Cliques, Clubs, and Community: An Ethnographic Inquiry into Highschool Belonging

• In Event: Children and Youth Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 7: Open Topic on Children & Youth

Abstract

School belonging is contextual, varied, and multidimensional. As an “opportunity for connectedness” (Craggs and Kelly 2018:1418), extracurriculars offer a way to examine how students foster belonging in schools. These formalized peer groups may be particularly helpful for LGBTQ+ students and youth of color, who face greater instances of violence and lower rates of school connectedness than their heterosexual peers (“Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth” 2024). The literature on clubs centered on marginalized groups demonstrates that these groups are important for feeling supported, identity formation, and promoting awareness of minoritized communities. Still, it remains unclear when, how, and under what conditions marginalized youth gravitate toward these groups, and what the alternative spaces of belonging are. The current study thus seeks to answer two broad questions: (1) What is the role of clubs in fostering student belonging? (2) How does this relationship work for Black and LGBTQ+ students in particular? This study examines these questions through participant observation and interviews with students, staff, and administrators within a large publics high school in Indiana.

Author

• Dalia Mota, University of Notre Dame