NCJ Number
25598
Date Published
1973
Length
265 pages
Annotation
STUDY OF ROOKIE POLICEMEN IN ILLINOIS TO DETERMINE WHO BECOMES A POLICEMAN, THE INFLUENCE OF HIS SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS ON THE PROCESS OF BECOMING A POLICEMAN, AND THE WAY HE COMMITS HIMSELF TO THE POLICE ROLE.
Abstract
AN EFFORT WAS MADE TO GATHER DATA ON SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND FELLOW POLICEMEN TO SEE HOW THEY AFFECT THE POLICEMAN'S CONCEPTION OF HIS JOB. CENTRAL TO THIS LINE OF INQUIRY WAS THE IMPORTANCE OF HUMAN INTERACTION AND ITS ROLE IN INFLUENCING HUMAN BEHAVIOR. THE SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONIST PERSPECTIVE WAS EMPLOYED, USING ANALYTIC INDUCTION TO INTERPRET THE POLICEMAN'S WORLD. PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION AND INTENSIVE INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED AT A PRIVATE DORMITORY WHICH HOUSES POLICEMEN ATTENDING THE STATE'S BASIC TRAINING COURSE FOR POLICEMEN. THE RESEARCH YIELDED A SEQUENTIAL NETWORK OF SIX PROPOSITIONS WHICH STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PROCESSUAL NATURE OF HUMAN INTERACTION AS THIS APPLIES TO THE POLICE ROOKIE. THE POLICE ROOKIE WAS SEEN AS PASSING THROUGH A TURNING POINT EXPERIENCE THAT PREDISPOSED HIM TOWARD POLICE WORK (PROPOSITION ONE); REDEFINING OR NEUTRALIZING ANY EXTRA-POLICE OPPOSITION TO HIS PROPOSED ENTRY INTO THE OCCUPATION (PROPOSITION TWO); BEING EXPOSED TO FAVORABLE INTERACTION WITH OTHER POLICEMEN (PROPOSITION THREE); ADJUSTING TO REALITY SHOCK THAT HE IS EXPOSED TO UPON EXPERIENCING POLICE WORK FIRST ALTER OR EVEN WITHDRAW FROM PREVIOUS SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS (PROPOSITION FIVE); AND FINALLY ACCEPTING THE WAY POLICE WORK IS DONE WITHIN HIS DEPARTMENT AND THE EFFECT HIS NEW ROLE HAS ON HIS PERSONAL LIFE (PROPOSITION SIX). THESE SIX PROPOSITIONS WERE, IN COMBINATION, FOUND TO BE BOTH NECESSARY AND SUFFICIENT IN EXPLAINING AND ACCOUNTING FOR WHO BECOMES A POLICEMAN AND HOW THE POLICEMAN ACCEPTS HIS ROLE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)