An attempt is made to construct an ideal type of informal youth organization having the following components: an active, expressive pattern of action, multi-dimensional patterns of performances, symmetric relationships among participants, a dual structure, and the principle of moratorium; all these are based on a high degree of voluntary participation. These components are related (in an organizational framework) to such outcomes as the generation of value commitment. the integration of various strata, and mediation between childhood and adulthood. The paper exposes a dilemma: how to semi-institutionalize these organizations in an attempt to diminish the risk of developing antisocial commitment and at the same time to preserve their unique properties.
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