What are cliques? |

A clique is a group of people who purposely exclude others from joining. The people in a clique spend time together and share common interests and views. Typically, one or two people lead the clique and choose who can be part of it. The leaders also set certain rules for members of the clique. Clique members are often mean to outside people. This may cause people outside the clique to feel hurt and left out. But some people who are part of a clique feel trapped. These people may realize they no longer want to be part of the clique. They may grow tired of being controlled by the leaders of the clique or realize they are hurting people outside the clique.

Cliques usually form in schools, but they can also form in the workplace. Extroverts and people who fit a particular stereotype when they were in high school are most likely to be part of a workplace clique. Members of a workplace clique often socialize with each other inside and outside the workplace. However, some workplace clique members feel pressured to participate in activities they do not want to engage in. Furthermore, workplace cliques can harm someone’s career. People who are not part of a clique and feel left out can take a number of actions, such as making friends with others who are also not part of a clique.

Overview

A clique is an exclusive group of people. Cliques often consist of popular people who want to belong. A clique is different than a regular group of friends because people in a clique leave others out on purpose. Because of this, people who are not part of the clique may feel hurt and excluded. Members of a clique may also be purposely mean to people on the outside, further causing these individuals to suffer emotionally.

Cliques are a part of socialization in schools and most commonly form in elementary school, middle school, and high school. By the time high school comes to an end, most cliques have been dissolved. Cliques often include members who share certain interests or participate in specific activities. In sociology, a clique would be considered an ingroup. For example, a high school may have a clique of football players, a clique of honors students, and a clique of gamers. Both boys and girls can be in cliques, but girl cliques are more common. Typically, girl cliques are also meaner to outside people than boy cliques.

A clique usually has one or two members who lead it. These leaders choose who can be part of the clique. At the same time, the leaders choose who gets left out of the clique. The leaders typically also set rules for members of the clique. They often require members to conform to the clique. They might also prohibit members from talking to or hanging out with people outside the clique or members of other cliques. In addition, the leaders may set rules for how to dress. For these reasons, someone who joins a clique often acts differently than he or she did before joining.

A clique may not only make those outside of it unhappy, but also those within it. People in a clique feel trapped. They may realize that they no longer want to be in the clique. They may have grown tired of being bossed around by the leader of the clique. They may also feel as though they have to change who they are to be in the clique. Furthermore, they may realize that by excluding others, they are hurting these individuals' feelings. They may also feel that they are missing the opportunity to be friends with other people.

Although most cliques form in schools, some form in the workplace. Some people join a workplace clique to feel a sense of security or a sense of social identity. Workplace cliques generally consist of people who fit a particular stereotype when they were in high school. For example, a person who fit into the class clown stereotype in high school is likely to join a workplace clique. Furthermore, people who are extroverts are more likely to be part of a workplace clique than people who are introverts. Members of a workplace clique generally socialize both inside and outside the workplace. However, some of these people may engage in activities they do not really want to participate in. For example, a person in a workplace clique may feel pressured to go out to eat with other members of the clique even though he is not interested in doing so. He does it anyway because he wants to fit in with the clique. Although workplace cliques are fairly common, they can be harmful to one’s career. They can be counterproductive, prevent collaboration, and negatively impact career advancement.

If people are not part of a clique and feel left out, they can take several actions. They can become friends with others who are also not part of a clique. Oftentimes, this involves looking for friends who go to a different school or who are younger or older. Furthermore, they can become friends with someone who is part of a clique. Simply inviting that person to hang out might cause him or her to leave the clique and may lead to a lasting friendship.

KidsHealth. “How Cliques Make Kids Feel Left Out.” KidsHealth. Nemours Foundation. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. <http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/school/clique.html#>

Long, Cindy. “Conquering Cliques in School.” NEA Today. National Education Association. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. <http://neatoday.org/2013/07/12/conquering-cliques-in-school/>

Merriam-Webster. “Clique.” Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clique>

Smith, Jacquelyn. “How to Deal with Cliques at Work.” Forbes. Forbes Media, LLC. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/07/25/how-to-deal-with-cliques-at-work/>