NCJ Number
45404
Date Published
1977
Length
308 pages
Annotation
A STUDY EXPLORING THE WAYS IN WHICH POLICEWOMEN MESH THEIR OCCUPATIONAL AND SEX ROLES WAS CONDUCTED; POLICE OFFICERS IN WASHINGTON, D.C., WERE INTERVIEWED ABOUT THEIR CAREERS AND ATTITUDES.
Abstract
THE STUDY EXAMINED: (1) THE SPECIAL PROBLEMS POLICEWOMEN FACE AS NEWCOMERS AND AS WOMEN ASSIGNED TO PATROL DUTIES IN SURVIVING IN THE WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PERFORMING THEIR OCCUPATIONAL ROLE; AND (2) THE MECHANISMS THEY EMPLOY TO COPE WITH PROBLEMS AND DILEMMAS POSED BY THE FORMAL AND INFORMAL WORK ORGANIZATION AND THE DAY-TO-DAY PATTERNS OF INTERACTION WITH PEERS, SUPERVISORS, AND CLIENTS. THE RESEARCH FINDINGS ARE BASED ON BOTH PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION AND INTERVIEW DATA GATHERED PRINCIPALLY IN ONE POLICE DISTRICT IN WASHINGTON, D.C., BETWEEN OCTOBER 1975 AND JUNE 1976. THE AUTHOR WORKED FOR 9 MONTHS AS A MEMBER OF THE METROPOLITAN POLICE RESERVE CORPS, A CITIZEN ORGANIZATION WHOSE MEMBERS WORK IN UNIFORM ALONG SIDE OF POLICE OFFICERS. IN ADDITION, INTERVIEWS AVERAGING 1-AND-1/2 TO 2 HOURS IN LENGTH WERE CONDUCTED WITH 27 POLICEMEN, 28 POLICEWOMEN, AND 15 OFFICIALS OF THE OBSERVATION DISTRICT PLUS 7 CURRENT OR FORMER POLICEWOMEN INVOLVED IN THE DEPARTMENT'S POLICEWOMEN PROGRAM. THE INTERVIEWS, INCLUDING BOTH OPEN AND CLOSED QUESTIONS, ELICITED INFORMATION ABOUT OFFICER'S BACKGROUNDS, CAREER CHOICE, EXPECTATIONS AND ASPIRATIONS, TRAINING, AND ATTITUDES TOWARD DEPARTMENT, CITIZENS, FELLOW OFFICERS, AND THE WORK ITSELF. THE DIFFICULTIES THAT POLICEWOMEN WERE FOUND TO FACE IN ENTERING A TRADITIONALLY MALE OCCUPATION EMANATE FROM STRUCTURAL FEATURES OF THE WORK ORGANIZATION AND CULTURAL FEATURES GOVERNING MALE-FEMALE INTERACTION. DEPARTMENTAL POLICIES OFTEN PUT THE POLICEWOMEN AT A DISADVANTAGE BY FAILING TO MEET THEIR UNIQUE NEEDS AND PERMITTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CYCLE OF DEMOTIVATION AND FAILURE ON THE PART OF SOME WOMEN. THE POLICEMEN'S WORK SUBCULTURE, BUILT ON MUTUAL TRUST OF OFFICERS WITH SIMILAR BACKGROUNDS, ATTITUDES, AND VALUES, IS THREATENED BY THE PRESENCE OF POLICEWOMEN. FOR THIS REASON, WOMEN ARE NOT ACCEPTED AS OFFICERS AND ARE FREQUENTLY DENIED INFORMATION, ALLIANCES, PROTECTION, AND SPONSORSHIP NECESSARY FOR SUCCESS IN THE DEPARTMENT'S FORMAL AND INFORMAL STRUCTURE. AT THE INTERPERSONAL LEVEL, FEMALE OFFICERS MUST CONTEND WITH THE STRAINS OF STATUS INFERIORITY AS WOMEN, COMPOUNDED BY PERFORMANCE PRESSURES AS TOKENS PRESENT IN LIMITED NUMBERS. THEY ARE CAST INTO LIMITING STEREOTYPIC ROLES AND PRESSURED BY MALE PEERS TO REMAIN SUBORDINATE THROUGH A VARIETY OF VERBAL AND NONVERBAL CUES. POLICEWOMEN ADOPT TWO PATTERNS OF BEHAVIOR AS A RESULT OF THE DILEMMAS THEY FACE: ONE GROUP SUCCEEDS AS OFFICERS BY A STRATEGY OF OVERACHIEVEMENT, INVISIBILITY, AND STRICT ADHERENCE TO THE RULES, WHILE THE OTHER ADAPTS TO THE STEREOTYPIC ROLES INTO WHICH WOMEN ARE CAST, REMAINING 'LADIES' AND BEING LESS SUCCESSFUL AS PATROL OFFICERS. MOST POLICEWOMEN ATTEMPT TO FIND AN INTERMEDIATE COMPROMISE, BUT THEIR SITUATION AS PATROL OFFICERS IS STRESSFUL AND DIFFICULT WHICHEVER PATH THEY ADOPT. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS AND DATA ARE APPENDED, AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)