NCJ Number
58492
Journal
Police Studies Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Dated: (SPRING 1979) Pages: 39-42
Date Published
1979
Length
4 pages
Annotation
METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS ARE REPORTED FOR A STUDY THAT EXAMINED WHETHER PERSONS WITH A TRADITIONAL VERSUS A CONTEMPORARY SEX-ROLE ORIENTATION DIFFER IN THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARD WOMEN AS POLICE OFFICERS.
Abstract
TWO SCALES, ONE MEASURING SEX ROLE ORIENTATION AND THE OTHER ATTITUDES TOWARD WOMEN DOING POLICE WORK, WERE ADMINISTERED TO 100 MALE AND 89 FEMALE STUDENTS IN A CRIMINOLOGY AND PENOLOGY COURSE OFFERED AT A LARGE EASTERN UNIVERSITY. THE MAJORITY OF THE STUDENTS (62 PERCENT) WERE MAJORING IN LAW ENFORCEMENT/CORRECTIONS, MANY OF WHOM PLANNED TO BECOME POLICE OFFICERS. THE EIGHT ITEMS COMPRISING THE SEX-ROLE ORIENTATION SCALE WERE TAKEN FROM EXISTING SEX-ROLE ATTITUDE AND CONCEPT SCALES, WITH THE ITEMS SELECTED HAVING BOTH HIGH VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY (SPENCE AND HELMREICH, 1972; ALPER, 1973; AND MORELOCK, 1976). THE ITEMS FOR THE POLICEWOMEN ATTITUDE SCALE WERE DEVELOPED BY THE AUTHOR. BACKGROUND DATA WERE ALSO COLLECTED FROM EACH STUDENT, INCLUDING AGE, ACADEMIC CLASS STATUS, ACADEMIC MAJOR, AND FATHER'S OCCUPATION. THE FINDINGS WERE NOT ALTERED WHEN FURTHER STATISTICAL TESTS WERE CONDUCTED CONTROLLING FOR THESE BACKGROUND VARIABLES. THE DATA SHOW THAT SUBJECTS WITH A TRADITIONAL SEX-ROLE ORIENTATION EXPRESS MORE UNFAVORABLE ATTITUDES TOWARD FEMALE POLICE THAN DO THEIR COUNTERPARTS WITH A MORE CONTEMPORARY SEX ROLE ORIENTATION, AND MALE SUBJECTS EXPRESS LESS FAVORABLE ATTITUDES TOWARD FEMALE POLICE THAN DO FEMALE SUBJECTS. IF INCREASING THE REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN AND EXPANDING THEIR ROLES IN LAW ENFORCEMENT IS A DESIRED GOAL, AS EVALUATION STUDIES OF FEMALE POLICE OFFICER EFFECTIVENESS HAVE SHOWN, THEN A MAJOR CHANGE IS NEEDED IN MALE CONCEPTIONS AND ATTITUDES WITH RESPECT TO APPROPRIATE ROLES AND ACTIVITIES OF MEN AND WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)