What are the Differences Between Men’s Friendships and Fraternal Brotherhood? Implications for Violence Prevention Efforts on Campus

How are fraternal brotherhoods created and how do they differ from “regular” friendships between college men? Based on findings from a longitudinal study of fraternity men, this presentation explores the concept of “brotherhood” as framed in terms of sacrifice and access to power and status on campus, while friendships are based on reciprocity, or the idea of relational give-and-take. The second part of this presentation will explore opportunities to encourage college fraternities to lean on the aspects of brotherhood that more closely resemble genuine friendship, rather than the parts of brotherhood that encourage blind solidarity and promote status anxiety.