Fraternity : an inside look at a year of college boys becoming men / Alexandra Robbins.

Includes bibliographical references.

Introduction : a different kind of story about boys in college -- How fraternities became dominant in American culture -- House and hierarchy : what happens behind closed doors -- What it really means to represent the letters -- Pledging : "earning" the letters -- The secret reason hazing continues -- Why are students drinking? -- Why fraternity alcohol interventions don't work -- Girls and group identity : how chapters can influence guys' attitudes -- "How do I get the high fives?" : why good boys do bad things -- Looking out for each other and "helping the fraternity out" -- "Don't drink the punch" : mixers, matches, rape, and the sorority POV -- The brotherhood : relying on a second family -- "The fraternity saved my life" : what does brotherhood mean? -- What makes a (college) man : how fraternities view masculinity -- "It's okay to cry" : the pressures of masculinity and how fraternities can ease them -- Good fraternities vs. bad frats : how to tell the difference -- How to find a healthy chapter that's the right fit -- Advice for parents and students.

"Meet Jake, a studious new freshman weighing how far to go to find a brotherhood that will introduce him to lifelong friends and help conquer his social awkwardness; and Oliver, a hardworking chapter president trying to keep his misunderstood fraternity out of trouble despite multiple run-ins with the police. Their year-in-the-life stories help explain why students are joining fraternities in record numbers despite scandalous headlines. To find out what it's like to be a fraternity brother in the twenty-first century, Robbins contacted hundreds of brothers whose chapters don't make headlines. Brothers who suggested that many fraternities can be safe spaces for men. Fraternity is more than just an engrossing, character-driven read that includes a stunning twist. It's a vital book about the transition from boyhood to manhood; it weaves psychology, current events, neuroscience, and interviews to explore the state of masculinity today, and what that means for students and their parents. It's a different kind of story about college boys, a story in which they candidly discuss navigating identity, sex, social media, drinking, peer pressure, gender roles, and even porn. And it's a book about boys at a vulnerable age who, in a climate that can stigmatize them merely for being male, are trying to forge a path to manhood while on their own for perhaps the first time--and they don't want to navigate this complicated, coming-of-age journey alone"-- Provided by publisher.