Symbolic Interactionism in Police Culture - Essay Example

Running head: ASSESS THE CONTRIBUTION OF SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM TO OUR UNDERSTANDING OF POLICE OCCUPATIONAL CULTURE, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS Assess the Contribution of Symbolic Interactionism to Our Understanding of Police Occupational Culture, What are some of the Implications Insert Name Insert Affiliation Abstract The main goal that is found within these researched pages on police occupation and the symbolism of it is evidenced to have always been to promote the better side of society and bring about a complete wisdom and truth among people as to how law enforcement actually plays a part in all of our lives, in a philosophical and symbolic sense. What will be found in this paper is that law enforcement works extremely hard to maintain an environment that provides a safe and social existence to allow for social interactions among each other and all adjoining cultures in society. Also, without law enforcement, this literature has evidenced that there would not be the improved balance that there is in life today as compared to decades ago. It is within this specific area of thought that this research has included the symbolic interactionism of the police and others in the field of law enforcement. As philosophers search for the meaning of life and why circumstances present themselves in the ways they do, law enforcement occupations have similar philosophical reasoning's in behind them as will be found in the current literary work. Whether the public understands it or not the police and other law officials utilize a very symbolic structure in their profession, often looking for factors in the environment, and interactions among people in society for possible clues to assist them in controlling crime and establishing livable and safe conditions for society as a whole. These are all extremely relevant issues within the police culture as well as in the sociological realm of communities also. These various thoughts are found to be detailed in the current literature being presented to enlighten readers as to how the occupational culture of the police does form symbolic meaning and utilizes the theory of symbolic interactionism within society. What relevance does Symbolic Interactionism carry in Policing This type of sociological mentality has a long standing tradition in sociology as well as an involvement in the various criminology theories of crime. This theoretical framework first became popular with the German sociologist, 'Max Weber' and then progressed into the Western part of the world through the work of 'George M. Head (McClelland 2000). How the police utilize this theory is by studying the various forms of human behavior and how social processes evolve in society. The structure of the law is what is shown as having the control over certain social situations and the many social interactions with each other in social circles. Police develop a sociological pattern of behavior among people in society that helps them focus on certain areas where crime has the highest potential of occurring. Those in the field of law are very much like interactionists who study relative actions of people through paying close attention to details in everyday life. This type of observation has been proven to be able to pinpoint certain criminal intentions before the actual crime itself is given the opportunity to take place. Of course there are still law breaking activities occurring but that is because police are not able to be everywhere all at once and they aren't psychic. However, the structure that they go by has definitely lead to decreases in crime within many parts of Europe and the UK as a whole. Furthermore, police officers serving specific communities are dedicated and committed to their jobs and they have to enforce the laws that have been instated to protect the various communities around them. Sometimes police are morally indifferent to some consequential laws but this does not effect how they carry out their service to those in society (Becker 1963). Often police are very much like enforcers; as a matter of fact that is actually how society's interpretation of them is. Because police officers are often involved with repeat criminal offenders in their job, they hold a degree of skepticism to the possibilities of reform and whether or not they will actually make a difference in everyday environments. However, this is not the attitude that they portray to the general public; rather they are constantly engaged in their work and they present themselves as being very efficient and precise through the various contributions they make to local communities. It is the occupation of these police officers that ensure the safety of so many in societies, and although their jobs are highly stressful it does not dissuade them from doing the work that they pride themselves in and that proves to be a positive influence to the attitudes of many other people in community circles. Also, as police fight crime and attempt to deter deviant behavior, at the same time they need crime to exist if there is going to be a continuing need by the public for the occupation of police officers. Yet again, this is not the mind set that is obvious to people nor is it something that is even questioned at all but it is associative with the preoccupation of the police. Gaining and using respect is another moral obligation of the police occupation and this ethical dilemma comes into consideration often when police are in a situation of whether or not they should use violence as a means of enforcing the law. This type of discretionary behavior is most often considered when having to make an arrest or in cases where persistence is necessary in prosecuting minor offenders, especially when the police officers own mental competency is put to the test (Becker 1963). It is within these specific areas that police officers have the greatest impact in the realm of social behaviors and issues of morality. What is assumed to be right or wrong is often judged by the police in public situations which accurately shows how their own actions can affect a community at large, therefore power should be used discreetly, as a traditional method by the police, to keep the peace and not instigate a moral panic, as has happened in the past (Becker 1963). Violence in Policing It is found in police culture that even though there is an effort made by police officers to not use excessive violence, there are times when there is no other alternative. Thereby, violence and policing are associated with one another, from a generalized stand point in society (Coady, et al 2001). Obviously, as a public unity, there has been approval given to the police to use force but there have been instances where this has lead to the wrong outcome even though the interaction of the police might have removed a criminal threat. While there are cases in existence where violence was carried out