Transcript Police Culture

Police Culture
Norms, Values,
Attitudes & Behavior
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Models of Police
Behavior
Group Behavior
Models
Culturaliztion
Socialization
Perspectives
Anthropological
Sociological
Psychological
Predispositional
Individual Behavior
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Three Perspective of Police
Behavior and Elements
• Psychological Perspective
– Predispositional model
– Authoritarian personality
• Sociological Perspective
– Professionalization
– Socialization model
• Anthropological Perspective
– World View
– Ethos
– Themes
– Postulates
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Psychological
Perspective
• Predispositional Model
– behavior predetermined by
static pre-existing personality
that is shared by people
entering the law enforcement
profession
• Authoritarian Personality
– conservative, aggressive,
cynical and rigid behavior
Behavior viewed from an
individualistic level
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Sociological
Perspective
• Professionalization
– the process by which norms
and values are internalized
as workers begin to learn
their new occupation
• Socialization
– learning the norms, values,
mores of a group,
organization, society
• NOTE: assumes that
behavior is based on group
socialization
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Anthropological
Perspective
• World View
• Ethos
• Themes
• Postulates
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Elements of Police
Culture
• World View
– The manner in which a group sees the
world and its relationship to the world
• Ethos
– The fundamental spirit of a culture;
its sentiments and beliefs
• Themes
– Dynamic affirmations or recurrent
beliefs
• Postulates
– Statements of belief expressed by
members of the group
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Police Funerals
• Police funerals act as powerful
cultural rituals
• They reinforce the dangers of
the occupation
• They reinforce group solidarity
• They remind the public of the
dangers of police work
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Sources of Police Stress
• Life-Threatening Stressors
• Social Isolation Stressors
• Organizational Stressors
• Functional Stressors
• Personal Stressors
• Physiological Stressors
• Psychological Stressors
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Potential Negative Effects of
Stress Among Police
• Suicide
• Alcoholism & Drug Abuse
• Divorce
• Heart Disease
• Mortality
• Ulcers & Digestive Disorders
• Colon & Liver Cancer
• Diabetes
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Factors Contributing
to Suicide
• Abuse of Alcohol & Drugs
• Deviance & Corruption
• Access to Firearms
• Depression
• Working in Male Organizations
• Family & Economic Problems
• Alienation & Cynicism
• Role Conflict
• Physical & Mental Problems
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