Like Mother [Father], Like Daughter [Son]
Collected by Leslie Powell (leslie.a.powell@vanderbilt.edu)
Summary: Sorority [and fraternity] members attempt to find a romantic
match from the same Greek organization that the opposite-sex parent belonged to (if
applicable).
Text: In a discussion concerning the Greek system on Vanderbilt's campus,
the informant mentioned that sorority and fraternity members attempted to find a partner
from the fraternity or sorority that their opposite-sex parent belonged to when they were
in school. Conditions set around this effort were noted to be the individual's own
membership in the Greek organization that his/her same sex parent was in. Informant said
that she believed this would not be the absolute determining factor in attaining a
permanent match, but that it was given weight and does affect dating choices. Informant
claims to know several participants in the Greek system who do actively apply this logic
to their dating habits.
Notes:
Context:
A. Brief summary of tale: Sorority [and fraternity] members attempt to find a romantic
match from the same Greek organization that the opposite-sex parent belonged to (if
applicable).
B. Tale type and motifs: This is a tale on acceptable/ideal relationships. Motifs are
scant because the tale is very short and simple, but the tale provides wealth of material
for oedipal evaluation.
C. Comments on the tale: Tale was told by someone in a sorority who claims to know it to
be true for at least some fellow Greeks.
D. Approximate date informant first heard the tale: Freshman year in first weeks of
membership (Spring 1996)
E. Relationship of your informant with the individual from whom the informant heard the
tale: Sorority sister
F. Circumstances when tale was first heard: Sorority function/meeting
G. Give the following information on your informant:
Age: 21
Sex: F
Place of birth: Connecticut
Ethnic group: Caucasian
Languages spoken: French and Eng.
Religion: Presbyterian
Year in school: fourth
Extracurricular jobs: none
Date Collected: Sept., 1998