Cliques in High SchoolsCliques in High SchoolsDavid BalsimoMrs. ReedSenior Composition16 March 2008Cliques in High Schools“For the most part, we do not first see, and then define; we define first and then see…” (Berelson and Janowitz). In this paper, I will be discussing stereotypes of cliques. I will also examine how cliques can have a negative effect on high school students’ social skills. I will first explain stereotypes, then I will clarify the difference between cliques and crowds, and I will talk about the characteristics and influences of cliques, and finally I will discuss why cliques can be dangerous.
Everyone, no matter who they are, use stereotypes it is a natural part of being a human being. Wikipedia.com defines stereotypes as, “a simplified and/or standardized conception or image with specific meaning, often held in common by one group of people about another group.” Stereotypes aid in how people see others, and can be positive or negative thoughts or feelings. Most commonly stereotypes group persons based on racial group, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation.
There are many different factors that affect stereotypes: historical factors, generalization, first impressions, association of persons with groups, ect. People tend to develop stereotypes when they are unable or unwilling to obtain all of the information we would need to make fair judgments about people or situations. It is easier to create stereotypes when there is a clearly visible and constant quality that can easily be recognized. This is why people of color, police and women are so easily stereotype. For example, if an African American male who is wearing baggy pants, a bandana and listening to rap music is walking down the street, the stereotype might be that he is in a gang and quite possibly you might turn around and walk the other direction.
Hollywood: A Cultural Revolution: An American Dream, 1939-2015
After the tragic events during World War II, some people wanted a new life in Hollywood. This came about as a result of the “cultural revolution”, which is the desire for the media to be at least transparent about the negative effects of discrimination and the potential benefits to those who were denied the opportunity to experience some of the cultural pleasures of life in the U.S.
To create a new culture and economy, Hollywood decided to create a new political party with many of the characteristics that were initially in practice, such as voting in the U.S. presidential elections and women in national leadership positions on major organizations. The party went on to form many key coalition leaders, such as a coalition of anti-racist, anti-sex, anti-capitalist, anti-war and anti-bias groups. Hollywood also used this ideology to create its own “Babylonian” version of feminism, which it believed would be the strongest anti-immigrant, anti-immigration, anti-war, and anti-terrorism movement in history. As part of this effort to create a future society, Hollywood would also be producing movies to appeal to a critical mass of Americans who were interested in the current issues confronting America’s future and its future economy. These include women’s rights issues, climate change, gun control, reproductive rights, women’s rights, and more.
The American Dream: The Political Party for Whites
As racism and bigotry are the most pervasive forms of discrimination, whites today have little control over the political party that is represented. The Democratic Party can’t provide a system of rules and regulations that ensures that everyone benefits when they are at the bottom of society. For whites in this state, their system of government looks like the opposite of their experience. They are told that they are racist by their representatives and by their parties, even though they are both racist as well.
Thus, as a result of the progressive changes that occurred in the U.S. presidential election in November, black Americans have lost their position as a minority group to whites in office (see Figure ). In fact, as a result of the 2010 election, black voters were not more likely than any other group to vote to reject the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, and the Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton. Black voters were also more likely than any other group to vote for the Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump.
Because black voters are the most important minority groups in the United States, there is no other race more crucial to the democratic process to ensure the stability of the democratic system. Thus, black people vote for the Republicans in presidential elections on the basis of their perceived status as the leaders of the black majority. On November 6, 2016 , in the most racially motivated presidential election held since 1787 , black voters were 2.1 times more likely to vote for President Barack Obama than Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney . The Democratic Party’s racial and racial preferences are so broad that it is no surprise that this trend
According to Bishop, we must first know the difference between a clique and a crowd. Cliques are small exclusive tightly knit groups who often share similar attitudes and behavior pattersn, due in part to their influence on eachother. In the strictest defintion a clique is simply a small group of friends with common interests. Crowds are defined as, “reputation-based collectives of similarly stereotyped individuals who may or may not spend time together.”
Crowd membership is often determined by stereotypical aspects such as: race, clothing, value systems, lifestyles, and physiques. Crowd membership can start to affect children as early as middle school when others are already determing where they believe you fit in. It also can determine what friends you are “allowed” to have. Once assigned to a particular crowd, it is difficult to change.
Clique membership is a little different than crowd membership. Like crowds, cliques typcially form during middle school and continue into high school. Cliques is more of a chosen path versus crowds usually you are just lumped into one by someone else. In recent years, there have been reports of children forming cliques at younger and younger ages. This could be caused by the rise of working parents placing their children in day care, therefore causing children to begin socializing earlier in lfire. Cliques become more important in middle school and high school because this is when peer influences rises and contact with parents decreases. On average, adolescents spend on-third of all waking hours with friends; they spend, in comparison, only fifteen percent of time with their parents(
Cliques vary in size from three to ten members, with most having about five members. Many of the same cliques in high schools across the nation, and many similar cliques continue to exist throughout the decades. In a survey where 100,000 high school students were given traits and asked to assign them to the “popular” clique these were the results (Bishop):
Cool Clothes- 64 %Attractive- 61%Funny- 60%Good in Sports- 55%Outgoing- 53%Self Confident- 48%Worked hard for Grades- 22%Attentive in Class- 21%Smart-