A normative clique or reference group is often the primary source of social interaction for the members of the clique, which can affect the values and beliefs of an individual. The comparative clique or reference group is a standard of comparison in which 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.[2] Cliques are often associated with children and teenagers in a classroom setting. Schools are a prime place where peer networks exist and can easily be accentuated through the differentiation of various cliques, and through the processes of inclusion and exclusion that characterize a clique.[3]
Many parents see cliques as ostracism; however, cliques are neither good nor bad. Cliques are formed by people grouping together based on things they have in common whether they be the "jocks," "preppy girls," or "nerds." The negative association of cliques in school settings occurs when bullying is found, but in many cases, bullying is not at all present. In reality, high school cliques are no different than cliques in the "real world." Once high school has ended, adults seem to group together with other people they share common interests with, and they do not hang with people they either do not like or cannot relate with. [4]
In social network theory, as well as in graph theory, a clique is a subset of individuals in which every person is connected to every other person. Graphically, it is a subset of points (or nodes) in which every possible pair of points is directly connected by a line, and which is not part of any other clique.[5]
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