PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY FOR CALIFORNIA ARCHAEOLOGY
1988-2004
“The Other Gender: The Archaeology of an Early 20th Century Fraternity”
Laurie A. Wilkie
Abstract
Studies of gender within historical archaeology have largely focused upon the experiences of women rather than dealing with the issue of how gender is constructed and changes through the course of an individual's life. In this paper, the relationship between age-status and gender role within the early 20th century, all male community of Zeta Psi fraternity is explored. The men of Zeta Psi balanced their need to maintain a sense of male identity while also adjusting to the domestic necessities of running an all male household. Archaeological, documentary and oral historical data are utilized to understand how the brothers of Zeta Psi maintained a shared sense of masculinity while also instituting a gender-age status system within the house.