Low Self Esteem
After reading Kenneth Bruffe essay on binge drinking, I drew the conclusion he was trying to point out that college students with low- self esteem usually turn to drinking for comfort. Bruffe talks about how freshmen college students turn to fraternities and sororities to avoid the journey of getting to know others outside of the Greek culture.He talks about his experience with his fraternity and his college years,and also adds in a research background on the topic, making the essay persuasive, which made me focus on what was being said.Bruffe gives great example of his own experience as a college, but while reading his essay you sense stereo typing.He makes in seem as Greek cultures are the same. Then he gives reason why students becomes a binge drinker.Bruffe mentions that the reduce of social desperation can drive a student to alcohol. The message that I received after reading this essay was, work before pleasure.
5 comments:
I'm not sure it's "work before pleasure," but rather "pleasure through work." He doesn't want students to get their school work done and then go party. He wants students to form meaningful friendships built around academic interests, so that their school work is pleasurable.
I certainty agree that low self-esteem is one of the reasons why people binge drink. Low self-esteemed students do not take chances; they seem to want to remain in their bubble. I disagree that Bruffe had a low self-esteem he just wanted to belong.
I don’t think Kenneth Bruffe was saying that college students who have low self-esteem turn to drinking for comfort. What I do think he was saying that college students would do almost anything to feel like they fit in whether it is drinking or something less extreme. I think drinking was used as an example as to one of the things people would do just to fit in. I do agree that Bruffe was stereotyping fraternities and sororities. He does make it seem like all sororities and fraternities do is party and drink alcohol, maybe that was all he remembered of his fraternity experience.
While reading this statement I am not sure that I can totally agree with what is being said. People with low self esteem might indeed turn to drinking to make friends but not everyone with low self esteem drinks to make up for it. Many things can be done besides drinking to make friends, not only people with low self esteem but for anyone who wants to make friends. In college I have found there are many organizations, besides fraternities and sororities, one could join to make friends like sports, FCA, drama clubs and much more. So through experience drinking is not the answer for people to make new friends and yes you might drink with them but everyone needs to base their friendships on more than just drinking.
I agree with you about the low self-esteem. There is many people that I know that turns to drinking due to their low self-esteem,however there is no good cause coming from binge drinking.
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