The effect of disclosure on the professional life of lesbian police officers.
Item
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Title
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The effect of disclosure on the professional life of lesbian police officers.
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Identifier
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AAI9732934
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identifier
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9732934
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Creator
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Jordan, Kathleen Casey.
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Contributor
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Adviser: James Levine
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Date
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1997
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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 | Women's Studies | Sociology, Individual and Family Studies | Sociology, Industrial and Labor Relations | Psychology, Industrial
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Abstract
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The professional life of police officers, and consequent subculture and personality traits which accompany that life, has long been studied. Examination of various aspects of policing reveals that specific components of police life--such as secrecy, solidarity, loyalty, danger, machismo, stress, conservatism, suspiciousness, fear, and trust--have not altered much over years. Specific traits of the officer, however--such as gender, racial and ethnic identity, age, rank, education, years of service, marital status, and sexual orientation--have been linked to the manner and extent to which officers acclimate to police life.;The basic research design of this study employs the use of grounded theory to examine the variables which effect the professional life of lesbian police officers, with a focus on how subjects' sexual identity disclosure impacts professional life. Quantitative analyses of a demographic survey, featuring Likert-scale indices of level of disclosure and job satisfaction, establish a relationship between disclosure and rank.;Quantitative analyses of subject interview narratives reveal the most substantive results of the study. Overall, subjects indicated a high level of fear, distrust, and dissatisfaction with police life which were linked to higher levels of nondisclosure in the workplace. A paradigm for this nondisclosure, The Limbus, is developed to explain the specific implications of passive neutrality. Subjects occupying The Limbus were shown to have more complex and negative problems than subjects who were "out" (actively disclosed) or "closeted" (actively concealed).;Facets of the police organization, more than relationships with specific co-workers, appear to have the most impact on decisions to disclose in the workplace. While formal policies protecting lesbian police officers from discrimination do exist, subjects indicated that the subterranean values of the police organization supporting the traditional, heterosexual, white male stereotype were more instrumental than legal protections in determining disclosure.;The final storyline of the study examines the professional life of subjects by considering the subject as police officer, woman, minority, and homosexual. Suggestions for future research include expanding the subject base to a larger sample, as well as examining the professional lives of gay male officers to determine gender implications of The Limbus.
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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.
