Involvement in Clubs and Organizations

Abstract

Clubs and organizations are important contexts for positive adolescent development. They are best conceptualized as social contexts that afford adolescents opportunities to develop relationships with like‐minded peers and adults. There is an important interplay between involvement in clubs and organizations and positive developmental outcomes, with research suggesting that involvement in clubs and organizations can protect adolescents from engaging in antisocial behaviors, improve academic performance, enhance self‐esteem and well‐being, and provide a context for adolescents to explore their identity. Importantly, the entry discusses how some of the positive developmental outcomes attributable to involvement in clubs and organizations can be explained by positive social influences. Additionally, family and economic factors that can contribute to adolescent participation in clubs and organizations are outlined. The entry concludes by detailing several methodological limitations of the current research field, including selection biases, with corresponding future research directions.