Cliques

“The most important thing to a lot of people, is to belong to something that's hip or whatever. To be a part of something that's not society, just a clique” (Ocasek). The musician Ron Ocasek sums up a common view of the word clique. Many people simply want to feel like they belong. This is where cliques come into play. The Merriam-Webster definition states that a clique is “a narrow exclusive circle or group of persons; especially: one held together by a presumed identity of interests, views, or purposes” (Clique [def 1]). In modern days the word clique has come into a new vogue; it is very common place to hear the term in high schools. Its use has even been extended to pop culture such as the hip hop song titled “Clique” by Kanye West.Although the term clique seems to be relatively new, its first use can be traced back to 1711. It is not exactly clear how the etymology of the word translates to what it means today. Clique comes from the middle French word clique and meant a literal clicking or crackling noise that one could hear. This definition does not really seem to fit with the meaning that has been assigned to it in modern day. Interestingly the word clique was seems to have been used synonymously with the French word claque which used to mean the clapping sound an audience would make. In modern days this world is associated with a group of political supporters. While its French meanings do not seem to suggest it, clique today refers to a type of group. This type of group usually consists of friends with similar interests or personalities. More recently this word has seemed to take on a relatively negative connotation. The Oxford Dictionary defines clique as “A small and exclusive party or set, a narrow coterie or circle: a term of reproach or contempt, applied generally to such as are considered to associate for unworthy or selfish ends, or to small and select bodies who arrogate supreme authority in matters of social status, literature, etc,” shows this well (Clique [def 2]). In today’s culture cliques tend to have a negative association but cliques do no end here. Pop culture shows many references to cliques. They appear in books, songs, and movies. In most of these instances there is a strong negative vibe to them. Simply based on the definition, any small close knit group of friends would qualify as a clique, in most cases only snobby cliques are referred to as such. The Encyclopedia of Group Processes and Intergroup Relations suggests that cliques form the top of the social hierarchy. In current movies and books cliques tend to consist of upper class girls who feel somewhat superior to their peers justifying this definition. This definition and term is seen frequently in adolescent groups. High schools thrive on cliques. Many movies have been centered on the social structures in high school. Cliques can be seen but the “popular” group tends to be the recipient of the term most often. These groups are rarely viewed as nice people. This assessment does not completely follow the dictionary definition but people connotations of words do seem to mean more than Webster’s definition. Contrary to popular belief, not all cliques are made up of people. It is also a mathematical term. Cliques, in math, are part of graph theory. While it has nothing to do with social hierarchies, it does have a similar group focused undertone. A clique is a graph where every vertex is connected to each other by a line thus creating a completely interconnected graph (Weisstein). This type of math can be used in many different ways in varying fields of study. Many times it is used in biology when looking at protein interaction and bioinformatics. One group of biologists used cliques to look at gene groups. They looked into this because it is easier to understand gene expression when gene groups are understood (Ben-Dor et. al.). There are several parallels that can be drawn between these two types of cliques. Both seem to describe a close knit cluster of things, whether they be people or vertices. The applications of mathematical cliques show one of these similarities. The gene groups are used to understand individual gene expression. In the same sense study of groups can provide immense insight into why individuals act the way they do. The power of groups is quite strong and can be seen in many instances. Another connection between these two types of cliques lies in their exclusivity. In a mathematical sense, clique graphs are very specific as to what is and is not included in the graph. If a new vertex is added to the system the graph would no longer remain a clique and is therefore excluded. Similarly, in modern society, cliques are viewed as very exclusive groups. Perhaps the term clique should not have such a negative connotation. It is simply a term to describe a close group. There is nothing wrong with forming tight knit bonds between people that are similar. All friend groups do this and yet not all of them are considered cliques. The social stereotypes placed on this word have given it a different meaning in essence. It is impossible for a word in such a vogue to not pick up connotations or stigmas. Whether it be snobby girls or graph theory cliques are omnipresent in today’s society.
 * Cliques and their Connotations **
 * By Sarah Flaherty **

Works Cited Ben-Dor, A., Shamir, R., & Yakhini, Z. (2004). Clustering Gene Expression Patterns [Abstract]. Journal of Computational Biology, 6(3-4). doi: 10.1089/106652799318274 Claque. (n.d.) The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. (2003). Retrieved September 14 2013 from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/claque Clique. (n.d.). Du Grand Dictionnaire De La Langue Française D'Emile Littré. Retrieved September 11,2013|, from http://littre.reverso.net/dictionnaire-francais/definition/clique Clique, [def 2], (n.d.). OED Online. September 2013. Oxford University Press. Retrieved September 14, 2013, from http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/34455?rskey=kb0SiX Clique. (n.d.). Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved September 11, 2013, from http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0Cliques. (2010). In J. M. Levine & M. A.. Clique, [def 1]. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster Unabridged. Retrieved September 14, 2013, from http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/clique Clique Quotes. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2013, from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/r/ricocasek205534.htm <span style="font-family: Helvetica,Arial,non-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 2em;">Hogg (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Group Processes & Intergroup Relations (Vol. 1, pp. 89-90). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Reference. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX3202000039&v=2.1&u=vic_uor&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w <span style="font-family: Helvetica,Arial,non-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 2em;">Weisstein, Eric W. "Clique." From MathWorld--A Wolfram Web Resource. http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Clique.html <span style="font-family: Helvetica,Arial,non-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 2em;">