Culture at Purdue - Week 1

Culture is unique in every sense of the word and definition, whether is the writing of Hess or Lucena or your own definition. Purdue without a doubt has its own culture. There are so many clubs, and there “are all sorts of intersecting and nested cultures”. All of these cultures can be representative of the different clubs and organizations at Purdue University.This weekend I went through a very distinct culture by rushing to enter the Greek community. By no measure is Greek life a symbol of all of Purdue. Instead, the Greek system is a great portion of Purdue society and very representative of a culture at Purdue.

Greek life is by far a distinct culture by the definition of not only Hess, but also Lucena. Greek life has rules, habits, normal routines, and everything you will find in a typical cultural setting. As stated by Hess, “culture includes not only the intangible beliefs of a people but also the domain of social action: rituals, work, trade, political institutions, family and kinship, and so on” , which all components of the Greek system. Greek organizations have rituals they have for choosing new members and inducting them. They use “work” within the organization to keep it running smoothly. Panhellenic council is the governing body of the Greek system. Within sororities, girls bond and are willing to trade their possessions and as they bond they form a deeper and stronger kinship. To some who are not in the Greek system, it can seem like a very overwhelming part of being a student at Purdue, because it a group that seems to be different from them. As Lucena states, “Dominant images create expectations about how individuals in that location are supposed to act and behave”. “Dominant images” can cause some to have misunderstood and discriminatory views towards Greek life. The truth is the students are just the same as everyone else and should be treated with the same respect you would treat another culture. Purdue is a cultural institution that provides and allows students to do and be whoever they wish. (engr 103)