The 21st century cop: Police recruit perceptions as a function of occupational socialization.
Item
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Title
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The 21st century cop: Police recruit perceptions as a function of occupational socialization.
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Identifier
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AAI8821104
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identifier
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8821104
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Creator
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Maghan, Jesse L.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Robert J. Kelly
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Date
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1988
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Sociology, Criminology and Penology | Sociology, Demography | Sociology, Ethnic and Racial Studies | Sociology, Individual and Family Studies | Sociology, Social Structure and Development
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Abstract
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This study was designed to examine the processes of socialization that Police Department of New York City recruits undergo in the course of training on the way to full-fledged police department membership. The entire second recruit class of 1986 (approximately 1,900) participated in the research effort.;The analysis of recruit backgrounds and Academy training experiences is embedded in a systematic statistical description and evaluation of their attitudes, perceptions and impressions of the police officers' role when training began and when it was completed. The analytical framework, methodologies, and data-gathering instruments are presented in detail in the text.;The research hypothesizes that recruits from varied racial and occupational backgrounds, those who are female and those from families whose members are police officers, will experience training differently. Further, their preconceptions and expectations of the role are rooted in social and sexual backgrounds. These will change as a consequence of the training experience.;A guiding assumption of the study is that individuals do not take on aspects of conduct incrementally and discretely but rather adopt a whole repertoire of behaviors through which they anticipate the demands of the police officer role. For recruits entering into police work through the mechanisms of Academy Training, a new array of expectations and perceived responsibilities concerning the eventual role they intended to inhabit emerged. New tasks achieved through training represent the initial states of occupational socialization whereby the transformation of the individual from a civilian to a police officer is set in motion.;The statistical analyses of the data derived from quantitative survey instruments administered at the start and conclusion of the training process reveal that recruit conceptions of policing are significantly modified: those with strong enforcement, and those with strong service orientations move towards a common perspective and definition of the role that incorporates both dimensions.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
