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A clique (IPA:/\'klɪk/) is an exclusive group of people who share common interests, views, purposes, or patterns of behavior. A clique is a subset of individuals from a larger group, who are more closely identified with one another than the remaining members of the group, and who exchange something among themselves, such as friendship, affection, or information.Tichy, Noel (June 1973). "An Analysis of Clique Formation and Structure in Organizations". Administrative Science Quarterly 18 (2): 194–208.
A clique has an informal structure, and it is composed of more than two people. All the members of the group have some type of relationship with one another, and thus the group is tightly knit together as a type of social network.
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According to some sociologists, one reason for the formation of a clique relates to the desire of individuals to compare themselves with other individuals who are of the same social status.Deutsch, Morton, and Robert Krauss (1965). Theories in Social Psychology. New York: Basic Books. Another word for clique is reference group, or a group of individuals which is used as a standard by which to evaluate attitudes, abilities, or current situations.Jones, Edward, and Harold Gerrard (1965). Foundations of Social Psychology. New York: Wiley Books. A clique as a reference group can be either normative or comparative.
A normative clique or reference group is the source of values and beliefs for the individual. The comparative clique or reference group is a standard of comparison by which individuals evaluate themselves and others.Kelley, Harold H. (1952). "Two functions of reference groups", in G. Swanson, T.M. Newcomb, and E. Hartley: Readings in Social Psychology. New York: Henry Holt, 410–414. Individuals of a clique can view other individuals in their clique as the norm, while they tend to use other status groups or cliques as a frame of reference by which they compare themselves. Thus, cliques are formed in order for people to join with other individuals and establish a norm based on values, characteristics, or common interests, and to also use other groups of people as a frame of comparison for themselves.
A clique can exist in the workplace, in a community, in the classroom, in a business, or any other area of social interaction. Cliques tend to form within the boundaries of a larger group where opportunities to interact are great. (June 1989) "Classroom Characteristics and Student Friendship Cliques". Social Forces 67 (4): 898–919. Cliques are often associated with children and teenagers in a classroom setting. Schools are a prime place where peer network exist and can easily be accentuated through the differentiation of various cliques, and through the processes of inclusion and exclusion that characterize a clique.Adler, Patricia A., Steven J. Kless, and Peter Adler (1992). "Socialization to Gender Roles: Popularity among Elementary School Boys and Girls". Sociology of Education 65 (3): 169–187.
Members of a clique give one another a type of social support, and that social support can take the form of social development, especially in the case of children and adolescents. Inclusion in a clique can give individuals peer acceptance, whereas exclusion from a clique can hinder peer acceptance and damage an individual’s self-image and self-confidence. Much of the existing research on cliques focuses on elementary-age children and their social networks, and emphasizes the popularity individuals gain from inclusion vs. and being in a high-status clique vs. a low-status clique.Asher, Steven R. and Peter D. Renshaw (1981). "Children without Friends: Social Knowledge and Social Skill Training", in Steven Asher and John Gottman: The Development of Children’s Friendships. New York: Cambridge University Press, 273–296.
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