Job Related Experiences of Women in Law Enforcement
To better understand whether education impacts male and female officers differently, the experiences of females navigating this gendered organization must be examined. The culture of masculinity in policing is only a microcosm of general androcentric attitudes found in society and though such perspectives did not originate within law enforcement, police agencies are certainly inclined to reinforce them (Crank, 1998, 2004). Such hegemonic ideologies have been well-established and women entering this realm recognize their exclusion from these constructs wherein they are commonly viewed as unwelcomed outsiders that seek to do “man’s work”. Due to the social position of women and the associated …show more content…
Along with the fact that traditionally, many male police officers have held the assumptions that women do not retain the physical or psychological capacity required to meet the demands of the police profession (Archbold, 2008; Balkin, 1988; Belcamp & Kastens, 1992; Bell, 1982; Breci, 1997; Carlin, 2009; Cuadrado, 1995; Lord, 1986; Martin, 1979, 1994, 1997; Nichols, 1995; Niederhoffer, 1978), a salient barrier faced by female POs is gender stereotyping that depicts them as being more nurturing and sensitive, but less aggressive than men. In order to gain acceptance as members of this fraternity, female officers must be comfortable engaging in adventurous/macho behavior. This gendered image may be even more problematic for white women since stereotypic paternalistic overprotection is reserved for this group (Martin, 1994). Martin (1994) also found support of this race-specific gendered image among female officers. In this study, black female officers reported that white female POs project an image that they require the protection of male officers and thereby, are reified as defenseless damsels. The refusal of black female officers to embrace this role causes them to be treated differently than their white female colleagues. As such, degreed, achievement-centered white female POs …show more content…
For many, the impetus for completing a college degree is normally associated with achieving better wages and status; however, research indicates that women in male-dominated professions must adopt the behaviors of their male counterparts to gain approval and compete for advancement opportunities (Davey, 2008). For women POs, this means that in most instances, they must project an image congruous with the traditionally masculine model of policing, the crime-fighter. With women being more likely to hold positions at the bottom of the organizational hierarchy, (National Center for Women and Policing, 2002), females are impelled to emphasize traditional masculine roles within the male dominated organization to both survive and advance (Davey,
To better understand whether education impacts male and female officers differently, the experiences of females navigating this gendered organization must be examined. The culture of masculinity in policing is only a microcosm of general androcentric attitudes found in society and though such perspectives did not originate within law enforcement, police agencies are certainly inclined to reinforce them (Crank, 1998, 2004). Such hegemonic ideologies have been well-established and women entering this realm recognize their exclusion from these constructs wherein they are commonly viewed as unwelcomed outsiders that seek to do “man’s work”. Due to the social position of women and the associated …show more content…
Along with the fact that traditionally, many male police officers have held the assumptions that women do not retain the physical or psychological capacity required to meet the demands of the police profession (Archbold, 2008; Balkin, 1988; Belcamp & Kastens, 1992; Bell, 1982; Breci, 1997; Carlin, 2009; Cuadrado, 1995; Lord, 1986; Martin, 1979, 1994, 1997; Nichols, 1995; Niederhoffer, 1978), a salient barrier faced by female POs is gender stereotyping that depicts them as being more nurturing and sensitive, but less aggressive than men. In order to gain acceptance as members of this fraternity, female officers must be comfortable engaging in adventurous/macho behavior. This gendered image may be even more problematic for white women since stereotypic paternalistic overprotection is reserved for this group (Martin, 1994). Martin (1994) also found support of this race-specific gendered image among female officers. In this study, black female officers reported that white female POs project an image that they require the protection of male officers and thereby, are reified as defenseless damsels. The refusal of black female officers to embrace this role causes them to be treated differently than their white female colleagues. As such, degreed, achievement-centered white female POs …show more content…
For many, the impetus for completing a college degree is normally associated with achieving better wages and status; however, research indicates that women in male-dominated professions must adopt the behaviors of their male counterparts to gain approval and compete for advancement opportunities (Davey, 2008). For women POs, this means that in most instances, they must project an image congruous with the traditionally masculine model of policing, the crime-fighter. With women being more likely to hold positions at the bottom of the organizational hierarchy, (National Center for Women and Policing, 2002), females are impelled to emphasize traditional masculine roles within the male dominated organization to both survive and advance (Davey,