this is not the initial intent of the police. They value their role in society far more than just a job; more like a mission that they are on to make the world a better place. The police's main objective is to offer their services to those that need them and to pursue those who would intend to break the law. Therefore the realization within the occupation of police needs to be understood to be that of a public position that is often placed in moral dilemmas where a decision has to be made on how to proceed in cases that are prone to violence. Overall, police are humans too and the environments they often find themselves in are inhumane and therefore should not be criticized for their efforts to create a safe living environment simply because violence does occur and force is often used (Wall 2002). The Implication of the Media on Policing and Interactionism It is widely known that the media has a foul reputation of exaggerating things that just aren't there and they exploit the efforts of police and other law enforcement agencies in much the same manner as they do everything else. The media is definitely intertwined into the debate of how symbolic interactionism affects or plays a part in policing. The problems that the media cause for police officers is how they report issues of deviant behavior in certain cultures or communities that leads people to believe statements that are just not true yet creates a fear in communities that the police have to deal with. The media then places a burden on the police to sort out various problem areas where they have lead the public to believe criminals are coming from. This in turn causes necessary resources to be tied up needlessly due to the fears the media has placed within the publics mind. As a result of all of the media attention and police in specific areas, criminal actions become more pronounced and the deviant behavior that was minimal increases due to all the public focus on it. There is no doubt that social behaviors of the media, police, and society in general actually can trigger increased fluctuations in crime. This mass confusion creates unwarranted concerns and causes stiffer sentences to be passed, and new laws to be instated just to deal with a threat that has been blown out of proportion but that has created enough mass panic to warrant generalized suspicions of possible criminal acts from specific ethnic groups and neighborhoods. So it can't be denied that social interactions of everyone in society affects crime, even the police, as was mentioned previously (Wikipedia Encyclopedia 2005). It was Stanley Cohen that researched this type of behavior and labeled it 'moral panic' due to how the media response to some criminal acts created mass fears and left police working overtime to correct the problems, such as in the 60's in Britain there was the rising of the 'Mods' and the 'Rockers' gangs which promoted rising concerns of the British Youth that the police, yet again, had to try and contain and deal with simply due to the actions of the media and their creating panic in society (Wikipedia Encyclopedia 2005). Thus, the interactions of the media present a more difficult problem for the police as their behaviors have a tendency to promote excess fears and concerns which contributes to added criminal actions in a society. This has been evidenced time and time again as in recent disasters police have lost the ability to be able to control the public and deviant acts such as: breaking and entering, racial hate crimes, muggings, riots, robbery, and rape have all been running rampant during catastrophes. In these instances, police can not do their jobs appropriately and they can not protect and serve a society at large when they have to battle issues that the media provokes and instigates. The Sociological Impact of Law and Policing in Society Inevitably, this literature has determined that the social behaviors of the police themselves impact society. Still it can be understood that there is an overall appreciativeness of the public towards law enforcement due to the protective and mediating services they provide and their ability, through their interactions with people, to control legal situations concerning: family life and domestic issues, relations between employees and businesses that might become aggravated, rights of citizens to peaceful living by controlling deviant actions in communities, and various other areas that have a social effect one everyday living for whole neighborhoods. The majority of individuals are aware that the police are present for the welfare of them and without their presence or the confines of a legal system there would be widespread crime and no control over anyone's actions (Schur 1968:3). Society's understanding of policing is not totally accurate to the legislative ramifications of it, especially from a traditional legal sense. What people feel the police ought to do and what the law dictates them to do are at times socially hypocritical, although, overall, as has been mentioned throughout this literature, their contributions are still assets to multiply communities everywhere in the UK. The misunderstandings of police occupation, from a social context comes in when it is assumed that the job of a police officer is mainly considerate of the policing actions in society but there is far more to it than that one conception. "Police work, is by nature, highly discretionary and most of it does not involve law enforcement" (Dixon 1997:3). The legal technicalities that are thrown in with the duties of police officers are mundane and often very petty, thereby detracting their main obligations from society to contend with the various policies they have to obey. For example, the new policing methods focus more on working strictly by the book, rather than common sense strategies. Another way of looking at this is there is the way police carry out their jobs, following conservatively along the path of the law and then there is the basic social need where their services are needed by consent of the public. The occupation of police and society's interpretation is often confusing but the logical implications of their job and the concept of it is basically understood well enough to realize that their interaction in society is worthwhile and necessary even though there are aspects of it that will never be fully comprehended by the general public. What Defines Cop Culture The culture within the boundaries of the occupation of police can be considered in many ways and there are different opinions concerning what the actual culture identity is of cops. It has been stated to be a profession that carries a sense of machoism due to the fact that the uniform is representative of an ideal person, an enforcer there to serve and protect the community. There also is idealism, optimism, and realism associated within this culture. This profession is known to be made up of a group of professionals that are dedicated problem solvers who play close attention to details