Policing as Dirty Work and the Problem of Trust (Legitimacy) Flashcards
Why is policing widely regarded as a “tainted” occupation, and how do officers reconcile this designation with their work?
Dirt is mater out of space (MARY DOUGLAS) - police officers work in these liminal states that are in between good and bad (EX: like garbage collectors, sewer workers, morticians)
We know this is important that there are people willing to do this, but we are disgusted by these people (officers, garbage men) . we are disgusted by officer because of the groups they have to deal with. Dirty workers do work that is physically disgusting, symbolizes degradation, and compromises workers’ dignity.
The guys who actually do this work have to overcome that themselves and don’t see their work as dirty. this is necessary for them to work within these liminal states.
How they overcome this dirtiness is by:
**** reframing (meaning of occupation is transformed), - I am fighting the good fight.
*****refocusing (shift attn to less stigmatized parts).
*****recalibrating (tasks that constitute the role are re-categorized to to emphasize the more acceptable ones)
The police use force, coerce, this makes them appear negative to the public.
Why is police work dirty/tainted?
Well, yes, they are arguably doing good work but it’s not completely defensible. Bittner says they are “fighting fire with fire” - it’s not like these are mediators who solve tense situations, they use coercive force to get their way. This has moral ambiguity!!!
The ambiguity rests in the fact that yes, they have to use force, but the decision to use it and judging the extent of its use is inherently unclear according to Penny Dick. (This is an example of Weber’s tragedy of power!).
How do police officers deal with the moral ambivalence of their work?
They reframe the use of force. Through story telling and canteen culture (Penny Dick), they are establish an out group who is composed of criminals and make them the villians. They are “crime fighters” as per how they see themselves.
They also use this reframing for the repulsed public’s benefit.
recalibratition
reframe
refocus
recategorizing tasks to emphasize more acceptable ones
meaning of occupation is transformed
emphasize the less stigmatized parts of their jobs
front-stage
back-stage
(Penny Dick)
When the police feel they have an audience (the larger public, for example) they put on their outside-world persona and change their internal narratives to accommodate the way the larger world sees their use of force.
When the police is in close, trusted circles of their in-group and families, they have different narratives for their work.
How can we improve the level of trust between communities and the police?
Legitimacy!
Not only is police work seen as dirty, it’s also peremptory (dictatorial) and divisive (social boundaries reinforced)
But police need legitimacy!
Legitimacy
The quality of being lawful, authentic, trustworthy, or genuine
Police need it in order to get public cooperation. (Tom Tyler)
People will tolerate intrusive police contact so long as it has legitimacy
To gain legitimacy, you must have trust and if you draw on peoples’ feelings of responsibility and obligation
How can we increase police legitimacy (Tom Tyler)
People obey laws and it’s not really explained by saying deterrence. Detterence doesn’t explain compliance and cooperation with police.
What does?
Tyler thesis: people feel responsible for obeying authorities whom they perceive as legitimate. This is when you believe your interests intersect with their interests.
