'Who's the Man?': Masculinities Studies, Terry Stops, and Police Training

Abstract

Eugene Levy vie over who will control a drug sting. The movie's poster declares, "Only one of them can be... the man." THE MAN (New Line Cinema 2005). 5 The hegemonic pattern of masculinity is the definition of manhood that is dominant in a given cultural context. R.W. Connell & James W. Messerschmidt, Hegemonic Masculinity: Rethinking the Concept, 19 GENDER & SOC'Y 829, 846 (2005) ("The fundamental feature of the concept [of hegemonic masculinity] remains the combination of the plurality of masculinities and the hierarchy of masculinities."). 6 The field of masculinities studies describes the ways assumptions about the meanings of manhood are used to justify particular ideas and institutions. GAIL BEDERMAN, MANLINESS AND CIVILIZATION: A CULTURAL HISTORY OF GENDER AND RACE IN THE UNITED STATES 1880-1917 at 7 (1995) (defining the field as the consideration of how ideologies about manhood gain ascension and influence behavior). 7 For a collection of masculinities and law pieces, see the forthcoming reader,

Rural Officer Habitus and Attitudes Toward Proposed Changes to Law Enforcement

“…A potential counterbalance to current the training regime is the effect of field training on the recruit; however, this often carries its own set of problems. If a department's field training program is up to date and is run by motivated FTOs, an officer may be much less likely to develop a problematic habitus (Sun, 2003;Cooper, 2009). But if a department's field training program is not regulated properly and FTOs are unfit to teach the core values of policing, a recruit can become a problem for the department and the community.…”

Law enforcement disconnect from the community

“…Our study shows that some disconnection is necessary for effectively performing their duties. Officers are taught to display a "command presence" to take charge of the situation but it can quickly be construed by the public as an overt display of dominance (Cooper, 2008). Especially in communities already marginalized because of race and socioeconomic conditions, this type of law enforcement behavior can ratchet up the tension in a situation leading to over reaction on both sides.…”

“…"… central to the task of policing is the punishment of disrespect. Punishment of disrespect stems from the fact that police officers demand deference to the badge" (Cooper, 2008). Respect can be interpreted differently depending on the situation and language used and can further distance law enforcement from the community it has pledged to protect.…”

Eluding the Esculacho

“…Th e police use diff erent forms of esculachos in their interactions with (male) residents, such as random frisking in the streets on the pretext of searching for drugs, patrolling favelas with the fi nger on loaded machine guns to demonstrate power, actively seeking out confrontations, and using torture and other forms of violence. Such episodes constitute a form of "masculinity contest" (Cooper 2008) where offi cers bolster their masculine esteem by dominating male civilians. Engaging in such masculinity contests can thus be interpreted as a mode of self-making: a performance through which offi cers, by demonstrating their capacity and willingness to exercise violence, become intelligible to themselves and to others as dominant masculine subjects (Martin 1996).…”