Prime Suspect and Women in Policing

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gray Cavender ◽  
Nancy C. Jurik
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Final Section ◽  
Television Programs ◽  
Women Police Officers ◽  
Police Organizations ◽  
Integration Period ◽  
Crime Investigation ◽  
Women Police ◽  
Accurate Reflection

The early absence of women police protagonists from novels and television programs was an accurate reflection of social reality. Women were largely excluded from the majority of police patrol and crime investigation jobs until the 1970s. Despite their integration into a wider range of police duties, women continued to struggle to remain and advance in their positions and often were relegated to police work that was behind the scenes of street patrol and investigation. This chapter begins with a discussion of the experiences of real-world women working in policing after the 1970s integration period. It then elaborates the ways in which Prime Suspect 1 brought the feminist genre to the television police procedural form, a subgenre that has been especially resistant to women in lead roles. The final section reflects on how the portrayal of women police officers in the Prime Suspect series comports with the lived experiences of actual policewomen, in particular, those who occupy high ranks in police organizations.

Mainstream Superhero Comics and Gendered Representations of Social Control

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hope Hutchins
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Social Control ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Graphic Novels ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Women Police Officers ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Media Constructions ◽  
Women Police

In the context of increasing familiarity with mainstream superhero comics and their characters, a wide range of readers are being exposed to the values regarding gender and social control being communicated in this genre. Therefore, it is important to assess whether social control is signified differently for males and females in superhero comics. This presentation will begin with a discussion of why it is important to study comics and graphic novels. I will then outline the concept of social control and criminological theories centered on this idea before demonstrating why superheroes may be understood as agents of social control. This will bring me to a discussion of preliminary findings of a qualitative content analysis of issues of Batman, Captain America, Wonder Woman, Ms Marvel, Justice League of America, and New Avengers comics released from May to October 2007. In examining the leadership positions, the formal and informal methods employed, those over whom social control is exercised, and relative success of each superhero in these issues, I am seeking to assess whether social control is portrayed as being exercised by male and female superheroes in different ways and to identify how this happens. The results of this content analysis will be compared with previous studies of women police officers to assess whether representations of female agents of social control in superhero comics are consistent with the experiences of real‐life criminal justice practitioners. Finally, the reasons for and implications of the nature of such media constructions will be briefly explored to encourage other students to study comics and graphic novels.

Occupation-Specific Precursors of Stress among Greek Police Officers: The Roles of Rank and Gender

2009 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 334-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander-Stamatios Antoniou
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
Low Rank ◽  
Context Specificity ◽  
Women Police Officers ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Management Interventions ◽  
Women Police ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Work Family ◽  
Context Specific

Although assessment of stress is typically performed using generic stress questionnaires, the context-specificity and generalisability of such assessments are often ignored. This study explored the differences in perceptions of work-related stressors in male/female and high/low rank police officers in Greece, by the application of a context-specific measure. 512 police officers representing the Hellenic police force responded to a questionnaire assessing precursors to work stress, and perceived level of stress. Results revealed that the nature of occupational stressors pertinent to Greek police officers differed as a function of their gender and their rank. Males and females differed in their perceptions of stressfulness of the context-specific issues assessed, with females reporting significantly higher stress in 21 work and organisational issues. High and low rank police officers also differed in their perceptions of stressfulness, with high rank police officers reporting more stress overall. The study highlighted the facts that work issues pertaining to female police officers' work and work issues pertaining to high and low rank police officers are of a specific nature. Women police officers are concerned more with issues related to career opportunities, roles and responsibility, and work–family issues. Risk assessment and stress management interventions should take these into consideration. Context-specificity is a good way forward in assessments of stress, and measures may need to be refined.

Women Police Officers and the Use of Coercion

2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 97-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene A. Paoline ◽  
William Terrill
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
Women Police Officers ◽  
Women Police

Role styles of women police officers

Sex Roles ◽  
1985 ◽  
Vol 12 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 749-755 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judie Gaffin Wexler
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
Women Police Officers ◽  
Women Police

Constructing the Symbolic Complainant: Police Subculture and the Nonenforcement of Protection Orders for Battered Women

1995 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
George S. Rigakos
Keyword(s):  
Battered Women ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Family Relations ◽  
Criminal Code ◽  
Occupational Culture ◽  
Women Police Officers ◽  
Marriage And Family ◽  
Protective Orders ◽  
Women Police ◽  
Peace Bonds

This exploratory study examines the effect of patriarchy on police subcultural and individual attitudes toward the enforcement of protective court orders for battered women. Police officers (N = 13) and justice officials (N = 8) in the Municipality of Delta were interviewed for their opinions on the efficacy of both Criminal Code peace bonds and Family Relations Act (R.S.B.C., amended 1986) civil restraining orders. Interview data suggest that both protective orders are rarely treated seriously by the police or the courts. It is argued that the occupational culture of the police leads to exaggerated patriarchal notions of women, marriage, and family that are conservative; blame the victim; point the finger at other institutions; foster images of women as manipulative; and produce a fictitious narrative of battered women.

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