Clique

=**__Clique__**=

Everybody is probably in one and it sounds familiar but it has also a psychological background and is important for personal development.

**A clique is a small, exclusive group of people within a larger group who share common interests, views, purposes, or patterns of behavior.**
People in a clique exchange something among themselves such as friendship, affection, or information. A clique includes more than two people. And all members have something in common and rely on each other. Cliques can define their selves for example by wearing a certain type of clothes. Members of cliques may also imitate one another’s clothing, speech, or hairstyles.


 * Belonging to this kind of group (clique) is very important in adolescent development.**
 * A clique serves several functions:**

-Most obvious is the need for closeness with others

-Members of cliques give each other social support

- Another point is that cliques help people to define their selves, a way of establishing an identity

-Also it helps to develop a sense of independence from family

-Clarifying values and experimentation with new roles

-Can give peer acceptance


 * Unfortunately cliques have negative aspects also:**

-Clique members can give negative feedback to each other and show what someone is or not is

-That’s why clique membership separates an adolescent from others who are not in this certain group/ clique

-the problem of cliques is also that there are some popular and not popular ones which makes a network between all different kind of cliques very difficult

www.wikipedia.com Glencoe, Understanding Psychology ( Chapter 4, Section3, page 111) http://www.oprah.com/relationships/relationships_content.jhtml?contentId=con_20020916_popular.xml&section=Family&subsection=Parenting
 * sources:**