Case study 3: Gender and Policing
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Part B (44KB and 36 KB)
This piece is taken from a comparative study of women in police forces across Europe,
North America, Australasia and Africa, drawing on both statistical information and
personal accounts to provide a rounded view. The two sections offer a flavour of the range
of information presented. This material would be useful as further reading for both
chapters 6 (gender) and 11 (work).
Questions
- Summarise, in no more than 100 words, the discussion of sexual harassment.
- The study uses both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Using examples from the
extracts, compare and contrast these two approaches as methods of obtaining information
about the police.
- What do you understand by the claim that 'The seemingly self-evident construct of an
Australian "national masculinity" with an emphasis on physical prowess and
independence is crumbling.'
- How far does the evidence support the idea that 'cop culture' is sexist, racist and
homophobic?
- What evidence is contained within the extracts that patriarchy is alive and well in the
police forces of the world?
- How might a sociologist explain the different percentage of women officers in the
various categories of police work as shown in Figure 4?
- The 'dual role' of women is claimed to have a detrimental effect on female police
officers. How far can this be generalised to all employed women everywhere?
- How useful is the term 'hegemonic masculinity' in the conditions of postmodernity?
Source: Brown, J. and F. Heidensohn (2000) Gender and Policing: comparative
perspectives, Basingstoke, Palgrave, pages 80-84 and 132-135.
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