century, the contemporary sorority experience has continued to evolve. Today, the sorority and fraternity system has grown to encompass more than 550,000 undergraduate members and 9.6 million living alumni worldwide. Scholars agree that fraternities and sororities are an integral part of student life (Asel, Seifert, & Pascarella, 2009); however, there is an ongoing debate between whether or not these organizations have positive or negative effects on students. Critics argue that affiliation with such groups contributes negatively to student development through behaviors such as alcohol abuse, academic dishonesty, stereotyping, sexual promiscuity, hazing and gender-norming (Corey, 2011). However, other scholars argue that important aspects of student development such as involvement and interaction with peers and groups, leadership development, retention, and achievement of learning outcomes are positively impacted by fraternity and sorority affiliation (Center for Learning Outcomes Assessment, 2009; Corey, 2011). More specifically, Long explains how fraternity and sorority members experience clear gains in four outcome areas: scholarship, leadership, service, and friendship (Long, 2012).

Recent research on the value of women’s network include Coleman’s study of how women-only networks support the development of women’s leadership. This study uses two case studies all-women’s networks in the U.K. One case study looks at a regional network for female secondary school principals, and the other looks at a national network for women leaders in higher education. The paper discusses how both of these networks emerged in the early 1990s in the context of second wave feminism and to support the isolation experienced by women in leadership roles (Coleman, 2012). A second relevant paper from 2004 study looks at how women-only networks can help enact change in local government. The paper discusses how formal female specific networks have enabled women to feel comfortable taking on leadership roles and increased women's participation in leadership positions across both the private and public sectors. These studies support my conclusion that women’s networks have transformative potential to help secure greater equity for women in our world today.  

References:

Barbara Pini, Kerry Brown, Chris Ryan, (2004) "Women‐only networks as a strategy for change? A case study from local government", Women in Management Review, Vol. 19 Issue: 6, pp.286-292, https://doi-org.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu/10.1108/09649420410555051

Coleman, M. (2010). Women-only (homophilous) networks supporting women leaders in education. Journal of Educational Administration, 48(6), 769-781. http://dx.doi.org.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu/10.1108/09578231011079610    

Cory, A. J. (2011). The influence of fraternity or sorority membership on the leadership identity development of college student leaders (Order No. 3460368). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global; Social Science Premium Collection. (876965298). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu/docview/876965298?accountid=11311

Long, L. D. (2012). UNCHALLENGED, PROFESSED CORE VALUES: Do undergraduate Fraternity/Sorority members actually benefit in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service, and friendship? College Student Affairs Journal, 30(2), 15-30,92. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu/docview/1503763845?accountid=11311