Matching Items (2)
Description
The occupation of policing has long been associated with masculinity. Resistance
to the integration of women into the law enforcement profession stemmed from widely
held beliefs that women were incapable of performing the police function. Although
much has changed in policing, female officers are bombarded with masculine symbols
depicting mostly the agentic characteristics associated with the law enforcement
profession. Or, they are offered socially and culturally constructed definitions of who
they are supposed to be as women as well as what is lacking in them as officers. This
study explores the disparity between how female police officers are viewed, what they
experience, and how they are represented. The perspective of the female officer was
captured, and presented through visual images obtained by participants. Descriptive
coding and thematic analysis converted photographs and written narratives into
participant generated themes and stories. Female officers in this study resisted stereotypic
portraits of women in policing and sought expanded boundaries of inclusion within their
profession. Participants produced some understanding of how women construct their
personal and professional identities relative to gender, as well as the larger roles of
women in society.
to the integration of women into the law enforcement profession stemmed from widely
held beliefs that women were incapable of performing the police function. Although
much has changed in policing, female officers are bombarded with masculine symbols
depicting mostly the agentic characteristics associated with the law enforcement
profession. Or, they are offered socially and culturally constructed definitions of who
they are supposed to be as women as well as what is lacking in them as officers. This
study explores the disparity between how female police officers are viewed, what they
experience, and how they are represented. The perspective of the female officer was
captured, and presented through visual images obtained by participants. Descriptive
coding and thematic analysis converted photographs and written narratives into
participant generated themes and stories. Female officers in this study resisted stereotypic
portraits of women in policing and sought expanded boundaries of inclusion within their
profession. Participants produced some understanding of how women construct their
personal and professional identities relative to gender, as well as the larger roles of
women in society.
ContributorsVeach, Paula (Author) / Puckett, Kathleen (Thesis advisor) / Kleinsasser, Robert (Committee member) / Rabe-Hemp, Cara (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
Police officers in America interact with civilians on a daily basis as function of their job, and the way people perceive police officers can either help or hurt officers in performance of their duties. I conducted an experiment to test whether people perceive a police officer’s use of force differently depending on the officer’s race and gender. First, when an officer uses force, I propose competing hypotheses that a female officer will be viewed as less favorable than a male officer; however, because female aggression is less expected, I also predict that they will be viewed as more favorable than male officers. Second, when an officer uses force, I predict that a Black officer will be viewed as more aggressive than a White Officer. Lastly, I predict that perceptions of the officer (i.e., perceived aggression and emotional reactivity) would mediate the relationship between officer gender and attitudes towards the officer. Using an experimental survey design with a video of a police-civilian interaction, I found support that female officers were viewed more favorably than male officers when force was used. I found no support that Black officers would be viewed as more aggressive than White officers. Lastly, I found partial support that perceptions of the officer mediated the relationship between officer gender and attitudes towards the officer.
ContributorsSanchez, Manuel Justin (Author) / Salerno, Jessica M (Thesis advisor) / Schweitzer, Nicholas J (Committee member) / Hall, Deborah L. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017