and peoples needs in order to come up with positive resolutions in outlaying communities. Some people perceive them to be nothing more than actors or role players due the fact that when they take off their street clothes and put on the blue uniform their whole attitude changes and they conform into someone who has a totally different background of culture than when they are simply walking down the street as an everyday citizen. They are also recognized as 'angels in blue' but they walk a very thin line between right and wrong and often they break all the rules to get their job done, which is perceived to be simply a part of their historic background that makes up what is a cop. Furthermore, the professionalism found within the culture of policing is considered to be an adaptation process by police officers but it is also found that many recruits have a natural trait of professionalism that is exemplified upon entering the police academy. This is especially true for those who were born into a family were many relatives are police offices. In a way, police officers do learn specific historic characteristics of how to carry out their jobs in an improved professional manner but they are already aware of the historical and political context of their position and what is expected of them (Chan et al, 2003). Also, research previously carried out has depicted the reasons police officers chose their profession to begin with was due to an inner drive to want to work with people and help them, and to search for better ways to serve and create crime free living environments for their community. The role that a police officer presents is normally one of straight laced conservatism, ensuring equality is present for all citizens and crime is being deterred in a professional and respectful manner, but the culture of police and their work is in reality, not this simple nor easy to maintain, especially with a stereotype such as the one the public perceives it to be. The obvious interpretation that everyday citizens categorize police as are those who are more like labelers, peace-keepers, philosophers, and guides and friends; which they do fulfill each and everyone of these roles and the titles are very much a part of their identities and culture (Reiner 1978). However, their roles are also filled with many suspicions in their occupation and this is only because the working environment that surrounds them is often filled with invisible dangers at all corners, therefore they must be suspicious if they are to protect themselves. The police culture has a set of rationalizations that they use and these are that they perceive it to be justifiable to break certain rules to get their job done and also pass this mentality on to new recruits. Furthermore, they have a way of protecting one another so that there is a unit of loyalty but they also protect each other from scrutiny and criticism. The fact is rule breaking occurs due to the demands of the job and in claiming it is necessary at times to control criminal or deviant behaviors in communities. Therefore, many issues of rule breaking (as was mentioned), discriminatory practices, and excessive force are deemed necessary and a part of the role in police occupation. The concern though is that if caution is not exercised at all times then the police have a tendency to fall into corruption just as easily as anyone else in society and this has been proven to happen in the past as well as in the present (James 1996). In conclusion, the role of cops is a very influential one and their jobs are some of the hardest among career fields. They strive to provide services to the public that: treat everyone fairly, are open and honest, in a partnership with civilians in communities, and most importantly they are always working to improve their services wherever they might be needed (Metropolitan Police 2006). Furthermore, those people who fill the roles of police officers are carefully considered and they are people who have been proven to work hard, have excellent attitudes, and are willing to work as a team for the welfare of the community as well as their police department units (Metropolitan Police 2006). As has been evidenced, the main initiative of the police is to improve the environments of which we all live and in order to do that it has been discussed that a better understanding of police occupation needs to be obtained as well as those in law enforcement needing to develop a better comprehension of the diverse cultures in society and the multiply interactions of people among these different ethnic groups. By doing this there can be a better communication between law enforcement and civilians and a thorough understanding of the differences among races. This can possibly help in eliminating the age old stereotyping of specific races and criminal actions as it is well known that anyone can commit a crime regardless of their ethnic backgrounds. Therefore, the judgments that use to be cast about particular criminal actions and this race or that race being responsible can be done away with to show that crime is crime and it is irrelevant what color the person committing it is but rather it is more detrimental in curtailing it from happening at all. A better understanding such as this in society promotes a better place to live and working with law enforcement instead of being suspicious of them contributes to crime free communities and content and peaceful environments that we can all share equally. References Becker, H. (1963). Outsiders, New York: Free Press. Retrieved on 12 January, 2006, from: http://www.arasite.org/becker.htm> Chan, Janet & Devery, Chris & Doran, Sally (2003). 'Fair Cop: Learning The Art of Policing'. University of Toronto Press, Toronto. p.342 Coady, Tony & James, Steven & Miller, Seumas & Okeefe, Michal. (2001). Violence and Police Culture. Melbourne University Publishing Dixon, David. (1997). Law in Policing: Legal Regulation and Police Practices. Clarendon Press, Oxford. James, Steve (1996). 'Women and Police Culture in Victoria'. Criminology Dept. University of Melbourne. pp.1-16 McClelland, Kent. (2000). Symbolic Interactionism. Retrieved on 13 January, 2006, from: http://www.grinnell.edu/courses/soc/soo/soc111-01/Introtheories/Symbolic.html Metropolitan Police. (2006). A Progressive Culture. Retrieved on 15 January, 2006, from: http://www.metcareers.co.uk/default.aspaction=article&ID=81 R. Reiner (1978). 'The Police in the Class Structure' British Journal of Law and Society, Vol.5, No.2 pp. 166-184 Schur, Edwin. (1968). Law and Society: A Sociological View. Random House Publications Wall, David. (2002). Policing-Unit3-TheNature of Contemporary Police Forces. Retrieved on 14 January, 2006, from: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/law/staff/lawdw/cyberpolice/pol.6.htm Wikipedia Encyclopedia. (2005). Symbolic Interactionism. Retrieved on 14 January, 2006, from: http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminology#Symbolic_Interactionism Read More