Example Of Micro-Culture Identity On Campus

On and around the campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign I argue that there are two senses of belonging. The first way students “belong” or fit into the campus is through the school itself. The second means through which students feel included within the campus is in their respective micro-cultures or subgroups. The mix of these two cultures come together to make up student body’s identification.

I argue one of the two ways students identify themselves on campus is through a unified sense as an Illini. Students generally enter campus with little to no knowledge of what being an Illini means, but leave campus with vast explicit and tacit cultural knowledge. If someone on the quad was to yell “I-L-L” we know the proper response is to yell back “I-N-I.” This is an example of explicit knowledge students on campus learn throughout their four years. At football or basketball games we cheer for our team. It is these types of moments where we-students or even staff for that

Approximately 23% of students participate in Greek life (Office of Dean of Students). In the text fraternity life is described as a well known micro-culture, “For example, a college fraternity has a micro-culture within the the context of the university and a nation. Its members have special daily routines, jokes, and meanings for events. It is this shared knowledge that makes up their micro-culture…” (Spradley and McCurdy p.4). I can attest to the micro-culture experience of being a member of Greek life. There are special pieces of history we honor, inside jokes and brotherhood that create a strong micro-culture. I identify as much as an individual as I do a member of the fraternity. Within the Greek system there are various racially and religiously based chapters. Those houses represent a sub-group within a micro-culture; which offers proof that race or religion can be considered important cultures on