“A Panel of Good ol’ Boys”: Women Navigating the Police Promotions Process

Todak, Natalie

doi:10.1007/s12103-023-09732-w

Cited by 9 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…Contemporary studies indicate women's experiences on patrol are improving, and opposition is diminishing and concentrated among older officers (Rabe-Hemp, 2018). Nevertheless, this study suggests women are still barred from male-dominated spaces via elements of traditional culture, echoing a handful of exploratory studies (Dodge et al, 2010(Dodge et al, , 2011Haarr and Morash, 2013;Todak, 2023;Todak et al, 2022a;online first;Whetstone and Wilson, 1999). These cultural elements facilitate sexist attitudes of men toward the competence of women officers and encourage men to trivialize their success and engage in harassment when they enter what are considered "men's spaces."…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

“…In this way, the findings also support the organizational perspective of police culture (Paoline and Terrill, 2014). According to Todak (2023), women who earn promotions can experience backlash when the organization perpetuates the idea that one woman is needed at every position in the organization. Agencies engage in this type of strategy to alleviate concerns that certain areas are lacking in diversity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The sample included three corporals, eight sergeants, eight lieutenants, six captains, one major, one deputy chief, six assistant chiefs and six chiefs of police. More detailed descriptions of the samples can be found in (Todak, 2023) and (Todak et al , 2022b).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A subjective selection process is indicative of a gendered organization as the policy (or lack thereof) allows panels to pick candidates regardless of qualifications. This problem is broadly acknowledged throughout US policing (Todak, 2023). Women refer to the "good ol' boys club" when assignments are granted "based on our buddies and our friends and not necessarily on skills and abilities" (Director).…”

Section: Themes and Subthemesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The final frontier: police culture for women in men’s spaces

Todak

2024

PIJPSM

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PurposeThis study explores how police culture is experienced by women officers serving in positions where they are significantly underrepresented (i.e. leadership and elite specialty units) and the environmental factors that shape these experiences.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative analysis of transcripts from interviews with 71 women serving in male-dominated roles was conducted (N = 39 ranking women; N = 32 women on elite units).FindingsParticipants described five occupational, organizational and assignment-level factors that shaped their workplace experiences. While some contextual forces at play are similar for women working patrol (e.g. traditional police culture, the underrepresentation of women in law enforcement) unique position-level factors were also identified (e.g. the high-risk and consequential nature of the work).Practical implicationsWhile the cultural environment for women patrol officers has improved in the past few decades, the same cannot be said for women working in positions that are still dominated by men. More attention to this area of policing is needed to ensure gender diversity is achieved throughout organizations and not only in positions deemed suitable for women.Originality/valueThe study extends research on women in policing beyond the focus on patrol. Further, it explores the assignment- and rank-based perspectives of police culture, which are largely absent from the literature.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Themes and Subthemesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The final frontier: police culture for women in men’s spaces

Todak

2024

PIJPSM

Self Cite

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“…In other words, while women may be overrepresented in positions that expose them to less risk, which may contribute to the interpretation that female officers use less force by virtue of their sex, this study suggests there is likely a more complex interplay between these variables and other factors (e.g., presence of other officers; Rabe-Hemp, 2008a). Female police officers have also been found to be severely underrepresented on specialty police units, such as Special weapons and Tactics (SwAT) teams, largely because of the sex and gendered structures and culture of policing (Todak, 2023) and high physical strength requirements (Brown et al, 2021). given that UoF is sometimes used more frequently by officers serving in these types of specialty units (gaub et al, 2021), largely due to the nature of the calls they respond to, the lack of female representation in these units may help explain sex differences in the UoF.…”

Section: Social Role Theory and Common Explanations For Sex Differenc...mentioning

confidence: 82%

A Comparison of Police Use of Force by Male and Female Officers in Canada: Rates, Modalities, Effectiveness, and Injuries

Sheppard,

Khanizadeh,

Baldwin

et al. 2024

Criminal Justice and Behavior

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Research has reported inconsistent findings with respect to how female and male police officers use force. This study examined this issue in a Canadian context. Use of force data over 9 years were collected from a large Canadian police agency. The results demonstrated that, overall, female officers used force less frequently than male officers relative to the number of female and male officers within the participating police agency. Female officers had lower odds of using physical control “hard” options (e.g., stuns and strikes) and higher odds of using intermediate weapons (e.g., conducted energy weapon) compared with male officers. Female officers also generally reported less effectiveness, more injuries to themselves, and fewer injuries to subjects related to their use of force compared with male officers. Literature on police use of force and social role theory are used to help explain the findings, and recommendations for improving outcomes in police–public interactions are suggested.

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Ask the women in blue: Female officers’ thoughts on the recruitment and retention of women in policing

Rief,

Clinkinbeard,

Goodijohn

et al. 2024

Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice

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Women bring many benefits to policing but represent only 14% of sworn police in the United States. Researchers have examined different recruitment strategies, yet few have sought insight from women officers themselves. We explored women officers’ perspectives on recruiting and retaining more women in policing. Using semi-structured interviews, we asked 40 current and retired women officers how police agencies can better target women to increase their representation. Responses were analyzed using open coding techniques. Participants noted difficulty hiring amid a larger police staffing crisis. They also discussed the structure and culture of police work as barriers to the recruitment and retention of women and suggested outreach and mentorship as strategies to increase integration. These findings have policy and practice implications related to increasing the integration and entrance of women in policing. Women bring many benefits to policing but represent only 14% of sworn police in the United States. Researchers have examined different recruitment strategies, yet few have sought insight from women officers themselves. We explored women officers’ perspectives on recruiting and retaining more women in policing. Using semi-structured interviews, we asked 40 current and retired women officers how police agencies can better target women to increase their representation. Responses were analyzed using open coding techniques. Participants noted difficulty hiring amid a larger police staffing crisis. They also discussed the structure and culture of police work as barriers to the recruitment and retention of women and suggested outreach and mentorship as strategies to increase integration. These findings have policy and practice implications related to increasing the integration and entrance of women in policing.

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“A Panel of Good ol’ Boys”: Women Navigating the Police Promotions Process

Cited by 9 publications

References 67 publications

The final frontier: police culture for women in men’s spaces

The final frontier: police culture for women in men’s spaces

A Comparison of Police Use of Force by Male and Female Officers in Canada: Rates, Modalities, Effectiveness, and Injuries

Ask the women in blue: Female officers’ thoughts on the recruitment and retention of women in policing

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