NCJ Number
42305
Date Published
1977
Length
134 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY SURVEYS THE USE OF THE RHETORIC OF PROFESSIONALISM BY POLICE IN THE UNITED STATES IN DEFENSE OF THEIR OCCUPATION WHEN IT IS UNDER ATTACK FROM CRITICS.
Abstract
THE ATTACKS EXAMINED COINCIDE WITH TIMES OF SOCIAL UNREST WHEN ORDER-MAINTENANCE NEEDS ARE PARAMOUNT AND POLICE INEFFECTIVENESS (INCLUDING OVERREACTION) MOST VISIBLE. THE PERIODS CHOSEN ARE 1860 TO 1970, AN ERA MARKED BY HEAVY IMMIGRATION, URBAN GROWTH, AND THE DRAFT RIOTS; 1919 TO 1931, WITH BOTH ITS RACE RIOTS AND THE RED SCARE; AND 1964 TO 1974, WHEN THE STRESSES AND DISRUPTIONS OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT ABND ITS AFTERMATH CREATED A STEADY CHALLENGE TO SOCIAL ORDER. A CONCEPTUAL MODEL BASED ON ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND DERIVED FROM DISTINGUISHING FUNCTIONS, STRATEGIES, AND POLITICAL IDEOLOGY OF THE POLICE OCCUPATION IS DEVELOPED TO ASSUME THAT THE FORM OF POLICE RHETORIC WILL MOVE SEQUENTIALLY FROM CONCERNS ABOUT BASIC SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC INTEREST TO CONCERNS ABOUT TECHNIQUES FOR IMPROVING PERFORMANCE AND THEN TO CONCERNS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE OCCUPATION AND ITS PLACE IN THE LARGER SOCIETY. SEVERAL THEMES ARE DEVELOPED IN THIS BOOK. ONE IS THAT A RHETORIC OF PROFESSIONALISM IS USED BY THE POLICE AS AN ORGANIZATIONAL DEFENSE MECHANISM IN RESPONSE TO ATTACKS ON THE ORGANIZATION AS IT FAILS TO SATISFY THE OUTSIDE WORLD, WHETHER POLITICAL SUPERIORS OR THE POLICED PUBLIC. A SECOND POSITION, EXAMINED AND UPHELD, IS THAT THE CONTENT WILL BE DRAWN FROM THE LARGER ENVIRONMENT'S VALUES, ESPECIALLY ITS DOMINANT POLITICAL IDEOLOGY. THE THIRD THESIS IS THAT THE FORM (CONCERNS ARTICULATED) WILL DEPEND UPON THE TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGIES AVAILABLE. IT BECOMES CLEAR IN THE ANALYSIS THAT THE RHETORIC IS CUMULATIVE. ATTENTION IS FOCUSED ON A DISCUSSION OF REASONS WHY POLICE RHETORIC OF PROFESSIONALISM IS ONLY OCCASIONALLY FOLLOWED BY RELATED REFORM ACTIVITIES. IMPLICATIONS OF THIS FINDING ARE EXPLORED AND THE STRENGTH OF THE UNIONIZATION MOVEMENT AS IT AFFECTS PROFESSIONALISM IS EXAMINED. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES THAT RHETORIC ITSELF IS PARTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF PROFESSIONALIZATION AND THAT POLICING HAS NOT YET BECOME A PROFESSION IN THE SOCIOLOGICAL SENSE LARGELY BECAUSE OF POLICE ACCEPTANCE OF THEIR OWN RHETORIC OF PROFESSIONALISM. A NINE-PAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY AND AN INDEX ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)...ELW